Edwin Clark faults Buhari’s Independence Day speech

Elder statesman, Edwin Clark, on Tuesday faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s address to the nation on Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary, noting that there was nothing in the speech that he had not said before.

Clark, who was a guest on Channels Television, noted that while it was worth commending that Nigerians have continued to live together in the last 59 years, a lot of issues needed to be addressed.

Top among the issues highlighted by Clark are restructuring for a better nation and the security of the lives and properties of citizens.

“Without restructuring, no meaningful progress will be achieved in this country,” he said in reaction to the Independence Day speech by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

Contrary to the government’s position on the war against Boko Haram insurgency, he insisted that the insurgents have not been decimated.

According to the elder statesman, there are security problems in the northern and southern parts of the country, including the activities of armed herdsmen.

“Not a single herdsman has been captured. They are moving around everywhere – both in the North and South and with the problem of insecurity in the North-West, things are not okay,” he said.

The elder statesman added, “We must put politics aside, as for the security of this country; the Federal Government cannot do it alone.

“That is why many of us are suggesting that we should have a security round-table talk. The problem in Nigeria today is not in the North alone, it’s a national problem which requires everybody to talk about it.”

He also called on the government to tackle poverty and unemployment, as well as reduce the number of out of school children in the country.