 |
| Edwin Clark |
The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, has said that one year after the death of foremost Niger Delta leader and elder statesman, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, his passionate advocacy for justice, equity, and national unity remains as relevant and resonant as ever.
He insisted that the ideals he championed in life have outlived him and continue to shape Nigeria’s political and governance conversations.
The forum made this declaration in a statement issued to commemorate the first anniversary of Clark’s passing, describing the late nationalist as one of the most consequential figures in Nigeria’s post-independence history whose contributions to democratic governance, resource control, and the emancipation of Niger Delta communities carved for him a permanent place in the nation’s consciousness.
“His voice was the conscience of the nation and a rallying point for justice and equity. Even in death, his words continue to inspire the struggle for a better and more inclusive Nigeria,” PANDEF said.
A fearless voice that spoke truth to power
PANDEF recalled that Clark devoted the entirety of his public life to the defence of marginalised communities, particularly the long-suffering oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta, whose enormous contributions to Nigeria’s national revenue have historically been met with environmental devastation, infrastructural decay, and political neglect.
The forum noted that Clark pursued the causes of resource control, fiscal federalism, and environmental justice with a tenacity that few of his contemporaries could match, and that his willingness to confront power directly — regardless of who occupied the seat of authority — earned him both the reverence of the people and the discomfort of those in high office.
It described him as a statesman who never traded his principles for convenience, a man who remained steadfast in demanding accountability and transparency from successive governments even as age advanced and his contemporaries fell silent.
Beyond his identity as a Niger Delta champion, PANDEF stressed that Clark’s vision was always national in scope.
The forum noted that he invested heavily in the cause of national unity, repeatedly offering himself as a mediator between aggrieved communities and the federal government at moments of tension, and consistently advocating dialogue and mutual understanding as the only sustainable path to national cohesion.
His contributions to debates on restructuring, constitutional reform, and the devolution of power, the forum observed, demonstrated a man whose patriotism was never confined to the creeks and riverine communities of his birth but extended to every corner of a complex and fractured nation he believed could be made whole.
PANDEF recalled his numerous interventions in critical national conversations, noting that Clark was one of the rare elder statesmen whose counsel was actively sought across ethnic, religious, and political boundaries — a testament to the moral authority he had built over decades of selfless public service.
Turning its attention to the present, PANDEF issued a direct challenge to Nigeria’s political class, youth groups, and civil society organisations, urging them to move beyond the ritual of annual commemoration and translate Clark’s enduring ideals into concrete action.
The forum called on leaders at all levels of government to demonstrate their respect for his memory by advancing policies that promote inclusive governance, equitable resource distribution, environmental remediation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta and across Nigeria.
It specifically urged the federal government to accelerate the resolution of the region’s longstanding grievances, describing meaningful action on these issues as the most authentic tribute the nation could offer a man who spent nearly a century fighting for the dignity and wellbeing of its most neglected communities.
PANDEF also appealed to Nigerian youth to study Clark’s life closely, arguing that his trajectory from community advocate to national statesman offered a masterclass in principled leadership and the power of consistency in the pursuit of justice.
“As we remember him today, we celebrate a man whose voice still resonates in the conscience of the nation. Though he is gone, his vision for a fair and prosperous Nigeria remains our guiding light,” the forum declared.
A life that defined an era
Clark, who died on February 18, 2024, at the remarkable age of 97, served as a federal commissioner during Nigeria’s early post-independence years and went on to become one of the most recognisable and influential voices in the country’s political landscape over the following decades.
His death in February last year drew an outpouring of tributes from across the political spectrum, with leaders and ordinary citizens alike acknowledging that Nigeria had lost not merely a statesman but a moral compass — a figure whose absence would be felt for generations in the corridors of power and in the communities he gave his life to serve.
For PANDEF and the millions of Niger Delta people who looked to him as their most articulate spokesman, the first anniversary of his passing is not a moment of closure but a renewal of commitment to the unfinished work he left behind.
0 Comments