The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has given an assurance that the Senate will participate fully in the burial of Pa Edwin Clark, who died on Monday.
The Senate president gave the assurance on Wednesday when a delegation of the Pan Niger Delta Forum formally informed him of his death.
The delegation, led by its National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, visited him in his office in Abuja.
He told his guests that the Senate had earlier in the day observed a minute of silence in honour of Clark, who was himself a senator.
Akpabio said: “We couldn’t even wait for you to let us know that he was gone.
“We agreed to send a strong delegation to come and condole with you, condole with the immediate family and the good people of Ijaw nation, Niger Delta as a whole and other Nigerians and for the Senate to take part in all the burial activities.
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“So we intend to be there.
“So on this note, I welcome you.
“We have received the news now formally and I want to thank you for the honour that you have done to the National Assembly by coming as a delegation to let us know that yes indeed, our father is gone.
“The father of Nigeria.
“One of those who have made Nigeria what it is.
“I assure you of our total readiness to cooperate with you and all well meaning Nigerians and because this is a great loss to Nigeria, not just to the Niger Delta region.
“Pa Edwin Clark was not just any Nigerian, he was a pan-Africanist.
“We describe him as an iconic leader.
“We describe him also as a detribalised Nigerian who fought particularly for the welfare of the minorities across Nigeria, not just in the Niger Delta.
“He wanted a better country.
“He wanted an inclusive country.
“He wanted a country where every minority could have a sense of belonging and say yes, this is my country.
“I am proud of my country.
“And today to hear that at the age of 97, almost 98, he lived with his principles intact and on his passage, all he could mutter was: ‘I love Nigeria. I am a Nigerian.’
“I think one can write a PhD thesis out of that.
“That was the summary of his life.
“From the time he was born, until the time he left.
“That exclamation was to remind you and all of us alive that we must continue to exhibit the best virtues.
“We must not lose faith no matter what is happening.
“No matter the travails that we are passing through today, we must love Nigeria, we must believe in Nigeria.”
Igali said the delegation was at the National Assembly to inform Akpabio as the most senior politician from the South South and Niger Delta that his father had passed on.
He said: “We thought it is only proper and fit that having been a senator himself, a senior politician, an elder statesman of this country, it is right that we come to inform you.
“Besides the fact that he was from your part of the country, he was very close to you.
“When he was ill, we informed you.
“Papa was not sick for a long time.
“Up to two months ago, Papa was hale and hearty, but we observed there was a gradual wind down.
“But two weeks ago, the wind down continued.
“Last Sunday, I was there, seated with his nurse and he exclaimed: ‘I love Nigeria. I’m a Nigerian.”
“He said I’m a Nigerian twice.
“He said I love Nigeria twice.
“And the next thing, he stopped talking.
“We took him to the hospital and after some hours, the doctor said he has gone.”
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