The Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Dapo Abiodun has described the death of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), leader, Edwin Clark, as a profound loss to Nigeria, yet a glorious conclusion of a monumental chapter in Nigerian history.
He described the former Federal Commissioner for Information, as one of the greatest leaders ever produced by the South-South geopolitical zone of the country and arguably the most engaging voice for the redressing of decades of exploitation and marginalization of the Niger Delta people.
The Chairman of the SGF said the exit of the foremost nationalist, educationist, legal practitioner, freedom fighter and restructuring advocate marks an era that can never be forgotten.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Governor Abiodun said whatever sorrow the exit of the foremost Ijaw leader springs has been tempered by the giant strides he left in various sectors of the Nigerian national life and the unimpeachable accomplishments he achieved in about 70 years of distinguished national service.
He said: “The exit of Edwin Kiagbodo Clark at 97 marks a watershed in Nigerian history. As a man who lived through the struggles and triumphs of the colonial, Independence, and post-independence eras with all the twists and turns, Edwin Clark was simply a personification of Nigerian history. He served with distinction for about seven decades and was one of the most accomplished voices of courage and progressivism that Nigeria has ever witnessed.
“The outpouring of emotions following his death, coming on the heels of the transition of a kindred spirit, the inimitable Ayo Adebanjo, indeed marks a moment that all Nigerians must be proud of.
“His activities during the pre-independence period when he was elected as Councillor for Bomadi in 1953 and during his stint with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), not forgetting his deeply intellectual posture as a member of the West African Students’ Union while a student at Holborn College, London, marks him out as a patriot without compare.
“He was a courageous fighter till literally his last breath, galvanising the Southern and Middle Belt people for the restructuring of the Nigerian polity and preaching peace at all times. He was indeed a patriot of the finest breed.”
