‘How I challenged Obasanjo for being stupendously rich’

– Edwin Clark, former information minister and leader of the Ijaw nation, has said he has never remained silent concerning corruption in the country

– He also revealed how he once confronted former President Olusegun Obasanjo for suddenly becoming extremely rich when he had just N20,000 in 1998

– He also recalled the role he played in the corruption trial of James Ibori, a former governor of Delta state who has been in a UK jail

A Niger Delta leader and former minister, Chief Edwin Clark, has revealed that he has never supported corruption.

Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo is accused of becoming stupendously rich

He even said he once confronted former President Olusegun Obasanjo on how the latter suddenly became rich when he only had N20,000 upon leaving prison in 1998.

Obasanjo became the president of Nigeria in 1999 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was re-elected in 2003 for another four-year tenure.

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While speaking with journalists in Warri, Delta state on Friday, August 5, 2016, Clark said he confronted Onasanjo while Jonathan ruled the country.

According to The Cable, Clark further said: “I talked about corruption during the time of erstwhile President Obasanjo and Yar’ Adua.

“During Jonathan’s time, I accused Chief Obasanjo that he was the most corrupt ex-president Nigeria had ever produced.

“I said that he left prison with only N20,000, but today he is one of the wealthiest former presidents in the whole of West Africa.

“I was also in the forefront of fighting our former governor, Chief James Ibori, leading to him being sentenced UK.

“Every Nigerian is aware of this. I led the crusade against him especially when a judge dropped the charges against him.”

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While reacting to an article which accused him of being silent in the face of serious corruption during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, Clark said: “Ordinarily, I shouldn’t have reply to it because whoever is the author is vicious, wicked and not a patriotic Nigerian.

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have written I never spoke against corruption during the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I said the author is being vicious because I have been talking about corruption even before the time of Jonathan.”

Clark, a former information minister, proudly told Nigerians that Jonathan was his godson while the latter was president. He was also very close to the seat of power during this period.

On August 2, the elder statesman delivered a damning verdict on the National Assembly describing the members as very corrupt.

A former senator, JKN Waku, has also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo for allegedly selling government properties to private individuals under the guise of the privatization policy.

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