National Vice President (two) of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), High Chief Alabo Nengi James, has appealed to the Federal Government to immortalise late Pa Edwin Clark with his picture printed alongside that of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe on the N500 banknote.
Alabo Nengi James, a recipient of the Oder of the Niger, made the appeal during an interactive session with members of the Federated Correspondent Chapel (FCC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to rename the Nigerian Local Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) headquarters after Pa E.K Clerk, saying it would give the Ijaw nation a pride of place.
He also called on the Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers state governments to collaborate with the BRACED commission and the Nigerian government to establish an Edwin Clark Foundation that would organize annual lectures and Edwin Clark’s Awards to promote the memory of his life and contributions.
He said: “Already the late sage has established an existing university in Kiagbodo, his home town, so the Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta state governments should each construct structures, such as hostels, at the University, serving as enduring monuments to his recognition by these states.
“The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) should conduct a needs assessment of Edwin Clark University and provide essential amenities to the institution, considering Pa Clark’s pivotal role, alongside the late Dappa Biriye, in the establishment of the NDDC.”
He further said, while a befitting burial is essential, it is not sufficient to honour Pa Clark’s legacy “because he was an institution in himself, an exemplary leader, and a truly national figure for the Niger Delta people.
“Undoubtedly, Pa Clerk deserves a monumental and befitting immortalization. No sacrifice is too great to properly honour his legacy.”
Nengi James who was the former national youth leader of the South-South People’s Conference (SSOPEC) said, he gained invaluable knowledge from the late national figures.
He said: “Pa Clerk was a tireless advocate for the people of Niger Delta who relentlessly championed equity and justice for the indigenous communities inhabiting the coastal territories blessed with Nigeria’s abundant oil and gas resources.”
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