as Ambakederimo lays declare to area’s management
•Regardless of the percentages, somebody will emerge — Robinson, ex-PANDEF spokesperson
•No single chief has Clark’s attribute traits — Omare, ex-president of IYC
By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South, Sam Oyadongha, and Ozioruva Aliu
SINCE Senator Edwin Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for info and Chief of the South-South area, departed on February 17, there have been refined calculations to enthrone his successor, even earlier than burial on Might 13.
Clark was not simply the chief of the South-South area, however of southern Nigeria and the Center Belt, comprising the South-East, South-South, South-West areas, and the Center Belt within the North-Central area.
Precisely 5 months and 27 days after his loss of life, the folks of the South-South area haven’t appointed a successor for the person, who supplied self-sacrificing, targeted, and audacious management for the folks of the Niger Delta.
Clark was a fearless and articulate chief who spoke reality to energy and didn’t emerge as a South-South chief by coincidence.
He introduced himself the chief of the South-South after offering unquestionable management to the area, and one and all accepted him. As of immediately, it seems no one could make such a declare as Clark did with out a fierce problem from different stakeholders.
Nevertheless, there’s an exception as Joseph Ambakederimo, an elder statesman and convener of the South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), has declared himself the brand new chief of the South-South area.
He advised Sunday Vanguard that he was already appearing within the capability.
Some individuals have talked about former President Goodluck Jonathan as Clark’s successor, however talking some days after the passage of the elder statesman in February, Jonathan, on a condolence go to to Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, he mentioned, ”A good friend from Benue State known as me and requested me to take over the management position Clark held, however I advised him clearly that the footwear he wore are too huge for my ft to suit into”.
”He had the braveness, boldness, and will confront anyone, regardless that he was from a minority group,” the previous president, who acknowledged Clark’s nationwide relevance past the Ijaw ethnic nationality, added.
On the burial of Clark in his Kiagbodo nation residence in Delta State in Might, he reiterated that the Ijaw nation and the folks of the Niger Delta area have misplaced an irreplaceable voice.
His phrases, ”We within the Ijaw nation have misplaced somebody that we can not consider changing.”
Not straightforward to interchange – Robinson, ex-PANDEF spokesperson
Dr. Ken Robinson, the quick previous nationwide publicity secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Discussion board (PANDEF), the mouthpiece of the normal rulers, leaders, folks, and stakeholders of the coastal states of the Niger Delta, mentioned it isn’t straightforward to discover a substitute for Clark.
His phrases, “As rightly said, the position that the late Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark performed because the chief of the South-South and Niger Delta area, like others earlier than him, is self-elected; it’s a calling. No one formally voted him because the Chief of the South-South; he virtually developed and emerged as that chief.
“The folks accepted him as a result of his vital contributions and pedigree, as he constantly spoke out and stood for the pursuits of the South-South and the Niger Delta.
“Traditionally, we’ve had key leaders within the Niger Delta, equivalent to King Frederick William Koko (Mingì VIII), King Jaja of Opobo, Professor Eyo Ita, Joseph Wayas (former Senate President), Nana Olomu (a outstanding Itsekiri chief and service provider), and Festus Okotie-Eboh, Nigeria’s first Minister of Finance.
“Moreover, figures like Harold Dappa-Biriye remained influential from the pre-independence period into the post-independence interval till his passing in 2005.
“Others embrace Ernest Ikoli, Chief Melford Okilo, Adaka Boro, Obi Wali and Ken Saro-Wiwa.
“Nevertheless, our late nationwide chief and father determine, Chief Clark, was one in all a form, a former regional Commissioner of Schooling and Finance within the outdated Mid-West area, and later in Bendel State, who additionally served because the Federal Commissioner for Data and a Senator.
“He charted a path usually prevented by others, residing a life dedicated to activism and advocacy.
“His journey ranged from being a pupil union chief in the UK to a professional bono lawyer for oppressed folks in Warri, after which transitioning right into a public servant and politician, all whereas sustaining his core dedication to activism.
“In gentle of the vacuum created by his passing, the query stays: Who can step into his footwear? It gained’t be straightforward to seek out one other particular person similar to Chief Clark. And say that with all sense of duty and respect.
“It ought to be famous that Chief Clark carefully collaborated with Chief Dappa Biriye and was, in impact, a casual deputy; when Biriye handed, the management naturally transitioned to Clark.
“Right this moment, the situation is kind of completely different. Many who had labored carefully and constantly with Chief Clark and loved normal acceptance and will have seamlessly taken on the position have handed away earlier than him.
“Two notable figures are the late Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga, a former army governor of Akwa Ibom State, who was additionally the one-time chairman of the South-South Folks’s Meeting (SSPA) and the pioneer nationwide chairman of PANDEF,, and the late Alabo Graham-Douglas, a former minister, who was well-regarded within the area.
“At the moment, many names come to thoughts which might be seen, however they are typically both conventional rulers or overly politicized people.
“One title that prominently surfaces, and rightly, is that of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Nevertheless, as a former president and now a world citizen, one wonders if he would need to interact within the Niger Delta affairs in the identical approach that the late Chief Clark did.
“Somebody will ultimately emerge from one of many ethnic teams within the area, as a result of nature hates a vacuum.”
Time shall inform, says Wills
Iniruo Wills, a two-time commissioner in Bayelsa State and co-convener of the Embasara Basis, an Ijaw suppose tank for good governance, advised Sunday Vanguard, “Time will organically reply this query.”
For now, no certified chief to step into Clark’s footwear – Omare
Eric Omare, a lawyer and ex-president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), asserted, “No single particular person has demonstrated the required stage of management to be described because the nationwide chief of the Niger Delta area at the moment.
“There are a number of leaders who, of their rights, could be described as leaders, however they don’t seem to be but on the stage of the late Chief E. Okay. Clark.
“He was in a world of his personal. He was daring and audacious, adopted up each matter intimately, and was not afraid to take dangers.”
I’ve taken over management of S-South – Elder Ambakederimo
Nevertheless, Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, the convener of the South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), launched a twist to the dialogue, describing himself as certified to step into the footwear of the late sage.
“I, Joseph Akponanakemefa Ambakederimo, have since taken over management of the South-South”, he mentioned.
“I’m on the forefront of advocating the inclusion of our folks into mainstream politics and engaged in nationwide discourse on points that have an effect on our well-being.
“I’ve been outspoken when problems with the area are mentioned, and in addition, being a cosmopolitan individual makes me match the invoice.
“We do not need to be antagonistic to be seen because the chief of a folks, and simply as you’ve mentioned, there is no such thing as a criterion for anybody to be certified to steer a folks.
“I remained apolitical through the years, which has strengthened my fingers to carry public officers accountable for purposeful service supply to our folks.”
Why Odigie-Oyegun ought to succeed Clark, says Edokpolo
Ambassador Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, the nationwide facilitator of the Edo State-based United Patriots Meeting, particularly recommended Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the primary civilian governor of Edo State and former nationwide chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a worthy successor of Clark.
Edokpolo insisted that he proposed Odigie-Oyegun after a cautious examine of his antecedents, from his civil service days as a super-permanent secretary, his enterprise life after retirement, and his foray into politics.
“Edwin Clark made fairly a exceptional affect in his prolific management of a number of curiosity groupings of the folks of the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria”, he mentioned.
“He was religiously brave and characteristically forthright in his advocacy towards the systemic marginalization of the Niger Delta folks particularly. I recall my missive in 2009 on the alleged northernization of the Nigeria Nationwide Petroleum Company (NNPC), he joined it along with his rebuttal in a Vanguard Newspaper interview.
“I spoke because the president of the Benin Nationwide Congress on the rumored plan to sack the group govt administrators and managing administrators of the NNPC and its subsidiaries, who had been of the South-South extraction and Niger Deltans.
“As normal, Chief Edwin Clark unleashed his radical patriotism in condemning the plot. “He was a Niger Delta nationalist of no imply reputation. Might his soul relaxation in peace.
“As regards to who ought to step up in filling that vacuum, it is very important conceptualize a defining criterion for such a regional management thrust.
“In all honesty, such an individual will need to have a pedigree of honesty, integrity, and a excessive stage of independent-mindedness.
“He have to be somebody not identified for talking from each side of his mouth. As of immediately, that individual is His Excellency Chief J. E. Okay. Odigie-Oyegun, a spherical peg in a spherical gap, not a tribalist by any quantification, and a nationalist who believes that fairness, justice, and honest play ought to be the irreducible objects of governance.
“On this debate for a South-South grand commander, we should resist the temptation of selecting a political contractor who could be a glorified authorities agent or a mole in our folks’s collective aspirations. “The folks will unanimously select Chief Odigie-Oyegun if clear-headed stakeholders conduct an election immediately. “He’s cerebral, submits to superior arguments, and isn’t swayed by chauvinist inclinations.
“That’s the feel of the management character that we want at this important time within the lifetime of South-South geopolitical aspirations”.
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