BY EMMA  AMAIZE

SINCE South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, exploded, May 9, against the Minister of Niger-Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, over the alleged ambition of the latter to become the governor of Delta State in 2015, associates and aides of the two prominent politicians have withdrawn to the trenches in different parts of the state from where they have been firing sporadic shots.

A source familiar with the goings-on said some leaders, who Orubebe spoke to, advised him not to personally respond to the diatribe of the elder statesman.  So far, he is complying.

However, echoes of war are reverberating in Burutu, Warri, Ughelli, Ozoro and Asaba, as conscripted foot soldiers engage themselves.

The substance of Clark’s vitriol is that whereas President Goodluck Jonathan had directed his ministers and other appointees not to engage in politics as to declaring their intentions for 2015, Orubebe, who he nominated for the position, was not only flouting the presidential directive, but also doing so with impunity.

Elderstatesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark and others

He was convinced that the minister, who did not bother to sound him out, might have allowed the spoils of office to derail him.

Notable Ijaw leaders from Delta State declined comments on the feud, saying efforts were already on to reconcile  the two politicians. Findings by Sunday Vanguard that showed most of them did not want to be in the bad books of any of the combatants.

Betrayal
PDP stakeholders, led by the Arepamo-Owei of Kabo-Owei kingdom, Chief Mike Loyibo,  however, said they were miffed that some alleged Orubebe proxies faulted Clark over his comments, saying, “This is a man that went all out to make you minister against all opposition. Let me inform those benefactors who attacked Dr. E.K. Clark that Godsday Orubebe has challenges from his political history. Just because he wanted to be Special Adviser under James Ibori, Orubebe betrayed the whole of ANPP in Delta State.”

Clark did not nominate Orubebe – Ekwagbe
A former aide of the minister, who insisted he was not speaking for him,   Mr. Ekenwan Ekwagbe,  stated: “ As somebody that worked closely with both Chief Clark and Elder Orubebe, I thought that I should correct certain impressions, especially with regards to the nomination of Elder Orubebe as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2007, and later in 2011.”

“When Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was mandated by the late President Yar’Adua to nominate a Minister for the South-South region, two youths from Bayelsa State and an elder statesman (names withheld) from Rivers State who had been a Federal Minister four times readily nominated Elder Orubebe to the government.  He was graciously accepted for the good work he had done previously.  Therefore, Chief Clark also saw Orubebe’s nomination on the television screen like every other Nigerian.

“I wish to also state that the fact that Clark came into the scene prominently when Orubebe’s swearing-in ceremony was stalled following opposition by some leaders in Delta State does not mean that he nominated Orubebe for the appointment.  There is no gain denying Clark’s contributions to ensure that Orubebe was sworn-in.  However, it should be noted that Clark’s desire for a Ministerial appointment for a member of the group was for a former gubernatorial aspirant from Delta North who bank-rolled the group’s activities.”
He added, “I thought that the truth should be told and the records put straight so that E.K Clark will not continue to give a wrong impression to the unsuspecting press and the public in general.”

Ijaw activists back Clark
Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, a group of Ijaw activists in Delta State, weekend, stated that   Clark was realistic in his warning that Orubebe should forget about being governor of Delta in 2015.

The group in a statement by its national president, Comrade Austin Ozobo, insisted, “Orubebe cannot be governor of Delta State because he is a failed leader, who does not have the interest of the people at heart.”

It censored Ekwagbe, who criticized Clark for the statement, saying the former aide to the minister, allegedly relieved of duty  by Orubebe because of his level of performance, was not in the position to disparage Clark.

Godsday Orubebe

“We will collectively resist any attempt to impose Orubebe on Deltans. The advice issued Orubebe by Clark is a timely one as the minister was beginning to rankle not a few persons with his warped ambition to rule the state when he has failed as Minister of Niger-Delta,” Ozobo said.

‘Orubebe should resign’
Sons and political associates of the South-South leader, who demanded the immediate resignation of the Minister of Niger-Delta for alleged inability to deliver on his mandate to the people, also upbraided Akwagbe for defending the minister.
Addressing reporters in Asaba,  leader of the group, Chief S.O. Iyawa, who said Orubebe bit the fingers that fed him by disrespecting Clark, called on anti-graft agencies to “commence the immediate investigation of all allegations of corruption against the minister in the interest of fairness and justice.”

“As for his unbridled 2015 governorship ambition, we wish to maintain that the oracle has spoken”, he stated.

“We, the sons and associates of Chief E.K Clark, have read with great consternation, the unguarded vituperations credited to the Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, and  his agents against elder statesman, Chief E.K Clark,  published in  some national dailies.

“Chief E.K Clark brought him to limelight, even against the express objection of His Excellency, the late President Shehu Umaru Yar’Adua.

“Mr. Niger Delta Minister fired the first shot which amounts to an abomination to tradition and custom, a trifle too embarrassing and apposite, to the express directive to all public officers, never to mix up extant constitutional obligations of public office, with the delusions of grandeur, about 2015.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the elder statesman and technocrat, Chief E.K Clark, was merely reminding Mr. Minister of the morality of the presidential directive”.