By James Orji
Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader, has warned against any plan by President Muhammadu Buhari to re-enact grazing routes in southern part of the country. He said such will be resisted.
Buhari had, last week, in an interview with Arise TV said he had directed Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to look at a legal framework that will enable the federal government reclaim grazing routes across the country.
The president has received knocks for the comment, particularly from states governors from the south, such as Governors Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state; Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state and Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state, who said there’s no room for grazing routes in their states.
The 17 Southern Governors had earlier in May at their meeting in Delta state, banned open grazing in their various states.
Speaking on the development, Clark, in a statement, warned that President Buhari has been misadvised on the issue. He said Malami who’s supposed to give the president a good advice has failed to do so, rather he is “misleading and misdirecting” the president.
Chief Clark said he stand with Southern Governors who have banned open grazing.
He said “I repeat, on behalf of southerners, that open grazing has been finally buried in southern Nigeria. For Mr. President to insist that open grazing should continue whereby he asked the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, to dig out the gazette that approved open grazing in the First Republic is unbelievable, unpatriotic and unacceptable to our people.”
“Mr. President should regard himself as President of one Nigeria, and not as President of the Fulanis or the Northerners. We shall resist, at all cost, any attempt to subjugate us as citizens of one Nigeria.
“I also use this opportunity to seriously advise the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, over his irresponsible and unprofessional language, which is misleading and misdirecting Mr. President, because the rhetorical question Mr. President asked during his interview with Arise Television, whether Nigerians want him (Mr. President) to contradict the attorney general of the federation, was based on his understanding of the AG’s advice to him.
According to him “The AG’s position is provided for in the constitution, and he is expected to be independent of parochial and unconstitutional Government decisions. He behaves as if his position is that of a Minister of Justice alone.
“This was the reason why at the 2014 national conference it was recommended that the post of the attorney general, recognised by the Constitution should be separated from that of the minister of justice who owes his allegiance to the Government in power that appointed him.
“Perhaps Mr. President is not aware, or he has not been advised by the AG that the Land Use Act which vested ownership of land on the State Governor is entrenched in the Constitution of the country,” Clark said.
