Buhari needs support not threat — VON DG
The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has advised Chief Edwin Clark to support the President Muhammadu Buhariled Federal Government rather than engaging in propaganda over the Niger Delta development issue.
Okechukwu gave the advice in Abuja yesterday, following the ultimatum given to the Federal Government by Chief Clark via Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on the need to constitute negotiation team in the Niger Delta region before August 1.
He said the Buhari-led government was, however, working to ensure the delivery of true democracy dividends to Nigerians, adding that the people had the right to vote out the APC government in 2019 if they were not satisfied with its performance.
He said, “We were given a fouryear tenure to start with, and if it suits the Nigerian people they will re-elect the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari again or any other candidate in the APC.
“I was not very impressed with Chief Clark, a man I have respect for, because he is sounding as if everybody is opposed to devolution of power.”
Okechukwu, who said Clark during the PDP administration had the opportunity to better the lot of the people of Niger Delta but didn’t, added that the President Buhari-led administration inherited an almost failed state but was determined to restructure the country’s substructure.
The VON director-general said most state governments were owing salaries and pension arrears for 18 months when the administration came in.
He said the Buhari administration within two years of its tenure, spent about a trillion naira in bailout funds to address issues of salary arrears in states.
He added that the administration through a 500 million dollars foreign loan, was able to rehabilitate roads in the Niger Delta which Clark never remembered to fix.
On the agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria, Okechukwu said, “We are all committed to restructuring the country, but we are saying we are starting with the restructuring of the substructures.
“The APC has also set up different committees to look at this restructuring issue,” he said.