Clark’s shoes too big for me to fill – former president Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the late Pa Edwin Clark was a man whose shoes are too big for him or anyone from the Ijaw ethnic nationality to fill.

He made this known on Wednesday night when a group led by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri paid a condolence visit to the family of the elder statesman in honour of Pa Clark, who passed away at the age of 97.

Various dignitaries present expressed passionate feelings of grief over Clark’s death and his immense contributions to Nigeria and the profound impact he had on the Ijaw community and beyond.

Jonathan said: “A friend in Benue State called me and asked me to take over the leadership, but I said 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,” he said.

Diri, on his part, 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.”