Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the passing of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, was a profound loss to Nigeria, likening his death 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 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, VP Shettima, in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, 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.
“When the giant Iroko tree falls, the landscape itself is forever altered. Today, our national horizon looks markedly different without Chief Clark’s commanding presence that has defined our political discourse for over six decades,” he said.
The Vice President paid glowing tribute to the late Chief Clark, recalling his advocacy for restructuring, which he said often put him at odds with various administrations but earned him respect across political divides.
“Chief Clark embodied the resilient spirit of the Niger Delta – unbowed and unwavering in his pursuit of justice. He consistently demonstrated that true leadership flows from unwavering principle rather than political expediency.
“The Niger Delta has lost one of its most eloquent defenders, the Ijaw nation its most prominent son, and Nigeria a truth-teller whose interventions consistently redirected our national conversation toward justice and inclusivity,” he stated.
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