In a recent interview, Pa Edwin Clark, the elder statesman and leader of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), shared his concerns about Nigeria's current state. At 97 years old, Clark remains deeply passionate about the country, expressing his frustrations and hopes for its future, as reported by THE SUN.
Clark reflected on the Nigeria he grew up in, reminiscing about a time when the nation was capable of producing vehicles like Volkswagen and Peugeot in Kaduna and trucks in Bauchi. He lamented that Nigeria now struggles to manufacture even a bicycle. He pointed out the decline of the textile mills in the north, which once thrived on the production of cotton, providing substantial welfare for the region. He attributed this decline to the nation's shift in focus to oil, which led to the abandonment of other industries.
Clark criticized the current practice of state officials gathering to collect monthly allocations, describing it as disgraceful. He highlighted Bayelsa State, which produces a significant portion of Nigeria's oil but is still considered one of the poorest states due to its inability to generate internal revenue. He argued that something is fundamentally wrong with the country's governance structure.
Clark advocated for a return to the autonomy enjoyed by regions in the past. He noted that during the days of the eastern, northern, western, and midwestern regions, governors operated with a high degree of independence and did not rely on allocations from Abuja. He urged states, regardless of their location, to fend for themselves, similar to how regions managed their affairs in the past.
In his words: “I’m very passionate about Nigeria because it’s my country. I was born into it. And I’ve always believed that Nigeria could have done better. The Nigeria I was born into, even 50 or 60 years ago, we were producing vehicles, Volkswagen, Peugeot in Kaduna and trucks in Bauchi and so on. So today we cannot even reproduce a bicycle. What has gone wrong?.
“All the textiles mills in the north are gone. We used to produce enough cotton that was enough to provide for the welfare of the people in the north. But immediately oil came, everybody abandoned that. You can imagine a disgraceful gathering of top officers, saying they have come to collect monthly allocation. So imagine a place like Bayelsa State which produces about one fifth of oil in this country. You say they are one of the poorest states in Nigeria because they’re not able to generate internal revenue. I think something is wrong with this country.”