Open letter saga: Bad language does not show wisdom, Obasanjo replies Clark
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that he has never sabotaged the interests of the Niger Delta region, explaining that natural resources found in Nigeria belong to the country and not a part of it.
Penpushing reports that, Obasanjo made the explanation in response to an open letter written by the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark who accused Obasanjo of acting against the interest of the Niger Delta region.
The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, it is recalled in the letter declared that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has continued to push for the marginalisation of the Niger Delta people.
Penpushing further reports that, Obasanjo, however, advised Clark not to use his own yardstick to judge others, stressing that it is about time the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum change from a tribesman to a statesman of character
“I am not inconsistent, hypocritical, unstatesman, and nor am I anybody’s lackey. You use your own yardstick to judge others. I fear God and I respect those who respect themselves and I hope it is about time you change from a tribesman to a statesman of character,” said Mr Obasanjo in his letter dated December 28, 2021’.
“I believe one lesson that we all must appreciate that we have all learned in the last 61 years of our independence is that we all need to be civil to ourselves and occasionally put ourselves in the position of others’, Obasanjo wrote
“Bad language does not show prudence, wisdom and maturity. I hope you will think and adjust. Negotiation achieves better results than dictation. I believe that we should be reformists rather than being pedantic with leave-it or take-it attitude. Together, I also believe Nigeria can be fixed and mended for the benefit of today and tomorrow on the basis of give and take’. he added
“If we all demand what we consider as our rights without yielding and with unbending stature, we will be wrong and record failure at the end of the day. Reform is a continuous exercise but relatively slow in achieving results. Revolution for sea-change may rarely happen and then we may continue to languish in frustration and regret with dire judgement of posterity’, he stated
Penpushing also reports that, Obasanjo said he has never shown any anger or distraught against the Niger Delta region nor with any part or region of Nigeria, adding that he has always picked points on leadership performance or policies.
“Rather, I have always picked points on leadership performance or policies and I will continue to do so. Even when a particular part of Nigeria decided not to vote for me and their leaders told me that in clear terms, I showed understanding and not anger or distraught and disabused their minds on what I believed they got wrong’, Obasanjo added.
“And in subsequent elections, they voted for me. My records before, during and after the civil war in Nigeria Delta Region was without blemish and it was all goodwill to all the people of Nigeria and especially the people of the Niger Delta Region which was my theatre of operation during the Nigerian civil war.”
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