Braeyi Ekiye
Publisher/CEO · Environmentwatch Communications
Pa Edwin Clark (25th May, 1927 – 17th February, 2025). A Nigerian nationalist, Izon and Niger Delta Leader, Elder Statesman, parliamentarian, lawyer, politician and distinguished public servant has passed on, along with revered Pa Ayo Adebanjo at 96, a radical and progressive politician, lawyer, Elder Statesman, patriot and nationalist of Yoruba extraction. Both men stood doggedly for justice in the administration of the Nigerian State. They were fearless and outspoken on state and national issues. Now that critical and patriotic voices for equity and justice have been drowned by the cold hands of death, what should be the message for the Nigerian State beyond the emotional and ego massaging condolence messages?
Nigeria is at present drifting like a rudderless ship tossed to and fro, looking for a messiah to save her from hitting the precipice. The future of this country is bleak, with her citizens barely able to eat one square meal a day. And this is because of lacklustre leadership of the country over the years, leading to serious structural imbalance. The cumulative effects of these have planted a malignant ulcer in the fabric of the Nigerian State, with no known political or medical cure or solution available to overcome the plight Nigerians find themselves, the past 65 years or so.
Now that critical and patriotic voices for equity and justice in the administration of the country have passed on, what should be the message for the Nigerian State now and beyond?
It would be an overstatement to say that Nigeria is in a state of intense pain and struggle for survival. There is therefore, the need for studied and deep introspection for her to reclaim and reconstruct her history in her true image of character, integrity, accountability, through virile and patriotic leadership. Not leadership forced upon the nation through political expediency. We need principled and upright leadership freely elected by the people to rule over the affairs of this country to put things right and salvage it from its present state of decay, nauseating and startling injustice. This calls for prompt and actionable policies to address structural imbalances in the polity, where equity and justice are the cornerstones for rebuilding of a modern Nigeria to effectively cure the political, administrative and economic ulcers that have eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian State. In this regard, every effort should be made for us not to continue to bury our heads in the sand like the Ostrich while the country bleeds to death, physically and spiritually.
The question does arise: What do we do now to salvage the pitiable situation Nigeria finds herself, particularly with the passing on of icons of equity and justice and self-determination, Pa E.K. Clark and Pa Adebanjo, leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere? Can Nigeria use the opportunity of their deaths to more seriously and sincerely address the National Question which they devoted their lives before their death? Can we bring alive now, their spirited and vocal call for True Fiscal Federalism, Resources Ownership and Control, and Devolution of Powers with functions clearly spelt out between the Federal Government and Federating States? A move in this direction would surely and greatly honour these patriotic statesmen who lived their lives fighting for an egalitarian society in Nigeria; where peace, security, unity and accelerated socio-economic growth and development, and infrastructural transformation is guaranteed.
I believe that a President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration should seize this moment of history, encapsulated in their deaths to redefine Nigeria, both in form and purpose to truly unify our beloved Nigeria and kick-start the building of a nation where no man is oppressed, where there is peace and plenty (the last stanza of Nigeria’s National Anthem).
As a corollary, may I, with humility, passionately appeal to members of my constituency, the press – Fourth Estate of the Realm. Specifically, Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution as amended enjoins the media to uphold the responsibility and accountability of government to the people. The press, therefore, must rise to this constitutional duty and see it as a compelling challenge by instigating a constructive engagement on these crucial matters as aforementioned. They have a duty to set the agenda as constitutionally empowered, to prick the conscience of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, to set in motion policies and programs that would make the federal government and the two other arms of government to give a nod to Nigeria’s search for real nationhood. It would be recalled that Pa Clark in an exclusive interview with me in Badagry, Lagos, February, 1987 bemoaned the weakness of the press, its inability to assert itself to the hilt in advancing the course of good governance, equity and justice in the administration of the State, respect of the rule of law and the recognition of ethnic nationalities to self-determination.
I dare say that the greatness of the Nigerian State can only be built on these time-honoured values for the desired unity, peace and security and progress.
Hear Pa Clark in 1987: “But the press being part of the whole system; nepotism, corruption, and tribalism, still reign supreme. And they will continue to erode the credibility of the press.
“The press still lacks the courage to speak the truth when it ought to have done so, particularly if it affects certain individuals, groups or section or tribe”.
Echoing the same sentiment, on January 5, 1968, Chief Anthony Enahoro, then Federal Commissioner for Information said: ”The Nigerian press in recent years has seemed to me to be suffering from two ailments. One is lack of men of stature. The press is in need of leaders. It is in need of crusaders. It is in need of trenchant pens. It is in need of able, readable, courageous writers. If the Nigerian press is to regain the confidence, respect and following of the public, it must produce men of stature. It cannot afford to have too many small men in big boots.
“The second ailment is lack of vision to recognize danger and the courage to oppose wrong. The Nigerian press can inspire no confidence, no respect and no following of its role in nation-building when that of sycophants, guilty of unquestioning deferential support for rulers, guilty of flamboyant praise for mediocrity, guilty of popularizing excesses and impropriety, afraid to pronounce against wrong and guilty of a craven desire to bat on any winning side held sway in our media houses.
“In a democratic society, the liberty of the press is a cherished freedom, but I suggest most strongly that in an emergent nation, the obligations of the press – its duties are not only to inform and entertain but even more to instruct, to inspire, to lead, to unify the people and to check the Government – are of equal importance. Freedom of the press would be of little significance to our people if not exercised for these purposes”.
We have no country other than Nigeria. Our duty, therefore, is to dedicate ourselves selflessly to these cherished values for nation building in order to elevate the Nigerian State to greater heights and to give her a pride of place in the comity of nations.
And a ready and open way of doing that, is for us to honour our departed elder statesmen, Pa Clark and Pa Adebanjo by not only listening to the cries of the oppressed but assuaging their fears and promptly acting to correct the ills of the Nigerian State that have held her hostage for the past 65 years or so.