Clark, Orubebe: The parting of ways

[Mirror]

Ijaw National Leader and former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, fumed out of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, moments after he was excused out of the executive council chamber by protocol officers in company with his political godson, Elder Godsday Orubebe, on October 24, 2007. Clark, who was gorgeously decked in Ijaw traditional attire had accompanied Orubebe, who had been nominated as a minister, for inauguration by the late President Umaru Yar'Adua.

Orubebe, whose appointment was vehemently opposed by former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, and his predecessor and cousin, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, had a harrowing experience before he was cleared by the Senate. Just as Orubebe thought that his trouble was over, his adversaries ambushed him. Ibori and his cousin pulled their contacts in the Villa to prevail on Yar'Adua to suspend the inauguration of Orubebe, who was one of the five ministers whose inauguration as members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was slated for the day.

As Yar'Adua walked into the chamber, he beckoned to a protocol officer, who later politely informed Orubebe and his godfather about the latest development. Clark was livid as he addressed the media, insisting it must be Orubebe or nobody else. The battle raged until November 21, 2007, when Yar'Adua mustered unusual courage to free himself from the grip of Ibori, who was one of the major financiers of his election, by inaugurating Orubebe as a member of the FEC. Clark was elated that he had won the first battle against Ibori, whom he had also petitioned to the anti-graft agencies for corrupt practices during his stewardship as governor between 1999 and 2007.

Still basking in the euphoria of the victory, Clark organised a reception in honour of his illustrious son at his Kiagbodo county home in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State. The going was good between the "father" and "son" until the reconciliation of the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. As Clark succeeded in boxing Uduaghan to a corner to agree to the sharing of party's position between his faction and that of the governor, he jetted out of the country and directed Orubebe to wrap up the deal.

Orubebe sealed the deal with Uduaghan and fixed the positions allocated to the Clark faction of the party. But Clark raged from the United Kingdom, angry that Orubebe ignored the script he handed over to him. The angry Ijaw leader hurried back home and all efforts by Orubebe to persuade his benefactor to retain the team were futile. Clark, a dogged fighter, mobilised his contacts to force those elected into various offices to vacate their seats for his beloved ones. To this end, the election of the Treasurer, Chief Akpos Edafevwotu; Vice Chairman, Delta South, Mr. Ekenwan Akwagbe; Legal Adviser, Mr. John Ishaka and Assistant Secretary, Mr. Patrick Edatire in the March 17, 2012 state congress of the party in Asaba, the state's capital, was unilaterally voided by the Ijaw leader.

Clark, who was reported to have endorsed a gubernatorial aspirant from Delta North senatorial area was desirous of hold- Orubebe Clark Iloh ing firmly the party's structures ahead of 2015.

This marked a point of departure between Orubebe and the former minister of Information. Orubebe's loyalists consequently headed for court to enforce their rights.

The ensuing frosty relationship came to public domain on May 7, when Clark at a news conference in Warri, said Orubebe, who was speculated to be nursing the ambition of succeeding Uduaghan in 2015 was unfit for the exalted office of the governor of the oil-rich state.

Clark, who was short of asking President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the minister, accused Orubebe of flouting the order of his boss against early preparation for 2015 elections by declaring his intention to serve as governor of the state in 2015.

Clark said, "Mr. President has made his position very clear on this matter. He has categorically stated that he was not going to take a decision on whether he will re-contest the Presidential election in 2015 until 2014 and that he needed time to concentrate on the job he promised Nigerians during the 2011 election, when they massively voted for him and therefore directed that none of his ministers and other government functionaries should engage in politics as to declaring their intentions or supporting anyone for elective position including senatorial, House of Representatives or gubernatorial.

"His (Orubebe) flagrant disobedience is no doubt an embarrassment to Mr. President, to the leaders of the party and party faithful, particularly to me that everybody believes, contributed greatly to his becoming minister, having regard to the opposition from former governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and his supporters.

"Our opponents and detractors are definitely cashing in on Mr. Godsday Orubebe's careless and irresponsible state statement and are now using it to insult President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Ijaws and even myself that the President and I, are definitely behind him. I have tried to disabuse the minds of the people and deny that neither Mr. President nor I is aware of Mr. Orubebe's statement." The public outburst by Clark ignited verbal attacks between his loyalists and those on the side of the minister.

The cold war reached a climax lately when some loyalists of Clark under the auspices of Delta State Leaders, Elders and Stakeholders (DSLESF), a group which had been polarised into factions, dragged Orubebe to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the prosecution of the minister by the anti-graft agency for corruption. The group's petition dated June 3, 2013 was signed by Godwin Ogbetuo, Brown Adasen, and Cairo Ojougboh, among others.

The petitioners accused the minister of various acts of corruption, including inflation of contracts. "First, we wish to express our gratitude to you and all members of your commission for granting us audience and [to] discuss, protest the over protection of Elder Godsday Orubebe of the serious and wanton corrupt practices under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

"The Minister of Niger Delta spent N1.2 billion on worthless canalisation project which connects nowhere and more than N3 billion on building a concrete foreshore wall in his village using contractors who are fronting for him with a view to appropriating the money to himself. The petitioners added, "We understand several other bodies [and] groups had petitioned your commission but till date your silence had not helped, coupled with the boasting of Elder Orubebe that 'with his closeness to President Jonathan' he has effectively pocketed your commission and no amount of petitions no matter how serious can see the light of the day."

But another set of leaders and members of DSLESF, loyal to Orubebe swiftly reacted in a counter petition to EFCC. Leader of the group and Secretary of DSLESF, Chief Alex Ikpeazu, who stormed the anti-graft office in Abuja with a petition calling for the prosecution of the Ijaw leader and his company, Panama Construction, for alleged corrupt enrichment, especially abandonment of contracts, described Clark as "a pot calling a kettle black".

Ikpeazu, who led other members of DSLESF on a peaceful protest at the EFCC premises, alleged in an interview with newsmen that various contracts were abandoned by Clark's company after collecting the necessary mobilisation fees from Delta and Federal governments.

In the petition dated June 22, 2013 and addressed to EFCC's chairman, Ibrahim Larmode, the petitioners further alleged that "Panama Construction Company located at No. 5 Swamp Road, Warri and owned by Chief Edwin Clark characteristically abandoned the N1.4 billion Reclamation/ Shore Protection job at Amazama, Rivers State given to it by the Ministry of Niger Delta even though they have been heavily mobilised to the tune of N215 million on December 31, 2011.

"Similarly, Panama Construction Ltd was awarded a 10.3 km Aladja-Isaba Road Project in Delta State in 2006 for N595 million and surprisingly seven years after, no meaningful job had been done and as at June 3, 2013, Chief Clark is asking for further variation to drag the value of the project he had since abandoned to over N1 billion.

"In one of his recent letters to Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Chief Clark raised sentiment about similar projects abandoned by other discredited Delta leaders, who succeeded in blackmailing the government to abnormally inflate the values of their contracts to over N1 billion." Other members of the forum who endorsed the petition include Chief Edem Onah-Ndokwa (Community leader); Chief Joe Utomi (former Chairman, Aniocha South LGA); Chief Toni Uti (former Chairman, Ndokwa East); Chief Chukwuma Dafe; Mr. Jeff Azagba (former Chairman, Ndokwa West) and Madam Bridget Ugbebor.

The rest are Chief J.M.O. Orido; Chief T.A. Oduaran; Dr. Mallam Obi (former state Chairman of PDP Delta State); Chief Bosin Ebikeme (pioneer Commissioner for Transport, Delta State); Chief Sunny Omatseye (former Chiarmen, Warri South) and Ekenwan Akwagbe. Besides, Orubebe has courageously taken on Clark.

The minister in a recent interview published in some national dailies said the former minister and his co-travellers in the DSLESF were not only exhibiting ignorance but acting out of malice and mischief. Stating that Clark and his loyalists were not clean as they pretended to be, he threatened to expose the shady deals of some of them. He also clarified that Clark did not nominate him to the government for appointment as a minister and that although he had not indicated interest to contest the governorship of Delta State in 2015, Clark lacked the capacity to stop him if he decided to run.

He said, "Some of them expect certain things from me and when they are not available, Orubebe is a bad man and it is very sad. But as far as I am concerned, that concept of blackmailing people for personal gains is old version. That is old concept. The new concept is doing things transparently and getting things done so that Nigeria can move forward. A lot of them have sought favour from me and a lot have benefited from me in one form or the other, if you ask them they will tell you and if they want me to publish it, I will do so.

"Some of them have a lot of dirty deals that I am helping them to cover up and if they provoke me to publish them, I will publish. Some of them are not credible as they are just deceiving the public. Nigerians would be surprised that they have credibility baggage by the time I am provoked to expose them. "Chief Clark never and did not nominate me to government but he supported me when the battle over my appointment started.

Two things I have said, he was not the one who nominated me but he supported me when there was crisis over the appointment. I know the person who recommended me and at the appropriate time I will mention that name. I was recommended to the government by a young man, whose identity I will reveal at a later date. However, I have done everything humanly possible to carry Chief Clark along."

The fireworks by the two combatants and their supporters linger and the animosity is obviously being promoted by forces within the state government and the party, especially the gubernatorial aspirants, who stand to profit from the crisis.

National Mirror