By Daud Olatunji

Foremost Ijaw National Leader and former Federal commissioner for information, Chief Edwin Clark, said yesterday failure to practise true federalism has encouraged corruption in government.

The elder statesman who spoke during his visit to the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo in his palace as part of the activities scheduled for his reception by the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party argued that the current practice whereby a lot of powers were concentrated in the centre had continued to encourage corruption in government.

The former Federal commissioner for finance also proceeded to Ijebu-Igbo where he commissioned Goodluck Jonathan transformation centre built by Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation committee in South West, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

Clark who was flanked by his wife Bisola, said the practice of true Federalism was what Nigeria needed to tackle the current worsening level of corruption.

He said, the Jonathan administration would commence the implementation of the reports of the Confab from May 29th this year if he is re-elected.

According to him, Jonathan has the duty to implement the reports of the National Confab, whether anyone liked it or not.

Clark however accused the opposition All Progressives Congress of initially opposing Jonathan’s plan to hold the National Confab.

He said: “The Yoruba have always asked for true Federalism. So, when we went to the conference in February last year to discuss the basis of our living together in this country we took decisions for a new Nigeria to be born and who is to implement it? Those who call themselves APC today cannot implement it because they were against it. None of them had the courage to say let us have the National Conference. Jonathan did and he has the duty to implement it. So, I’m saying as you know this is not the time to preach support Jonathan. He’s already part of this community. I want to say as from May 29, every aspect of the Confab will produce a constitution whereby you will have a constitution for Ogun State, you will have a constitution for Delta State and that’s what we had in Chief Awolowo’s time.

“But today whether we are practising Federalism or we are practising unitary form of government, nobody knows. Every power is concentrated in the centre and that’s why we have corruption today. But if the powers are shared and there is very little at the centre, would there be corruption? No!”

He also stated that although Nigeria required unity, the components must be run in such a way that each state could develop at their own pace.”