Elder statesman and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, says he has been an ardent supporter of the anti-corruption crusade championed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He declared that he gave similar supports to past administrations, including that of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Clark was reacting to a publication in a national daily on Thursday in which he was criticised for failing to speak against corruption during the immediate past administration.
He told newsmen in Warri, Delta State that contrary to the claims by the writer of the article, he had always been vocal against corruption.
Clark said anyone accusing him of not speaking up against corruption was unfair to him because he was at the forefront of calls for the trial and subsequent incarceration of former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori.
He said, “Ordinarily, I shouldn’t have replied, because whoever is the author (of the article) is vicious, wicked and not a patriotic Nigerian. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have written that I never spoke against corruption during the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I said the author is being vicious because I have been talking about corruption even before the time of Jonathan. In the first place, I talked about corruption during the time of erstwhile President Obasanjo and Yar’Adua.
“I remembered at that time, I was in the forefront of fighting our former governor, Chief James Ibori, leading to him being sentenced in the UK. Every Nigerian is aware of this. I led the crusade against him especially when a judge dropped the charges against him.”
Clark restated his support for Buhari’s anti-corruption war, saying the President was sincere in his fight to end the cankerworm eating deep into the nation’s economy.
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