“In honest hands, literacy is the surest and the most effective means to true education. In dishonest hands, it may be a most dangerous, in fact a suicidal, acquisition.”
– Obafemi Awolowo
Recently, Ijaw elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark had featured himself into some Nigerian news media, saying things you ordinary wouldn’t want to imagine he’ll say despite the fact that age is telling on him.
First, Pa Clark was quoted as saying the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable.
I believe many learned and honest Nigerians assume that to be his personal opinion and hence refused to comment on such illogical and unintelligent assertion by Pa Clark.
While the living kept quiet and chose to ignore such a reckless and relevance –seeking comment by Pa Clark, the memories of Pa Clark’s ancestors and Ijaw men and women who died in one way or the other resisting the British imposition of Nigeria on the Ijaw peoples may not keep mute.
The statement by Pa Clark insults the sensibilities of those Ijaw people at Udi, those whose waters are no longer drinkable due to oil spillages from oil explorations that were mostly ignored.
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It seem the first statement did not earn Pa Clark the desired relevance he was desperate to get so he resorted to involving Igbos into it to prove to the rest Nigerians that he means business.
While the story of Pa Clark’s existence is currently riddled with all forms of betrayals, selfishness and back-stabbing, one would expect that in his old age, Pa Clark would turn a new leaf and leave at least, one or two good memories behind.
But it seem the old man have decided to prove the old saying right; that one does not learn to be left-handed at old age.
Dr Peter Odili, Former Governor of Rivers State (an Igbo from Ndoni group)
Owing to the fact that until this moment, no Ijaw organization had openly declared having delegated Pa Clark as their spokesperson, hence I will treat every of Clark’s assertions as mere personal opinion. If you read the last interview granted to pa Clark, you’ll see how desperate pa Clark have become in his effort to seek relevance and register his name in the good book of this current disastrous APC government – as he had done to previous administrations in this country. During the tumultuous and equally unproductive reign of his kinsman, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Pa Clark was handy to create relevance for himself and got himself attached as one of the parasites of that government. When Goodluck was voted out, Pa Clark as usual, turned around to bite the very hands of his kinsman that moments ago, was feeding him.
Right Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi , Former governor of Rivers state (An Igbo from Rivers State)
This is Clark. Pa Clark was so untrustworthy that Reuben Abati had to personally declare that “Clark is a typical example of people that leaders in power should not have around them.” And that ““I am not necessarily saying that the Ijaw leader should have remained loyal to and defend Goodluck Jonathan because they are both Ijaws; patriotism definitely could be stronger than ethnic affinities. Nonetheless, that E. K. Clark tale about leaving politics and becoming a statesman is nothing but sheer crap. If Jonathan had returned to office, he would still be a card-carrying member of the PDP and the ‘father of the president’ and we would still have been hearing that famous phrase, ‘my son’. Chief E. K. Clark, five months after, has practically told the world that President Buhari is better than ‘his own son’. It is the worst form of humiliation that President Jonathan has received since he left office.” This is Pa Edwin Clark. If there is a dictionary of dishonesty in Nigeria, it must surely be littered with Pa Clark’s name!
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This response however, is not going to dwell on the many deeds of Pa Clark that is evidently ridden with lies, double-standards and selfishness for that will probably take a whole book to describe. I am therefore, replying to Pa Edwin Clark on his infusion of ‘Igbo’ in his latest sycophantic remarks on the Igbo, using South East, Rivers state and Delta state as a yardstick of his unintellectual debauchery. In his remarks, Pa Clark wrongly insinuated that Igbo, began and ended in the Nigerian decimated region known as South East.
On a very good day – minus the sad fact that many Nigerians, young and old from the Southern region of Nigeria mistook Clark’s being to schools and wielding degrees as ‘education and intelligence’, Clark’s statements deserves only a disappointing shrug from the populace and a complete review of his alleged educational qualifications. First, there is no doubt that Pa Clark is wholesomely ignorant of
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