Elder statesman and National Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has described the South-East as the most disadvantaged geopolitical zone in the country.
Clark spoke while addressing stakeholders at a South-South Zonal Conference organized by NGOs; Agape Birthrights and Savanna Centre, which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday, with the theme, ‘Restructuring: Imperatives for Sustainable development, unity and security.’
According to Clark, the South-East geopolitical zone had five States, while other zones had six States each, with the North West having seven and national appointments were skewed in favour of the North in total disregard to the feelings of other areas,
Adding that key positions in the Ministries were also given to northerners, including the security arms, which had 14 out of 17 headed by northerners, he maintained that such arrangements were inimical to national unity, and the recent agitations and attacks in the South East stemmed from neglect and distrust, as the people had been pushed to the wall.
Clark’s in his address, read by Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini and National Chairman, Oil Producing Areas Association of Nigeria, opined that unity in this country today had become a scarce commodity despite the fact that unity is one of the four cardinal points contained in our country’s Motto, which is Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.
Also decrying the rising spate of insecurity in the North, especially the recent trend of school kidnappings,
He maintained that the solution to the various agitations in the country was restructuring, insisting it would guarantee peace and even development.
