Okowa, House Minority Caucus Hail Clark at 94

Udora Orizu

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and the Minority caucus in the House of Representatives have congratulated elder statesman and former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark as he celebrated his 94th birthday yesterday.

Okowa described the elder statesman as a “lifetime achiever”.

The governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, said in a statement yesterday that the people of Niger Delta would remain grateful to “the legendary leader” who has been “a respected and consistent voice on national issues”.

He noted that the outstanding contributions of Clark to the Niger Delta struggle was truly legendary and worthy of commendation.

He remarked that Clark remained a dogged, fearless and patriotic leader, always passionate about the interests of his people and the peaceful co-existence of Nigerians.

Okowa said, “As leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF), Clark coordinated the resolution of the militancy crisis in the Niger Delta which culminated in unhindered oil production with its attendant positive effect on national revenue.

“His regular wise counseling and leadership acumen contributed immensely to the stability, growth and development of the Niger Delta in particular and the entire country in general.

On its part, the Minority Caucus in a statement by its leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, described Clark as a fearless democrat and forthright leader, who has continued to demonstrate an undiminished commitment towards the entrenchment of good governance elements of fairness, justice and equity in the national polity.

The caucus said: ‘’His unrelenting quest towards national stability through the establishment of constitutional federalism and recognition of the rights, privilege, aspirations and sensibilities of coalescing entities, distinguishes him as an insightful leader, who understands the nuances of our nation and the solution for the challenges we face.

‘’Furthermore, Chief Edwin Clark’s innumerable contributions towards the development of our nation, including the establishment of the Edwin Clark University in his hometown as well as his role towards the establishment of the University of Benin offer a glimpse into his commitment for the future of our nation.’’