Born: 25 May 1927; Died: 17 February 2025 (age: 97 years)
The passing of Chief Edwin Clark, former Federal Commissioner of Information and respected leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has thrown the nation and friends of the nation into mourn since the announcement of his death on 17th February, 2025. Chief Clark, 97, was born on May 25, 1927, in Kiagbodo, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State and lived an enviable illustrious life marked by dedicated service, at different times, to his immediate community, the nation, and the world at large.
Chief Clark could aptly be described as a foremost nationalist of our time at the vanguard of Nigeria movement to a great nation in the comity of respectable nations. And he never got tired of fighting for a better Nigeria and at many occasions, passionately advocated for resource control, economic redress and environmental justice for Niger Delta.
This foremost ljaw leader was an astute politician and a fearless advocate for justice and equity in Nigeria whose death came less than a week after the demise of his fellow compatriot, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the leader of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group.
The statement partly reads, “The Clark-Fuludu Bekederemo family of Kiagbodo Town, Delta State, wishes to announce the passing of Chief (Dr.) Senator Edwin Kiagbodo Clark OFR, CON on Monday 17th February 2025. The voice of the Ijaw Nation has gone silent. Our chief advocate and minority interest defender has gone to the great beyond. The strong advocate of minority interest and restructuring is gone. We weep as a people for this great loss but are consoled by the fact that he lived a well fulfilled life as a great national patriot.”
“As if in a conspiracy, he departed this world to the great beyond a few days after his soul mate and co-advocate for minority rights and restructuring, Pa Ayo Adebanjo (The great Afenifere Leader) also departed to the great beyond.
“Pa Clark was a fearless advocate for justice and equity in Nigeria. He was concerned about the sufferings and oppression of the Ijaw and the People of the Niger Delta. He did not mince words in speaking truth to power. He was a strong voice expressing concern about the marginalisation of the Ijaw people and the yoke of oil exploitation, which has devastated the environment of the Niger Delta and ravaged the lives of the people.”
Chief Clark without doubt left an indelible mark in the sand of time and in his lifetime, was a towering figure whose influence was felt across Nigeria’s political firmament for over six decades. Chief Clark was a courageous leader who stood for what he believed in and was never afraid to stand alone in the face of injustice because keeping silent in the face of injustice is in itself, perpetration of “INJUSTICE” and condoning it.
Pa Clark, a lawyer and educationist, believed strongly in a united Nigeria, and until his last breath, he never stopped reaching out to people from different parts of the country to work together to preserve national unity based on equitable distribution of our commonwealths and patrimonies. History will always remember him as a man who fought gallantly for the rights of the people of the Niger Delta, unity in diversity, and true federalism.
Pa Clark was a nominee in the elder statesman category and a member of the 2005 Conference and served in the Committee on Power Sharing Reforms because of his staunch advocacy for equitable power sharing among the tribes in the multi-ethnic Nigeria.
