Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, thursday clarified his letter to the National Assembly on the investigation being carried out by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), stating that his position had been misrepresented.
Speaking through his lawyer , Dr. Kayode Ajulo, Clark stressed that it was sad that his letter to the National Assembly had been misconstrued and purposely misinterpreted to suit the biases of some unnamed individuals.
The nonagenarian noted that he was concerned about what he described as ‘the issue of endemic corruption in NDDC’, noting that he would want it investigated and exposed once and for all.
The Niger Delta leader also said that he had not taken sides with anyone that might have corruptly enriched himself with the resources of the NDDC, which are constitutionally meant for the development of the region.
“The letter to the National Assembly is already being misrepresented and misinterpreted by certain individuals.
“For the purpose of clarification, Chief Clark is not in any way against the probe of the NDDC management, but he was only advocating an all-inclusive probe since the IMC had also levelled serious allegations against certain National Assembly members.
“Chief will never trade his hard-earned integrity for any gain and take sides with anyone whose selfish interest is against the general interest of the Niger Delta people. He only wants the allegations and counter allegations to be investigated by the National Assembly.
“He only feels that the counter allegations made by members of the IMC should equally be investigated by the National Assembly,” the elder statesman’s representative who spoke on his behalf said.
Clark expressed worry over what he said was the wicked corruption allegations against the House Committee Chairman on NDDC who he argued is barely a year old in office, wondering why someone that had only passed one budget for NDDC which has not even been implemented could be accused of corruption.
He, nonetheless, urged those that had made allegations to publicly substantiate them “or better still remain silent forever”.
