You are misadvising Jonathan on state of emergency, corruption; Clark to Adoke

Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said, yesterday, that after a thorough  X-ray of the activities and actions of Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Adoke since he came on board, he has come to a conclusion that the Minister has failed President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigerians in all ramifications.

Addressing journalists, yesterday, at his Asokoro residence, Abuja, the South South leader accused Adoke of misadvising President Jonathan, especially on the declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

He stressed that the Minister also failed to advise the President correctly in his fight against corruption, adding that he had not done well in cases of corruption pending before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission where people are charged for corruption and cases linger for a period of five to six years with no result.

Chief Clark in his 16-page letter to the Minister of Justice, entitled, “An open letter by Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark OFR, CON to the Federal Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, for misadvising Mr. President on the declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states,” reiterated his call for suspension of all democratic structures in these states.

He added that the President had the right to impose a full state of emergency in these states as it were in the past when former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared full state of emergency in Plateau State, 18th May, 2004 and in Ekiti State, 19th October, 2006,  but failure on the part of the President to repeat same in these volatile states, which he attributed to the Minister, whom he said had disappointed the President and Nigerians.
The elder statesman said:  “I affirm that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for democratic structures. It is based on this law as enshrined in the Constitution that individuals hold their offices. This Constitution equally gives the President of the country undefined spectrum of inherent powers which he can exercise if and when such action is in public interest.