By HENRY UMORU
ABUJA— FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has been given the prerogative to nominate a second minister from Delta State, it emerged yesterday.

Vanguard gathered that the right was granted Clark by South-South leaders at a meeting involving governors and major political stakeholders from the region.

Sources said the leaders also resolved that the nominee should come from Delta State following submissions that Elder Godsday Orubebe from Delta State who was earlier confirmed by the Senate came on the platform of the South-South.

Orubebe who is making his second appearance in the federal cabinet represented the South-South when he was first appointed by late President Umaru Yar‘Adua in 2008.

The resolution by South-South leaders came in the wake of muttering by regional stakeholders over the interference by outsiders in the choice of a minister to represent the zone. Specific mention was being made against a very prominent senator from the Middle Belt region.

Vanguard learnt, yesterday, that Vice President Namadi Sambo presided over the meeting attended by some South-South Governors and other major political stakeholders where the decision to cede the position to Clark was taken.

A major political stakeholder present at the meeting told Vanguard on condition of anonymity, yesterday: “We agreed to allow Chief Edwin Clark to nominate the person that should represent the South South. Other zones have done their nomination and it remains South South, that was why we met and as a mark of honour and contribution to the political development of the South South that he should be given the honour.

Respect from leaders

“We took into cognizance that similar respect was accorded other leaders in their respective zones of the federation. We know that the North Central allowed the Senate President, David Mark to choose their zonal representatives and the same respect was given to former President Olusegun Obasanjo who also chose the South West ministerial representatives.

“The stakeholders’ meeting decision on this was based on consensus. The decision reached would be passed on to the President when he comes back from the African Union, AU, meeting.”

Vanguard also learnt that after the meeting, the leaders and stakeholders from the South South zone drove to the Asokoro residence of Chief Clark to inform him of their resolution. The Vice President, Namadi Sambo was also at Clark’s residence to intimate him of the decision reached.

The decision to cede the position to Delta State was based on the submission that Orubebe was nominated as he was in 2008 to represent the South South and not Delta State where he hails from.