Chief Edwin Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Information and a South-South Leader, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently declare a state of emergency on the issue of food, stating that Nigerians are experiencing hunger and frustration.
Chief Clark made this appeal on Friday at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja, when High Chief Benjamin Tamaranebi, the President of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), led a delegation to visit him.
Regarding the recent protests in Nigeria, the respected statesman emphasized that the government cannot prevent the people from protesting, as it is their right to do so. He also pointed out that President Tinubu himself had organized a protest against former President Goodluck Jonathan when he removed oil subsidy.
Chief Clark, who is also the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), stated that blaming Tinubu for the fuel subsidy removal is unfair since the budgetary provision for it had already ended in June 2023.
Nevertheless, he urged the government to find practical solutions to alleviate poverty, acknowledging that the removal of fuel subsidy is causing hardship for Nigerians.
“Oil subsidy is a big problem in Nigeria. Oil subsidy is not confined to Nigeria alone, but everything in Nigeria does not work because of poor management and poor leadership. True, we all realize later that the oil subsidy was a scam.
“That was why in 2012, during the administration of Jonathan, in January 2012, his government removed the oil subsidy.
“During the 2023 presidential campaign, all the major parties talked about removal of subsidies. But in 2020 and 2021, President Buhari, as well as the Minister of Finance, Ahmed, and the Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, announced to Nigerians that there was no longer subsidy in Nigeria”.
