The open letter of Elderstates man and Ijaw
leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, to former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday,
opened a can of worms in the polity. Eminent
Nigerians who reacted to the 10-page letter
expressed mixed feelings. While some
welcomed the letter others said it was not
necessary. There were also those who berated
Obasanjo for opening the flood gates of
exchange of letters, which they argued
portended grave danger for the polity.
In the letter, Clark lampooned Obasanjo over
his 18-page letter to President Goodluck
Jonathan where he accused the president of
being clannish, lying over his re-election
ambition, training snipers and listing 1,000
political opponents to be dealt with.
Countering, Clark called Obasanjo a liar,
hypocrite, unrepentant trouble maker, saying
that the Jonathan Administration was not
pro-Ijaw.
Call Clark to order – Junaid Mohammed
Northern political commentator, Dr. Junaid
Mohammed, yesterday, asked President
Goocluck Jonathan to call Ijaw leader, Chief
Edwin Clark to order before he plunges the
nation into chaos with incendiary language.
Mohammed, who was reacting to the open
letter addressed to Obasanjo by Clark, noted
with dismay the attempt by Clark to usurp the
power of the presidency and act as if he was
Nigeria’s President.
According to the Second Republic federal
lawmaker, Clark has no locus standi
whatsoever to write the letter to Obasanjo
since the former head of state did not address
his letter to him.
“Obasanjo raised relevant national issues in
his letter to Jonathan and did not send it to
Clark or made reference to the Ijaw leader. If I
may ask, on what basis did Clark write to
Obasanjo?
“I find it extremely irresponsible and
unbecoming of the likes of Clark to take it
upon themselves to insult international
leaders like Obasanjo for offering some pieces
of advice that Jonathan should have taken
quietly with humility and thanked the former
president for his admonition,” Mohammed
said, adding, “the letter written by Clark to
Obasanjo exposes the weakness of President
Jonathan’s Presidency and calls to question
whether the president or proxies are in charge
of the administration.”
Clark has right to defend Ijaw — Ezeife
Third Republic Governor of Anambra State, Dr.
Chukwuemeka Ezeife said: ‘’Anyone who writes
should be very sure of what he writes on
national issues. It should involve going down
memory lane to bring out relevant facts. That
is what I think Edwin Clark has done. As a
leader of the Ijaw people, he has no choice
than to speak out when the Ijaws were
mentioned in a manner that he did not find
comfortable. He is only trying to put out the
fire, since Obasanjo accused the President of
being held hostage by his people. It is not
good for us to be allowing anybody to be
throwing darts at the nation. Such an act
reduces the presidency. Not replying Obasanjo
will mean an insult to President Jonathan.
It’s time to unmask Obasanjo — Afenifere
Also commenting on the letter, Afenifere’s
Spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, commended
Clark for writing the letter and blamed
Obasanjo for the unending saga of open
letters..
He said: “Obasanjo opened the flood gate of
letter writing and he should know that he is
not the only one who has a pen in Nigeria.
Others who are knowledgeable about the
affairs of Nigeria like him are definitely going
to comment. I have read through the letter by
Chief E.K Clark and I think he has served
Obasanjo good measures. I think the time has
come for Obasanjo to be unravelled and for
him to know who he really is. I give kudos to
Clark for that wonderful letter.”
Clark’s letter is welcome –Falae
Former Finance Minister and presidential
candidate, Chief Olu Falae said: “This is a
democracy. If anything is topical, everybody
should be free to comment on it. There should
be no hide and seek about such matters. If it
is topical and I feel like commenting, I should
be free to comment. Comments are free, only
facts are sacred.”
OBJ provoked the Ijaws –Yakassai
Elder Statesman and founding member of the
Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Alhaji Tanko
Yakassi said that former President Obasanjo
should be blamed because he started the open
letters that seems to be heating up the polity.
Arguing that Obasanjo provoked the Ijaw
people in his letter to Jonathan, he said the
former president should have sought audience
with the President instead of resorting to
writing an open letter.
He advised Obasanjo to defend himself on the
allegations against him in Chief Clark’s letter,
saying: “I think it is expected because of the
way General Obasanjo provoked all the Ijaws
in writing his letter to the President. I think
every Ijaw man is entitled to feel offended. It is
none of their business but they were provoked.
The contents are natural, allegations have
been made, I think it is up to General
Obasanjo to confirm or to deny. The
responsibility for the heating up of the polity
is that of Obasanjo, he should have sought to
meet with the President instead of the open
letter.”
A terrible wind is blowing –Ikokwu
Second Republic politician and one of the
founding members of the Peoples Democratic
Party, (PDP), Chief Guy Ikokwu, concurred that
Obasanjo should not have written an open
letter to President Jonathan because he also
had his shortcomings.
His words: “Obasanjo was living in a glass
house. The proverb says he who lives in a
glass house should not throw stones. But
Obasanjo has been throwing stones right from
the civil war till date and it has become
habitual. If you throw stones at people who
live in the same house with you, they will find
a way to retaliate. So, it is not surprising that
his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo reacted and now
Clark is reacting.
“Obasanjo is having serious problems
answering or rebutting the issues that have
come up from these letters. A terrible wind is
blowing and where and how it will end is not
certain. Altogether, Obasanjo has ruled the
country for about 12 years. He should have
used the opportunity to transform Nigeria but
he failed.”
It’s time to halt the letters –Uwazurike
President of Aka-Ikenga, an Igbo intellectual
think tank group called for stoppage of the
exchange of open letters to enable President
Jonathan concentrate on governance.
His words: “Chief Clark’s letter is one in a set
of letters. Many of us were not happy with
Chief Obasanjo’s open letter because it was
bound to open floodgate of letter exchanges,
which will not be about the nation but
individuals. Clark and Obasanjo were ministers
under General Yakubu Gowon. They are not
strangers to themselves so Clark has the right
to write Obasanjo. However, these letter
writings should stop; let us allow the
president to lead the country.”
Obasanjo is a confusionist —Arunsi
Asked his view on Clark’s letter, Hon. Arua
Arunsi, (PDP, Ohafia/Arochukwu Federal
Constituency, Abia), said: “I don’t agree that
Obasanjo is a trouble maker but I can say he
is a confusionist. He wants to bring confusion
to this country by writing such letter to the
present Head of State. When he was there,
nobody wrote him that kind of letter but he
keeps writing to others. To me, he is a
confusionist. And as a statesman, that is not
good for him. When I made my reactions last
time, I said that Obasanjo told lies because
you cannot talk about the economy being in
shambles when this economy is growing at
seven percent while his grew at three percent.
So, in this case, that was a lie. That wasn’t
the truth. So, if Edwin Clark calls him a liar,
well, to some extent, that may be correct. Yes,
I may not see him as a trouble maker, but as
a confusionist. He wants to bring confusion to
the governance of this nation. Ordinarily, what
he wrote as an open letter could have been an
advice even personally.”
Clark is not helping Jonathan –Mbadiwe
However, Hon. Eddy Mbadiwe, (APC, Ideato
North and South Federal Constituency, Imo
State), said Chief Clark was not helping
President Jonathan with his defence..
“ My reaction is that Chief Edwin Clark is not
helping the President at all. I think he should
keep silent and let time heal the wounds. I am
not sure that making all these comments will
help the matter in any way.”

source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/angry-reactions-trail-clarks-letter-obj/

Your heading is a bit misleading because after reafing it one would be in no doubt that most of the respondents wetr lampooning obj for opening the floodgates of open letters.

@Op.
When is Gbenga's letter coming out?

After Iyabo's letter can't wait to read how obj went after his daughter inlaw.

,

Booked. Op pls if this makes front page call me on 08036567730 let me come and modify the post

The reactions are balanced...but there seem to be a common ground ; obj's open letter was not neccessary. If one were to remove every smoking wood from a fire and condemn it as bad, one would be killing the fire itself...........that said, Obj brought this upon himself. For he who brings home ants infested firewood dines with Lizards..

Junaid Muhammed as usual going mental.
What does he mean by Clark does not have right to reply Obasanjo?
Didn't he read OBJ's letter to see where he expressed ethnic and derogatory comments about Clark and his kinsmen?

Obasanjo broke the rules of the president's club. Never berate your successor in public. What did he stand to gain from this open letter? Whatever issues he had, could'nt he have raised it with the president privately? How would he have felt if abdusalam abubakar or IBB wrote open letters like this doing his. Administration? He broke the rules!

Symphony007: Obasanjo broke the rules of the president's club. Never berate your successor in public. What did he stand to gain from this open letter? Whatever issues he had, could'nt he have raised it with the president privately? How would he have felt if abdusalam abubakar or IBB wrote open letters like this doing his. Administration? He broke the rules!

My brother, OBJ and GEJ are members of the same PDP with the former having unfettered access to the villa.

In the US, even a former President of an opposition party will not do this to his President and to realise it's all for selfish and egoistic reasons makes it stinks the more.

Silly OBJ,come out and defend yourself.

This is a season of open letters and I wish it should continue, because Obj thought he was still in the 70's, 80's or 90's that he can decide to write a letter to anybody and everybody will just be watching, the he is dreaming.

And as for Junaid Muhammed, I think that guy should be admitted to yaba left , that is if doesn't' escape.

#myopinion:these letters may cause HBP to OBJ and he may die.
Next morning news#
OBJ Killed by unknown ailment.....vanguard
GEJ,Buhari mourn OBJ......Thisday
Heart attack claimed Nigeria fmr Head of State.....NTA
Amaechi blamed GEJ for OBJ'S death.........AIT
OBJ poisoned by ASOROCK....saharareporter.

It will not happen in JESUS NAME,Long live Baba Iyabo.

does who commended edwin Clark letters they are useless seeking for what they we eat especially igbo and for the afenifere Jonathan defending club called afenifere they are not recognized in yoruba nation they are disgraceful to human race

johnmartus: does who commended edwin Clark letters they are useless seeking for what they we eat especially igbo and for the afenifere Jonathan defending club called afenifere they are not recognized in yoruba nation they are disgraceful to human race

Please translate !

This is the time to be critical in one's thinking!
The letter is an offshoot of Iyabo's letter - WHY I GAVE U ON MY DAD
She wrote:

Moving back to Nigeria, thinking I wanted to serve was obviously a grave mistake but one brought about by the tragic incident of April 20, 2003. This was the day five people were shot dead in my car. The mother of the children was an acquaintance I had met only one day before the incident.

We had attended the same high school and university but she was there ten years earlier than I. She had also studied public health in the UK as I had in the US. It was these coincidences that made us connect on our first meeting and then she decided to visit on the Saturday of the election of 2003 when the incident occurred. I am scarred for life by that incident and I know the mother was too as we both looked back to see two men on each side of my car shooting.

I understand her trauma and her behaviour since then can be judged from that. Nigeria is a nasty place that pushes people to lose their compass.

The woman that lost her two children that day, Dr. ABISOLA SODIPO AKINDEKO, got married to CHIEF EDWIN CLARK last year!

[img]http://4.bp..com/-ZC1Fl6PjzSw/UVAikr52BSI/AAAAAAABkds/Y_POIUdY_cQ/s1600/chief+edwin+clark+wedding.jpg[/img]

It shouldn't surprise anyone, that she continued from where Iyabo stopped by prevailing on the husband darling to also write OBJ a letter.
She too has an ax to grind with OBJ for the loss of her children!