Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida has mourned the death of elder statesman Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, likening his passing to the giant Iroko tree falling in the forest.
The late Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), who served the nation as Federal Commissioner for Information in the First Republic and later as a Senator in the Second Republic, died on Monday at his residence at the age of 97.
In a condolence message on Wednesday, IBB said the renowned nationalist and Ijaw national leader had a significant influence on Nigeria’s national discourse spanning over six decades, particularly on issues of resource control and environmental justice in the Niger Delta region.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to the Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo family, describing the late Chief Clark as a distinguished patriot and a fearless advocate for justice and equity.
IBB added that Clark’s voice was beyond his age; strong, viable, remarkable and loud enough for all to hear. He noted that Clark’s convictions remained the same for many years. “At 97, he never gave up. He was still his very idealistic self, driven by his convictions and soaked in his beliefs. He was fearless, courageous, resilient, and brutally frank.”
Below is the full text of retired General IBB’s condolence message to late Chief Clark
NIGER-DELTA IROKO HAS FALLEN, NIGERIA HAS LOST A PATRIOT– IBB
A great Nigerian, uncommon patriot, a rugged fighter for justice, an emancipator and believer of true friendship, Chief Edwin Clark lived a life of fulfillment. He was in a class of his own when it comes to advocacy for the common good. He was not just a voice for the Niger-Delta, he was the voice no one could ignore.
I could still remember when our paths crossed during my military career, and the Nigeria civil war had just ended. I could recall his support for one Nigeria with a caveat that the Niger-Delta region should be the nucleus of any arrangement towards national integration. He became part of that integration process.
When I became the country’s military president, our government returned all his seized property back to him, for which he remained eternally grateful until death snatched him away yesterday.
Given his advocacy for justice and his consistent struggles for the emancipation of the Niger-Delta region, one could hardly underscore his age. His voice was beyond his age; strong, viable, remarkable and loud enough for all to hear. His convictions remained the same for many years. At 97, he never gave up. He was still his very idealistic self, driven by his convictions and soaked in his beliefs. He was fearless, courageous, resilient, and brutally frank.
He never bated an eyelid when contemporary issues come to the fore. No matter how controversial an issue was, Chief Clark would have an opinion. His commitment to nation-building was eternal, always fighting for the common man and their collective aspirations. His consistency was always a motivation and his patriotism a constant denominator.
I have lost a dear friend who never shied away from giving advice no matter how unpopular. We could argue on any subject matter, but to deny him such an opportunity for robust discourse, was to court his trouble. He was a community and the totality of his struggle was based on how to improve on the community where justice prevails.
He was never stiff. He bowed to superior argument and made sure that his community aspiration and yearnings became his own subject-matter. A towering voice that resonated for so many decades from the creeks to other part of the country, Chief Clark will be sorely missed by all. Despite all his struggles in life, he lived a remarkable life and attained age 97, almost a century. Even at 97, before the sun-set, his voice remained actively voiced on the political rostrum. Nigeria has indeed lost an icon.
May his soul rest in perfect peace. The present and upcoming generations have a lot to learn from such an idyllic mind, whose voice dominated the platform for many decades to make life better for all. Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, the indomitable lion of the Niger-Delta region, rest on.
Signed…
General I. B. BABANGIDA, GCFR.
