Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in this reply to Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ijaw National Congress, Chief Edwin Clark, has said his claims that he picks interests of the North more seriously than Niger Delta is a mere “buka gossip”.
Obasanjo in his letter titled ‘My response to the open letter by Clark’, noted Nigeria can only record desired progress with the absence of tribesmen.
Excerpt from the letter: “There is no part of Nigeria whose interest is not fear to my heart. And stating in your letter that it is only the interest of the north I continuously hold dear to my heart is that type of buka gossip that, knowing you as I do since 1975, I am not surprised that you echoed.
“I have always stood for equity and justice in our federation and, for me, the tribe has to be suppressed for the state to emerge. And until the state emerges, Nigeria will not make the desired progress as tribesmen will always sacrifice state for tribe.
“This has always been my position and it will remain my position until I breathe my last.”
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