By Johnson Ebigide
The passing of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, has been described as a huge loss, not only to the people of Kiagbodo of Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, but to the state and Nigeria as a nation.
Barrister Eugene Azuka Uzum stated this while reacting to the news of the transition of elder E.K. Clark on February 17, 2025, at 97 years old.
Uzum, a lawyer, politician, social and policy analyst, said that the departed E K. Clark contributed immensely in the formulation of policies that positively transformed the Burutu locality, Delta State, the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria as a country
He added that from his days as a councillor in the Burutu Council through his sparkling service in the administration of the old Midwestern Region as Commissioner of Education and later Commissioner (Minister) of Information at the federal level, E.K. had left golden legacies that are hard to surpass.
Uzum eulogized the stabilizing essences of the departed elder statesman, noting that he worked vigorously with various stakeholders to douse the ravaging Warri Crisis during the Ibori Administration in Delta State, just as he commended the championing of the formation of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) by E.K. Clark in stabilizing the polity in Nigeria.
Uzum lauded the departed elder statesman for contributing towards the establishment of the Midwest College of Technology that later transformed into the University of Benin in Benin City, adding that Clark’s passion for standard education saw his establishment of the Edwin Clark University in Kiagbodo, his hometown.
Uzum urged the people of Ijaw Nation, Niger Delta Region and Nigeria to bear the great loss in the passing of Elder Clark with fortitude, adding that they should take solace in reflecting on the positive landmarks left behind in his lifetime.
