A former Federal Commissioner, Chief Edwin Clark, on Tuesday attacked the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, accusing him of misadvising President Goodluck Jonathan on the partial declaration of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
Clark therefore called on Adoke to quit if he knows he cannot discharge his responsibility in the best interest of the country.
“Where you cannot discharge your duty, the best thing is for him to leave and go to face his personal duty,” Clark advised.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, Chief Clark also described the Minister as the weak link in President Jonathan’s anti-corruption crusade.
According to him, having observed the Minister for a while, he came to the conclusion that Adoke has not done enough to strengthen the judicial process to facilitate corruption trial.
In allegedly misadvising the President to declare partial emergency rule in the three troubled states, the Ijaw leader and elder statesman said Adoke cited the case of former Governor Joseph Dariye of Plateau State.
He however argued that the Supreme Court did not condemn former President Olusegun Obasanjo for suspending the democratic structures in Plateau State when he declared state of emergency contrary to what the minister made the President to believe.
Chief Clark said: “Before I took this decision, I have been too patent.
“I have watched him for so long.
“In most cases, he has not done well.
“He has not given the President good advice.
“One would have expected that in a serious matter as this, due diligence and sincerity would make it possible for public officers to give correct legal advice to Mr. President to enable him handle this case with all his inherent powers.
“The Attorney-General and other legal officers in the administration are in position to advice Mr. President on other measures he can adopt such as the ‘doctrine of necessity’ in the present circumstance and as warranted.
“On the issue of corruption, he has not done well.
“A good Attorney General would give strength to the administration by ensuring that corrupt cases are fully prosecuted.”
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