Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the late elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, was a leader whose shoes are too big for anyone, including himself, to fill.
Jonathan made the statement on Wednesday night during a condolence visit to the Clark family, led by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri.
The visit was organized to honour the memory of Pa Edwin Clark, who passed away at the age of 97.
Jonathan said: “A friend from Benue State called me and asked me to take over the leadership role Clark held, but I told him clearly that the shoes he wore are too big for my feet to fit into. He had the courage, boldness, and could confront anybody even though he was from a minority group. He was not just a leader for the Ijaw nationality; he was a leader for Nigeria.
“When he was a federal commissioner, I was in primary school. You cannot ask me to fit into his shoes. He spoke to presidents, he challenged them, he came out with fire and brimstone to challenge injustice.”
Governor Douye Diri also, on his part, expressed his sorrow.
He said, “For us from his own ethnic nationality, the Ijaw ethnic nationality, there are shoes that will be difficult for anybody to fill. We all know the man, the character E. K. Clark. His last book was brutally frank—a man who tells you black is black and white is white. He gave leadership, and for us, it’s difficult to find someone who can step into those shoes. That is where we are now.”
Pa Edwin Clark passed away on Monday, February 17.
