The Northern Compatriots in Southern Nigeria (NOCOMSON) has come hard on Chief Edwin Clark over his comment on the proposed naval base in Kano.
Clark had described the plan to establish a naval base in Kano State as nepotistic, lambasting the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu.
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But in a statement, the group’s regional coordinator, South South, Comrade Musbahu Saleh, asked Nigerians not to listen to “opportunists like Clark whose only stock in trade is to capitalize on the nation’s travail for material gains.”
The statement read, “When it is our collective belief that Nigerians have the right to air their opinions on serious discussions of such magnitude that may lead to nation-building, we condemn Edwin Clark’s divisive comment, as such privilege should not be abused and turned into a forum for hate speech and/or inciting comments.
“Part of our submission is that Clerk is unacquainted with the requisites of Naval Bases, how they are being operated in advanced countries in the world and/or he is not aware that the Navy approved that Naval Bases be established in some states to which Kano State falls.
“But Clerk singled out Kano State for his scathing attack, which we believe is yet another failed attempt at distracting the Navy from its concerted effort to keep Nigeria “as one indivisible nation” and to sabotage the Buhari Administration’s efforts in containing the insecurity ravaging the country at various fronts.
“Even at that we will not allow regional jingoists, who hide behind the cloak of statesmanship, to do our only nation, Nigeria, a fatal blow through unguided utterances.”
However, the group urged the Federal Government to remain focused and commended Navy’s highest authority for its timely response to augment its operation.
It added, “We urge Nigerians to listen to ‘voice of reason’ and disregard such divisive comments as they will not augur well for the country.
“We refer well-intention Nigerians to the clarification the Navy made on this decision and the purpose of the approval.
“It is instructive to note that, even the Chief of Naval Staff, through the Chief of Training and Operations of the Navy, Rear Admiral Abraham Adaji, explained to all the critics, particularly Chief Clark, in an elementary way, since they could not understand the basic information about Kano Naval Base.
“The Nigerian Navy is heavily involved in the anti-insurgency, anti-terrorism and also internal security operations across the North.
“We are therefore calling on Edwin Clark and the like to know that it is not only in Kano, that Navy is present, where there is no water, as defined by Clark.”
