Niger Delta elder statesman, Edwin Clark has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s insistence on open grazing is “unpatriotic and unacceptable.”
Recall that last week President Buhari, while responding to questions
during an Arise TV imterview, said he has asked the Attorney-General of
the Federation, Abubakar Malami to recover lands meant for grazing
routes as stipulated in the first republic gazette, despite Southern
Governors banning open grazing in their region.
Clark has now come out to fault Buhari's stance arguing that the Land
Use Act vested land ownership in states on the state governors not the
president.
Clark, in a statement on Monday, June 14, asked AGF Malami to stop “misleading and misdirecting” the president.
He added that the office of the AGF is expected to be “independent of parochial and unconstitutional government decisions.”
“I repeat, on behalf of southerners, that open grazing has been finally
buried in southern Nigeria. For Mr. President to insist that open
grazing should continue whereby he asked the attorney general of the
federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, to dig out the
gazette that approved open grazing in the First Republic is
unbelievable, unpatriotic and unacceptable to our people,” he said
“Mr. President should regard himself as President of one Nigeria, and
not as President of the Fulanis or the Northerners. We shall resist, at
all cost, any attempt to subjugate us as citizens of one Nigeria.
“I also use this opportunity to seriously advise the attorney general of
the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, over his
irresponsible and unprofessional language, which is misleading and
misdirecting Mr. President, because the rhetorical question Mr.
President asked during his interview with Arise Television, whether
Nigerians want him (Mr. President) to contradict the attorney general of
the federation, was based on his understanding of the AG’s advice to
him.
“The AG’s position is provided for in the constitution, and he is
expected to be independent of parochial and unconstitutional Government
decisions. He behaves as if his position is that of a Minister of
Justice alone.
“This was the reason why at the 2014 national conference it was
recommended that the post of the attorney general, recognised by the
Constitution should be separated from that of the minister of justice
who owes his allegiance to the Government in power that appointed him.
“Perhaps Mr. President is not aware, or he has not been advised by the
AG that the Land Use Act which vested ownership of land on the State
Governor is entrenched in the Constitution of the country.”
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