Chief Edwin Clark Urges President Tinubu to Declare State of Emergency on Food
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently declare a state of emergency on food due to widespread hunger and unrest among Nigerians. He also urged ministers who are misadvising the President to either rectify their actions or resign.
Speaking at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja, during a visit by High Chief Benjamin Tamaranebi, President of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Clark criticized the current administration for its handling of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). He noted that despite the law being signed almost two years ago, its provisions, including the 3% allocation to HOSTCOM, remain unimplemented.
Clark highlighted that the rush to pass the PIB under former President Buhari led to significant delays and errors in its implementation. He emphasized the broader issues of mismanagement and leadership failures affecting Nigeria’s oil sector and economy.
Addressing recent protests, Clark defended the right of Nigerians to demonstrate against government actions, pointing out that similar protests were organized by Tinubu and his allies against former President Jonathan over fuel subsidy issues. He underscored that the removal of the fuel subsidy has not been effectively managed, exacerbating poverty and economic challenges.
HOSTCOM President Tamaranebi also criticized the persistent fuel scarcity and the alleged obstruction of local refining by International Oil Companies (IOCs). He called for the immediate repair and optimal functioning of Nigeria’s refineries and urged the government to ensure that IOCs sell crude oil to local refineries, such as Dangote’s, to reduce dependency on imported petroleum products and alleviate fuel prices.
Tamaranebi reported that fuel prices have soared, with a liter costing as much as N2,000 in some Niger Delta regions, and called on the government to take urgent measures to address these issues and reduce inflation and hardship for Nigerians.
