President Bola Tinubu has expressed sadness over the death of a prominent Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Clark, a former federal commissioner for information, died on Monday in Abuja.
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The Ijaw leader was 97 years old and hailed from Kiagbodo, a community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria’s South-South.
‘Deeply sobering loss’
Reacting, Mr Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, described the death of Mr Clark as “a deeply sobering loss.”
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The president said the Ijaw leader lived an illustrious life marked by dedicated service to Nigeria and his community as a councillor, state and federal cabinet member.
He said the deceased politician was “also a passionate advocate for resource control, economic and environmental justice in the Niger Delta.”
“On behalf of the federal government, the president extends his condolences to the Edwin Clark family, the Ijaw nation, the people of the Niger Delta, and the government of Delta State,” the statement said.
Mr Tinubu said Mr Clark was “a towering figure” whose influence was “felt across Nigeria’s political firmament for nearly six decades.”
He said the Ijaw leader was a “courageous leader” who stood for what he believed in and was never afraid to stand alone in the face of injustice.
“Chief Clark spoke for the Niger Delta. He spoke for the nation. His views and interventions on national issues were distinct and patriotic.
“Pa Clark, a lawyer and educationist, believed 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 justice and equity,” he stated.
Continuing, the president said: “As an astute politician, his political opponents never doubted his words’ weight, confidence, and conviction when he spoke. Indeed, a patriot has transitioned to the great beyond.
“History will remember him as a man who fought gallantly for the rights of the people of the Niger Delta, unity in diversity, and true federalism.
“I know many generations will remain proud of how his efforts contributed to national prosperity and stability.”
