Founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has described the late Chief Edwin Clark as a consummate freedom fighter who will be greatly missed for his role in the country.
Babalola, in a condolence message made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday, said the death of the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) “is particularly touching, bearing in mind that his passage came less than a week after Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the distinguished leading light in Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation and former Organising Secretary of the defunct Action Group (AG), passed on into eternal glory.”
The elder statesman stated that the late Clark was a courageous and fearless lawyer who was willing and ready to offer his comments on critical national issues.
He said, “This had enabled me to see him at work. I also saw him at play. I interacted with him in court and outside court and found him to be a genial and true believer in the fact that Nigeria can indeed become great if it is run under an appropriate constitution similar to what we had during the golden era of the First Republic when being a legislator was seen as service to the people, as against the present humongous salaries and allowances allocated to the country’s legislators, and when politics was not the only lucrative business in town.
“What stands this Nationalist out is his patriotism, determination, selflessness and his strength of character to use his office, and indeed his all, for the achievement of the good of the majority.
“In his lifetime, he appreciated that Nigeria was a country of nations with many languages, religions, values and mores, waiting to be galvanised into a country, properly so-called, to the advantage of all. During his lifetime, it was not difficult for anyone that came his way to appreciate his palpable coolness, calmness and his willingness to help others around him.
“He was indeed an unusual person with a burning desire for hard work in every sense of the word. The departed patriot and nationalist of uncommon depth who played his part very well will be missed by all. He will be particularly missed for his uncommon humility, diligence and his unpretentious love for an indivisible Nigeria and its peoples, for which history will etch his name in letters of gold. Indeed, history will be kind to him.”
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then