The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) Dr. Samuel Ogbuku has said that the history of Niger Delta will not be complete without mentioning the name of late Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark.

Ogbuku said the late former National Commissioner was a strong voice in the oil rich region, describing him as a true nationalist.

He said the only way to immortalise him is by keeping his vision alive.

Ogbuku, who spoke during a condolence visit to the residence of the late Ijaw leader, noted that the late elder statesman has done everything he had to do for the region.

“He lived the life that the Lord wanted him to live. If he says no one should mourn him, I think he is very, very correct. Because he has actually done everything he needed to do.

“He has mentored from one generation to another generation. The Niger Delta is what it is today because of him. You cannot write the history of Nigeria, Niger Delta, without mentioning him.

“He is a true nationalist. And as a nationalist, just like I said, even in his dying hour, he said, I am a Nigerian, I love Nigeria. There is no other patriotism that can be more than that.

“It is a lesson we all need to learn, that we must love Nigeria. As Nigerians, we must love Nigeria in our actions and in our inactions. So that Nigeria can also be one to protect the generation behind us.”

He added: “For me, I really want to say, the people of the Niger Delta, we are lucky to have Chief Edwin Clark. Because today, he has left behind the PANDEF an umbrella to bring all of us together.

“Because in the Niger Delta, we are people of different tribes, speaking different languages. But the only thing that brings us together as a platform today is the PANDEF . And my prayer and my wish, is for us to honour EK Clark. It is not by giving him a befitting burial. It is by ensuring that we protect his legacy. And his legacy is pandem. The burial is only going to be a ceremony.

“After the ceremony, what next? For us to immortalise EK Clark. It is not to name one stadium or one airport after but his vision, his dream, should be kept alive.”

He charged the sons and daughters of Niger Delta to ensure they immortalised his vision for the progress of the region.

“So I’m using this opportunity to call on every son and daughter of Niger Delta to give their support to the executives and members of PANDEF to carry on the vision of EK Clark. So that is the only way our father can be immortalised.”

Speaking about the qualities of the late Ijaw leader, NDDC boss said,:“I have not seen any human being die in a magnetic brain like this. Especially before I even got the message of his death. We were talking about him about two days before I got that message.

And we’re analysing him. And I was telling some people that, look, even at his age, I’ve not seen somebody that can remember things like him. He will tell you specifics with dates, time and place.

“So, I’ve never seen that kind of a magnetic brain at his age.

“So the Lord gave him that memory to carry on with his vision. Because for a vision to last from one generation to another generation, the brain must be healthy. He may not be walking around, but his brain was healthy and alive to carry on with that vision.”

Tanko Yakassai, a close political associate of the late Ijaw leader who was also at the Asokoro residence, said the death of the former National Commissioner hit him very hard.

He said he has been friends with the late Clark from the days of the regional government.

“Politically, wherever he is I will be there, wherever I am he will be there.

” By the end we were together, we did almost everything together. So, EK is one of the few friends, those who have remained alive until now.

“So his death is a great loss, not only to you, but to us, who were his friends. In particular to me, a very, very close friend of his.

“But death is something God assigns to every being, not just human, every animal, everything. Only people who, I don’t know if they die, are the angels,” he said.