Chief Edwin Clark, a prominent leader of the Ijaw Nation, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of perpetuating “discrimination and injustice” against the Igbos. Clark contends that the bias seen during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure continues under Tinubu’s government.
In a letter addressed to President Tinubu, Clark criticized the disparity in ministerial appointments, noting that the Southwest received 10 ministerial positions while the Southeast was allotted only six. He argued that this discrepancy lacks justification and called for corrective measures.
Clark’s letter reads in part: “Mr. President, even in your administration, the discrimination and injustice against the Igbos have not abated. The old Eastern Region and the old Western Region, to which I belonged, were equal competitors and partners before and during the First and Second Republics. But today, you have appointed 10 Yorubas as ministers from the Southwest and only five ministers from the Southeast. You even failed to give them the ministerial appointment due to their region that would have made it six ministers. There is no justification for this grave omission and no effort has been made to correct it.”
The Niger Delta elder urged Igbos from the Southeast and across Nigeria to “assert their rights legitimately, judiciously, and in a democratic way,” to ensure they benefit equally as other Nigerians, reminiscent of the pre-civil war era of 1967.
