Pan Niger-Delta Forum (PANDEF) will set aside May 25 annually to immortalise the memory of Chief Edwin Clark in the Southsouth geo-political zone, Its National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, has said.

Igali spoke during the 11th Founder’s Day and 99th posthumous birthday celebration of elder statesman, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, held at Edwin Clark University Kiagbodo, Ughelli South LGA, Delta state.

Delivering his keynote address, the PANDEF Chairman described the late Clark as a national icon whose legacies in education, justice, equity, and regional development would continue to inspire generations across Nigeria and beyond.

His words, “By next year, 2027, this date, May 25, when we hope to celebrate Chief Edwin Clark’s 100th posthumous birthday, will become marked as Chief Edwin Clark Memorial Day in all of the South-South geopolitical zone.”

He said the anniversary celebration was not only a reflection on the growth of Edwin Clark University but also a reminder of the enduring impact of PANDEF, both institutions founded under the leadership and vision of the late Niger Delta patriarch.

According to him, the university had moved beyond the stage of survival and was now positioned to shape the future of higher education in Nigeria and Africa.

He said, “In the life of all institutions, the first decade is about survival and identity — proving that the dream can take root, survive the storms, and produce results,” he stated.

“Today, ECU is no longer proving its right to exist. It is now being called to shape the future of Nigeria’s and Africa’s higher education.”

Igali praised the management of the institution led by Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Wara, as well as the Clark family, for sustaining the founder’s vision through commitment and sacrifice.

He noted that the late Clark dedicated his entire public life to the pursuit of justice, fairness, and equal opportunities for all Nigerians, particularly the people of the Niger Delta.

“As a teacher, lawyer, commissioner, senator, and community leader, Pa Clark spent his public life fighting for justice, equity, and the voice of the ordinary Nigerian in the corridors of power,” he said.

“He understood that political freedom without intellectual and economic empowerment is incomplete. That is why he founded this enviable university and PANDEF to raise citizens who would defend democracy not just with votes, but with ideas, enterprise, and integrity.”

Igali charged both the university and the regional sociopolitical body to remain focused on excellence, institutional discipline, and the founding ideals of the late statesman.

“We must run this university as a proper university following the laid down guidelines of the National Universities Commission (NUC),” he said.

“At the same time, PANDEF must now run as a world-class people’s and community-based organisation. These we must not derogate.”

He urged leaders and youths of the Niger Delta to uphold Clark’s vision of a Nigeria founded on justice, equity, fairness, and unity, stressing that there should never be “second-class Nigerians” under the nation’s democratic system

(The Nation)

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