The dictionary describes a states man as a respected, skilled and experienced political leader or figure. As a matter of fact, the stories of these distinguished men from the tapestry of our history. In South Africa, both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, would remain the Rainbow Country’s iconic statesmen. In country, statesmen are beacon stores and lamp posts.
In my country, Nigeria statesmen are more than tribal overlords who must be worshipped as gives of life me largesse's. Two of them, former President Olusegun Obasanjo 84 years old and chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, formerly federal information commissioner, as they were then known as, in the General Yakubu Gowon days, is 94 years, ensured that 2021 did not end well for us. In open letters the two father figures elected to make public, Chief Edwin Clark Slammed the former President by pointing out his disappointing display of hatred against the people of oil producing states in Nigeria. In a stinging reply Chief Obasanjo said “I feared Gid and respect those who respect themselves. I hope that it is about time you changed from a tribesmen to a statesman.
The former helmsman insisted that the oil in the Niger Delta does not belong to the region, but to the country. Many people around the Delta region are intenses by this. In his wisdom late President Musa Y’ardua doused tension in the Niger Delta. Chief Edwin was not enraged by the military incubated in the region, in the Dr Peter Odilia years; Chief Obasanjo did nothing when his AGF was strangled to death on the eve of Xmas, in 2001. Today, they have become intemperate. Are we cursed?
