Osinbajo, Obasanjo, others to attend Clarke’s 90th birthday symposium

From Fred Itua, Abuja

A former minister of Police Affairs, Broderick Bozimo, has declared that Nigeria needs more people like Chief Edwin Clarke, who can speak truth to power.
Clarke, a former commissioner of Information and elder statesman, will mark his 90th birthday on May 24.
Bozimo, who is chairman of Clarke birthday ceremony, also disclosed that the acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and other elder statesmen are expected to grace the occasion which will hold in Abuja.
Speaking with newsmen ahead of the birthday celebration, the former minister said the high point of the celebration would be a symposium with the theme: “Restructuring, True Federalism and Resource Control: Panacea For Enduring and Sustainable Development in Nigeria.”
According to him, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah, is the keynote speaker, former minister of Foreign Affairs, General Ike Nwachukwu (retd), will chair the session panel comprising former chief executive of Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Prof. Anyo O. Anya; Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi; President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. John Nwodo; former Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Patrick Dele Cole; and human rights activists, Mr. Yinka Odumakin.
Bozimo, who described Clarke as a great Nigeria from South-South region of Ijaw extraction, said: “Clarke looks people in the eye and says what he wants to say. Nigeria needs more Clarke. If we don’t tell ourselves the truth, we will rot and die. We need more of Clarke who will tell us the truth.
“The future belongs to the young ones and we, as older ones, need to work with you. So, there is need for information, dialogue and rubbing minds together and highlighting those values that makes the man great.”
While he revealed that Osinbajo was scheduled to attend, he added “former President Olusegun Obasanjo is my boss and I am hoping he will honour us with his presence. If you want to do anything and you haven’t factored Obasanjo into the equation, you are probably unrealistic.”