{"id":4052,"date":"2025-05-13T07:35:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T07:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/?p=4052"},"modified":"2025-05-13T07:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T07:40:10","slug":"pa-clark-lived-for-others-says-jonathan-diri-dickson-pandef-inc-iyc-also-pay-tributes-urges-bayelsa-govt-to-iimmortalise-late-ijaw-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/2025\/05\/13\/pa-clark-lived-for-others-says-jonathan-diri-dickson-pandef-inc-iyc-also-pay-tributes-urges-bayelsa-govt-to-iimmortalise-late-ijaw-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"Pa clark lived for others, says Jonathan \u00a0Diri, Dickson, PANDEF, INC, IYC also\u00a0 pay tributes …Urges\u00a0 Bayelsa govt to Iimmortalise late Ijaw leader"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Our Correspondent<\/div>\n
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As the remains of Pa Edwin Clark was being laid to rest, Prominent Ijaw leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri, his predecessor Senator Seriake Dickson, and President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, were among dignitaries who paid glowing tributes to the late elder statesman and Niger Delta icon.<\/div>\n
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Speaking at the lying in state and commendation service held Monday at Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Dr. Jonathan described Pa Clark as a man who lived selflessly in service to others and for a cause he passionately believed in.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Jonathan emphasized that the best way to honour Pa Clark\u2019s legacy is for the Ijaw nation to remain united, transcending the divides of kingdom and clan.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe key thing for us Ijaw people \u2014 from Arogbo in the coastal area of Ondo State to Eastern Obolo in Akwa Ibom \u2014 is to stay united and avoid discrimination among ourselves,\u201d Jonathan said.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cClark did remarkably well for the Niger Delta. He was not just a leader for the Ijaw people, but a voice for all the oppressed. People from the Middle Belt and other regions visited him even more than we, his people, did. He was fearless, outspoken, and stood firm on his beliefs.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa State<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Governor Douye Diri described Pa Clark as a courageous, intelligent, and patriotic leader whose love for the Ijaw people and Nigeria defined his life.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe are not mourning but celebrating the life of a great man,\u201d Diri said. \u201cLet us emulate his passion and unwavering dedication to the unity and development of the Ijaw nation.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Diri announced that the Bayelsa State Executive Council had constituted a committee to consider naming major streets and structures after notable Ijaw figures \u2014 including Pa Clark, former President Jonathan, and Senator Dickson \u2014 as part of efforts to immortalise their legacies.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He also urged the Ijaw people to return to their communal roots and show genuine love beyond politics.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWe must remember the sacrifices of people like Pa Clark who fought for the creation of Bayelsa State,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, described Pa Clark as a revered national voice who lived his life in service to the people.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cThe Ijaw nation has lost one of its finest. We pray that such a leader will rise again from among us,\u201d Dickson said.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
INC President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, hailed the late elder statesman as a fearless advocate of justice, a defender of the oppressed, and a symbol of national unity whose influence reached far beyond regional lines.<\/div>\n
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\u201cHis death is a call to action \u2014 to continue the work of building a fair, united, and prosperous Nigeria,\u201d Okaba said.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
King Bubaraye Dakolo, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, said Clark\u2019s legacy would endure, not only among the Ijaw people but also across Nigeria.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He praised Pa Clark\u2019s unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and equity, describing him as one of the boldest voices in the country.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
PANDEF National Chairman, Dr. Godknows Igali, recounted Pa Clark\u2019s final message to the Ijaw people: to remain united, resilient, and proud of their identity.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cHe embodied the spirit of the Ijaw man and was never ashamed to declare it,\u201d Igali noted.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The late elder statesman’s first son, Pinaowei Clark, read the only Bible passage of the event, from Ecclesiastes 3:1\u20136.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Also speaking, President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Comrade Jonathan Lokpobiri, praised Pa Clark as a visionary leader who inspired generations<\/p>\n

of Ijaw youths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Pa Edwin Clark passed away on February 17, 2025, at the age of 97.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Among dignitaries present at the ceremony were Bayelsa Deputy Governor Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, Dr. Fred Agbedi of the House of Representatives (Sagbama-Ekeremor), state legislators, members of the Bayelsa State Executive Council, and other top<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Our Correspondent As the remains of Pa Edwin Clark was being laid to rest, Prominent Ijaw leaders, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri, his predecessor Senator Seriake Dickson, and President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, were among dignitaries who paid glowing tributes to the late […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,2],"tags":[974,2607,2606,2442,2536,2605,2007],"class_list":["post-4052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-general-news","tag-commendation","tag-generations","tag-inspired","tag-legacy","tag-predecessor","tag-selfless","tag-tributes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4052"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4055,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4052\/revisions\/4055"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}