It also slammed Clark for his silence during and romance with the administration of the former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, towards the development of the region, saying that the Ijaw leader ‘’cannot’’ be trusted.
Recall that Jonathan is the only leader of Ijaw extraction to have risen to the highest political office in Nigeria, having served as vice president for three years, and president for five years from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015.
A statement issued by the Chairman, Izon Okosu-Oku (Izon Council of Elders), Chief Bare Etolor, on behalf of Ijaw elders, said those fronting as the current peace ambassadors have failed to understand that the development of the region was a continuous one.
The group explained that it was against Clark’s choice because he could not be trusted.
It, however, maintained that military approach would not resolve the renewed hostilities in the region.
The group, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately withdraw his troops, as they would rather escalate the crisis.
The statement urged Buhari to see himself as the president of all Nigerians, and appealed to him to avoid actions that would further heat up the polity, especially now that most of the militants had agreed to a ceasefire.
It said, “The militants should have known that the inclusion of the ex-minister of information in the matter may stop, delay or bring negative results to the Niger Delta region.
“President Buhari’s strong principles, integrity and courage cannot allow him to meet with any group led by Clark, who claims to be the father and mentor of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Those elders in the region who are struggling to represent the militants for negotiation with the Federal Government are laughable. Sadly, they did not remember that the Niger Delta development is a continuous task that must be done by every government, including former President Jonathan’s tenure.”
It urged the militant groups to nominate new leaders with no political inclination as well as foreigners and human rights groups to negotiate on their behalf.
The Ijaw elders further alleged that Clark was silent on the development of the region throughout the six years of former President Jonathan.
“He cannot suddenly wake up less than 18 months into the new regime to convince President Buhari to start immediate development of the region, when his role model (Jonathan), did not do anything to close the development gaps”, they added.
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