Edwin Kiagbodo Clark (1927-2025)
07 March 2025 |
4:08 am
The death of a good man, a statesman and a sage from the Niger Delta region, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, on Monday, February 17, 2025, marks the end of an era. He was an active advocate for Nigeria’s unity and true federalism.
The death of a good man, a statesman and a sage from the Niger Delta region, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, on Monday, February 17, 2025, marks the end of an era. He was an active advocate for Nigeria’s unity and true federalism. Particularly also, he was among the last batch of nationalists who played active roles in the struggle for Nigeria’s independence and lived long enough to witness the country’s political trajectory to the Fourth Republic.
Until he breathed his last at the age of 97, Chief Clark remained a true believer of one Nigeria, a bridge-builder and a patriot who devoted his life to the betterment of society. His views and interventions on national issues are a testament that he belonged to the lineage of foremost nationalists like the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Belewa, Sardauna of Sokoto, Chief Obafemi Awolowo among other founding fathers of the country at independence, who believed that Nigeria would achieve greatness, where justice, fairness and equity reign supreme. Sadly, this dream was not achieved before he passed on.
In death, Clark matters because he was brutally frank on significant and burning national issues like restructuring, resource control and the corporate existence of Nigeria as one united country. For this, he said, “Nobody can break the unity of this country, but we must examine the structure of this country. We cannot remain like this; we need to have proper federalism, a federal system of government where everybody is equal”. He was consistent in his advocacy and was one of the loudest voices drawing attention to the review of the 1999 Constitution.
About the 1999 Constitution, he firmly noted that: “Bring the best expert to come and manage Nigeria under the 1999 Constitution, it would not yield any result because it is a scam. The last Constitution we had in this country was the 1963 Constitution, and the 1999 Constitution was dictated by the military and handed down to Nigeria, and that is why there is no development and there is a security crisis everywhere”. He was a patriot who believed wholeheartedly in Nigeria hence, he admonished that the people must not have a “giving up spirit” on the nation. He insisted on this admonition even in his last hours. He was much a part of the people he chose to speak for, even as he had courted friendships across regions, tribes, cultures, and religions. With this, he felt at home talking about any part of the people in the country.
Born on May 25, 1927, in Kiagbodo, Delta State, the late Chief Clark had his elementary education at the African Church School, Effurun Ottor. Thereafter, he attended the Government Teacher Training College in Abraka between 1949 and 1953. He was at different times Headmaster of several schools in Ofoni, western Ijaw, Bomadi between 1955 and 1957. Between 1957 and 1961, he was Assistant Community Development Officer. In search of the proverbial ‘golden fleece’, Chief Clark left Nigeria for the United Kingdom to study Law at Holborn College of Law from 1961 to 1964. Between 1952 and 1965, he was a member of the Honourable Society of Inner Temple, London. Chief Clark’s political career started in 1953 as a councillor at the regional level in Bomadi. He was later appointed a Special Adviser in 1966 by the then Military Governor of the Mid-Western region. Governor Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia appointed him as Commissioner for Education in 1968 and later Commissioner for Finance and Establishment. He was a founding member of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), and under its platform, he became a Senator.
Clerk remained dogged and concerned about societal ills and misnomers which he believed were causing the country’s retrogression. Barely a month before he passed on, the elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) called for the immediate suspension of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), alleging that it has deviated from its founding principles and lost its purpose.
In a statement titled: “Our Governors’ Forum: An Open Appeal for Reform”, Chief Clark criticised the NGF for becoming a divisive force in Nigeria’s political landscape. He argued that the forum, originally envisioned as a platform for collaboration among governors, has degenerated into “power without accountability and influence without responsibility.”
“The NGF’s potential to unify state governors under one banner could have been its greatest asset,” Clark stated. “Instead, it has often been used to undermine constitutional order,” noting that the NGF has reached a crossroads, urging it to embrace reform and recommit to democratic values. “The NGF stands at a critical juncture. Its survival—and indeed ours—depends on its willingness to reform and adhere to the principles of democracy and good governance,” he said.
Clark further alleged that the NGF undermines legislative independence by turning state assemblies into mere extensions of the executive branch. According to him, governors routinely handpick Speakers and assembly members to ensure unwavering loyalty, eroding the checks and balances vital for democratic governance. Many Nigerians agreed with Clark that the governors could serve the country and Nigerians better by being less self-centred.
Chief Clark remains a delight to reporters, always ready to speak or issue press releases on burning national issues. During this trying period in Nigeria, his distinct and patriotic views could have helped to shape the country for good. He was a principled man who, by his personal style and distinction, invited either passionate praise or criticism. Still, in all that he stood for, no one could fault his position on the country’s unity and the need for restructuring.
His undying love for his people saw him championing improved conditions for the oil-bearing states. Indeed, history will remember Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark for what he contributed to national development, and he will always remain alive in the hearts of Nigerians, especially the Niger Delta people, as a most valued nationalist.
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