“In honest hands, literacy is the surest and the most effective means to true education. In dishonest hands, it may be a most dangerous, in fact a suicidal, acquisition.”
– Obafemi Awolowo






Recently, Ijaw elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark had featured himself into some Nigerian news media, saying things you ordinary wouldn’t want to imagine he’ll say despite the fact that age is telling on him. First, Pa Clark was quoted as saying the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable. I believe many learned and honest Nigerians assume that to be his personal opinion and hence refused to comment on such illogical and unintelligent assertion by Pa Clark. While the living kept quiet and chose to ignore such a reckless and relevance –seeking comment by Pa Clark, the memories of Pa Clark’s ancestors and Ijaw men and women who died in one way or the other resisting the British imposition of Nigeria on the Ijaw peoples may not keep mute. The statement by Pa Clark insults the sensibilities of those Ijaw people at Udi, those whose waters are no longer drinkable due to oil spillages from oil explorations that were mostly ignored.

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It seem the first statement did not earn Pa Clark the desired relevance he was desperate to get so he resorted to involving Igbos into it to prove to the rest Nigerians that he means business. While the story of Pa Clark’s existence is currently riddled with all forms of betrayals, selfishness and back-stabbing, one would expect that in his old age, Pa Clark would turn a new leaf and leave at least, one or two good memories behind. But it seem the old man have decided to prove the old saying right; that one does not learn to be left-handed at old age.



Dr Peter Odili, Former Governor of Rivers State (an Igbo from Ndoni group)


Owing to the fact that until this moment, no Ijaw organization had openly declared having delegated Pa Clark as their spokesperson, hence I will treat every of Clark’s assertions as mere personal opinion. If you read the last interview granted to pa Clark, you’ll see how desperate pa Clark have become in his effort to seek relevance and register his name in the good book of this current disastrous APC government – as he had done to previous administrations in this country. During the tumultuous and equally unproductive reign of his kinsman, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Pa Clark was handy to create relevance for himself and got himself attached as one of the parasites of that government. When Goodluck was voted out, Pa Clark as usual, turned around to bite the very hands of his kinsman that moments ago, was feeding him.
This is Clark. Pa Clark was so untrustworthy that Reuben Abati had to personally declare that “Clark is a typical example of people that leaders in power should not have around them.” And that ““I am not necessarily saying that the Ijaw leader should have remained loyal to and defend Goodluck Jonathan because they are both Ijaws; patriotism definitely could be stronger than ethnic affinities. Nonetheless, that E. K. Clark tale about leaving politics and becoming a statesman is nothing but sheer crap. If Jonathan had returned to office, he would still be a card-carrying member of the PDP and the ‘father of the president’ and we would still have been hearing that famous phrase, ‘my son’. Chief E. K. Clark, five months after, has practically told the world that President Buhari is better than ‘his own son’. It is the worst form of humiliation that President Jonathan has received since he left office.” This is Pa Edwin Clark. If there is a dictionary of dishonesty in Nigeria, it must surely be littered with Pa Clark’s name!

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This response however, is not going to dwell on the many deeds of Pa Clark that is evidently ridden with lies, double-standards and selfishness for that will probably take a whole book to describe. I am therefore, replying to Pa Edwin Clark on his infusion of ‘Igbo’ in his latest sycophantic remarks on the Igbo, using South East, Rivers state and Delta state as a yardstick of his unintellectual debauchery. In his remarks, Pa Clark wrongly insinuated that Igbo, began and ended in the Nigerian decimated region known as South East. On a very good day – minus the sad fact that many Nigerians, young and old from the Southern region of Nigeria mistook Clark’s being to schools and wielding degrees as ‘education and intelligence’, Clark’s statements deserves only a disappointing shrug from the populace and a complete review of his alleged educational qualifications. First, there is no doubt that Pa Clark is wholesomely ignorant of geography, History and ethnology. Pa Clark was there when the geographical anomaly tagged South South was created and all of us dragged into it.






Right Hon Chibuike Rotimi , Former governor of Rivers state (An Igbo from Rivers State)


Because not everybody is aware that Pa Clark is selfish, and a very good candidate on issues of double-standards, it will be good we quickly unveil the personalities of Pa Clark to those set of people who mistook him for ‘elderly statesman’ or a well-informed patriot. Pa Clark told his interviews that there were no Igbos in Rivers state. One would have taken him serous and maybe, challenged him to a debate he will lose at the begging, but Clark had already shot himself on the foot on the topic on several occasions. During the 2007 PDP presidential primaries, Pa Clark was very vocal in declaring Chief Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers state an Igbo and claimed that Igbos should not represent the Niger Delta. Odili is an Ndoni man, Ndoni is clearly an Igboid subgroup in Rivers state. In the days of Okocha versus Uduaghan in Delta Stae, Pa Clark was also very vocal in asserting that Okocha was an Igbo man and he Clark and the ‘real Deltans’ cannot afford to have Delta state capital in Asaba, Igboland and as well have Okocha, an Igbo man as governor while the ‘real Deltans ‘ watched. In Rivers state, men like Chibuike Amaechi had continiously reminded the Clarks’s that they are Igbo, but Pa Clark believed he is the right person to define them.



“Clark is a typical example of people that leaders in power should not have around them.” And that ““I am not necessarily saying that the Ijaw leader should have remained loyal to and defend Goodluck Jonathan because they are both Ijaws; patriotism definitely could be stronger than ethnic affinities. Nonetheless, that E. K. Clark tale about leaving politics and becoming a statesman is nothing but sheer crap. If Jonathan had returned to office, he would still be a card-carrying member of the PDP and the ‘father of the president’ and we would still have been hearing that famous phrase, ‘my son’. Chief E. K. Clark, five months after, has practically told the world that President Buhari is better than ‘his own son’. It is the worst form of humiliation that President Jonathan has received since he left office.” This is Pa Edwin Clark. If there is a dictionary of dishonesty in Nigeria, it must surely be littered with Pa Clark’s name!


One silly part of Edwin’s claim was that the Igbos of Rivers state and those of Delta state are no longer Igbos but Rivers people and Deltans. On the same ground, Pa Edwin Clark insists that the Ijaw in Rivers, Delta Edo and Ondo are as Ijaw as the ones in Bayelsa. In other words, the Ijaw in Rivers is not Rivers man/woman like their Igbo counterpart, but Ijaw. The Ijaw in Delta state are not called Deltans, but Ijaw unlike us the Igbos in Delta who must become Deltans and not Igbo. In this line of thinking, Pa Edwin Clark is not alone, with him are many gullible humans in our region. One would have asked Pa Clark exactly why the Ijaw outside Bayelsa are Ijaw while the Igbo outside South East are no longer Igbo, but then Pa Clark was not honestly gullible. His double-standard is well intended and we have seen enough of it already. The right question is why did Pa Clark tag Ibe Kachikwu, Peter Odili and Okocha Igbos when it helped him deny them of their political ambitions and untagged them when it favors him? The answer remains the same: Pa Clark is a liar. One more thing: while did Asaba become Igboland when it suits Clark and becomes just ‘Delta’ when it suits him also?



Dr Ibe Kachikwu, GMD, NNPC an Igbo from Delta state


I will advise the handlers of Pa Edwin Clark to guide him accordingly especially now that people’s utterances are recorded in the internet. It is not the duty of Pa Clark to tell us when to be Igbo and when not to be. He should focus more on helping his Ijaw people get at least clean environments devoid of oil spillages from the federal government. He should not be allowed to publicly display his ugly linen in public. Even a kid would laugh at Clark claiming that A Chinwendu in Asaba is more related to a Pa Edwin Clark or a Diepriye of Bayelsa than another Chinwendu from Onitsha. Maybe Pa Clark is not intelligent enough to know who is his ethnic brothers and sisters and depends on the Nigerian political boundary makers to tell him who his ethnic brothers are. Evidently, if a new boundary adjustment is made including Ondo state in South South, Yoruba people will probably become ethnic brothers and sisters to the old man and his like. We know our ethnic brothers and sisters when we see them.






Chief Ralph Uwechue, (late) Ex Ohaneze President from Delta State


And to those forming a RONDEL, this goes out to you: if you depend on the Nigerian political mapping to know who your ethnic brothers and sister are, you are simply gullible and mostly ignorant. To Pa Clark, your current age deserves rest. Go and have a lot of rest. If there is anything a youth can learn from Clark, it is to avoid everything that Pa Clark did.

By Chiwndu Carlos...
an Igbo from Delta.

http://www.aekwe.com/2017/07/response-to-pa-edwin-clark-on-rivers-state-delta-state-and-ndi-igbo-by-chinwendu-carlos/

That Clark dey fall my hand. Imagine a 90 year old man behaving like a toddler.

The hypocrisy of Nigerians over the make up of the Igbo ethnic group is one of the root of her problem. Igbo balkanization started from the British, when the balkanized western Igbos from their kins in the East, with Nigerian government doing same over the years. If this issue is not properly address, agitation will keep springing here and there.

cc: nonaira, ikechukwu, Ugomba, pazianza, Ngozi123, Ngokafor, pchukwudi, Ugosample, cheruv, conductor1, malawian, abagworo, chiwude, chino,etc.

Mynda44, I saw you peeping. Kindly push this article to front page. Lets the world see and know that the Igbos are not the aggressors.

cumbak60:
The hypocrisy of Nigerians over the make up of the Igbo ethnic group is one of the root of her problem. Igbo balkanization started from the British, when the balkanized western Igbos from their kins in the East, with Nigerian government doing same over the years. If this issue is not properly address, agitation will keep springing here and there.

cc: nonaira, ikechukwu, Ugomba, pazianza, Ngozi123, Ngokafor, pchukwudi, Ugosample, cheruv, conductor1, malawian, abagworo, chiwude, chino,etc.

Well...

Who is Igbo or not is more than the geo political zone created by the government, as there are Igbo communities that do not fall in the SE.


But they also have to acknowledge that they are Igbo too, just like how a Yoruba person from say Edo, Kwara or Kogi will consider himself Yoruba even if these states do not fall into the SW


That's what I think tho

But the person who wrote this article is also unwise...

Sounded like a typical Ipob member

Ugosample:
But the person who wrote this article is also unwise...


Sounded like a typical Ipob member

Even if he is an IPOB member. The message is more important here. Have you asked yourself why Nigerians are so scared of the unity of Indi'Igbo? Most Igbo deniers do it for the sake of political convenience perpetuated by the Nigerian government. This is where I'm having issues with Kanu. If Nnamdi Kanu will focus on Igbo unity, he will gain more support than ever.

cumbak60:

Even if he is an IPOB member. The message is more important here. Have you asked yourself why Nigerians are so scared of the unity of Indi'Igbo? Most Igbo deniers do it for the sake of political convenience perpetuated by the Nigerian government. This is where I'm having issues with Kanu. If Nnamdi Kanu will focus on Igbo unity, he will gain more support than ever.

Nobody is scared of anything

Just so your thing and let those from the other side do their own thing too.

Everything does not have to be paranoia, and unhealthy competition

Thanks a lot for this beautiful write up. Hundreds of thousands of Igbos were murdered in the North because Major Kaduna Nzeogwu from present day Delta state was the leader of the 1966 coup.. Whenever someone from Igbo speaking Delta State commits a crime they identify him as Igbo but when it comes to Biafra, they are quick to assert that there are no Igbos in Delta state. Don't mind them.

Nice write-up, thumps up for Biafra

Ugosample:





Nobody is scared of anything

Just so your thing and let those from the other side do their own thing too.

Everything does not have to be paranoia, and unhealthy competition

I have a reason why I mentioned you to this thread. If you don't wake up from your sleep, you might have yourself to blame. I'm a full blooded Biafran. I'm not deceived by Nigerian politics. Even though, I do not subscribe to IPOB and her ideology.....

I am from iselle uku (delta state) and I don't know who is more Igbo than me. The same people who have called me "bendel Igbo" all my life have suddenly turned around to tell me I am no longer Igbo in my adult age. Clark and his likes must think we are so dumb that we can't think for ourselves and so they must think and speak for us. My people are called Anioma(The good land in Igbo language), we speak our own dialect of Igbo, we dress like and eat the same food as Igbos, we bear the same names as Igbos, even our four market days are same with that of every other Igbo community and yet I'm not igbo? So I have no right to Identify with my own Igbo ethnic group but every Ijaw man including the Arogbos from ondo state must be recognised as Ijaws right? Nonsense!!

There are no Indigenous igbos in Rivers period, Odili never identified himself as an Igbo man, Amaechis ikwerre people hate igbos more than any tribe in Nigeria sef...liepods
Pa Edwin Clark please keep exposing and educating dem

itchie:
I am from iselle uku (delta state) and I don't know who is more Igbo than me. The same people who have called me "bendel Igbo" all my life have suddenly turned around to tell me I am no longer Igbo in my adult age. Clark and his likes must think we are so dumb that we can't think for ourselves and so they must think and speak for us. My people are called Anioma(The good land in Igbo language), we speak our own dialect of Igbo, we dress like and eat the same food as Igbos, we bear the same names as Igbos, even our four market days are same with that of every other Igbo community and yet I'm not igbo? So I have no right to Identify with my own Igbo ethnic group but every Ijaw man including the Arogbos from ondo state must be recognised as Ijaws right? Nonsense!!

LMAO
They will remember that you are Igbo when you get a Federal Appointment, and then begin to complain about Igbo DOMINATION.

Example: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

nengibo:
There are no Indigenous igbos in Rivers period, Odili never identified himself as an Igbo man, Amaechis ikwerre people hate igbos more than any tribe in Nigeria sef...liepods
Pa Edwin Clark please keep exposing and educating dem

"For instance, the Aboh and Ndoni ancient towns were
first founded by the Igbo-speaking elements from Nri or Awka zone. For Aboh, they were the Akala or Akalai party whose eponymous ancestor was Ogidi who magically invoked down an imposing rock (salvivic water deity) that aided his party to cross the Niger from Isala axis, a reason why the ancestors of Akili never drowned in the river. In Ndoni, they were the Obonya elements, whose ancestor was Awka, father of Aguukwu to Ezenwocha and Anyaogwu. Both Ogidi and the Awka were reputed to have arrived at the banks of the lower Niger about the 10th century or before."

Oral history of Ndoni people. Read and get educated. The article was written by a known Ndoni son.
http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2014/03/21/appraising-kingship-in-ndoni-11/

cumbak60:


"For instance, the Aboh and Ndoni ancient towns were
first founded by the Igbo-speaking elements from Nri or Awka zone. For Aboh, they were the Akala or Akalai party whose eponymous ancestor was Ogidi who magically invoked down an imposing rock (salvivic water deity) that aided his party to cross the Niger from Isala axis, a reason why the ancestors of Akili never drowned in the river. In Ndoni, they were the Obonya elements, whose ancestor was Awka, father of Aguukwu to Ezenwocha and Anyaogwu. Both Ogidi and the Awka were reputed to have arrived at the banks of the lower Niger about the 10th century or before."

Oral history of Ndoni people. Read and get educated. The article was written by a known Ndoni son.
http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2014/03/21/appraising-kingship-in-ndoni-11/

Odili is the most popular Ndoni man I know and he never Identified as Igbo, why? Why is it s.easterners dat are always doing attache, when indigenous men from this Recognized Tribes say they are not Igbo

itchie:
I am from iselle uku (delta state) and I don't know who is more Igbo than me. The same people who have called me "bendel Igbo" all my life have suddenly turned around to tell me I am no longer Igbo in my adult age. Clark and his likes must think we are so dumb that we can't think for ourselves and so they must think and speak for us. My people are called Anioma(The good land in Igbo language), we speak our own dialect of Igbo, we dress like and eat the same food as Igbos, we bear the same names as Igbos, even our four market days are same with that of every other Igbo community and yet I'm not igbo? So I have no right to Identify with my own Igbo ethnic group but every Ijaw man including the Arogbos from ondo state must be recognised as Ijaws right? Nonsense!!

Exactly the reason Nigeria will continue to remain a cess-pit... when they keep maintaining a double-standard towards Indi'Igbo, how will they progress for goodness sake. Oji'madi l'ali, jio'onweya.
Lol, an Ondo aropo is Ijaw, but an Igbo from Delta is not Igbo but Deltan.

nengibo:

Odili is the most popular Ndoni man I know and he never Identified as Igbo, why? Why is it s.easterners dat are always doing attache, when indigenous men from this Recognized Tribes say they are not Igbo

You are on your own Nengi. Odili knows that he is Igbo, and he doesn't need you to tell him where he belongs. Your hypocrisy stinks to the high heavens. Anyway, did you go through the link? The writer is a proud Ndoni son. Are you saying you know something he doesn't know

Modified: When did Ndoni group denied Igbo?

cumbak60:

I have a reason why I mentioned you to this thread. If you don't wake up from your sleep, you might have yourself to blame. I'm a full blooded Biafran. I'm not deceived by Nigerian politics. Even though, I do not subscribe to IPOB and her ideology.....

Okay
I don hear you, Mr. Biafran

nengibo:

Odili is the most popular Ndoni man I know and he never Identified as Igbo, why? Why is it s.easterners dat are always doing attache, when indigenous men from this Recognized Tribes say they are not Igbo

Frankly, I don't really understand your interest in this issue.

Under what feasible circumstance would Odili as a governor of a multi-ethnic state go about proclaiming and announcing himself as Igbo? This is simply ludicrous.

Ok. Obasanjo never proclaimed himself as a Yoruba man, so he can't be one. How does that sound?

In any case, the article actually indicted the Clarke clown using his own fair weather words because he(Clarke) had earlier declared that Odili was Igbo and therefore unworthy of taking the SS chance as the VP.

P.S @Ugosample. The writer of the article is actually very anti-IPOB (mainly because of the multi-ethnic Biafra issue. He prefers a homogeneous Igbo nation). He is also Igbo Deltan.

Good luck to those who claim to be biafran.

But as for me and my household and relatives, we are NOT biafran, And would NEVER be biafrans.

We fly green white green, despite the problems, because we do know that the devil you know is better than.......

Curlieweed:


Frankly, I don't really understand your interest in this issue.

Under what feasible circumstance would Odili as a governor of a multi-ethnic state go about proclaiming and announcing himself as Igbo? This is simply ludicrous.

Ok. Obasanjo never proclaimed himself as a Yoruba man, so he can't be one. How does that sound?

In any case, the article actually indicted the Clarke clown using his own fair weather words because he(Clarke) had earlier declared that Odili was Igbo and therefore unworthy of taking the SS chance as the VP.

P.S @Ugosample. The writer of the article is actually very anti-IPOB (mainly because of the multi-ethnic Biafra issue. He prefers a homogeneous Igbo nation). He is also Igbo Deltan.

Okay

Curlieweed:


Frankly, I don't really understand your interest in this issue.

Under what feasible circumstance would Odili as a governor of a multi-ethnic state go about proclaiming and announcing himself as Igbo? This is simply ludicrous.

Ok. Obasanjo never proclaimed himself as a Yoruba man, so he can't be one. How does that sound?

In any case, the article actually indicted the Clarke clown using his own fair weather words because he(Clarke) had earlier declared that Odili was Igbo and therefore unworthy of taking the SS chance as the VP.

P.S @Ugosample. The writer of the article is actually very anti-IPOB (mainly because of the multi-ethnic Biafra issue. He prefers a homogeneous Igbo nation). He is also Igbo Deltan.

Kanu should sit back and rethink his position.... He sure need to don his thinking hat on.
Leave Ugosample. He is on a journey of no return. He thinks he can be more Nigerians than those that regards Malian or Negerians a brother than him.

cumbak60:

Kanu should sit back and rethink his position.... He sure need to don his thinking hat on.
Leave Ugosample. He is on a journey of no return. He thinks he can be more Nigerians than those that regards Malian or Negerians a brother than him.

Let's see how you people's pipe dream of Biafra will come into fruition, as referendum of such nature is illegal according to the constitution, and the U.N. cannot compel Nigeria into organising one.


The only second option will be WAR which is not even an option

So let's see how Nnamdi Cownu and his IPOB thugs will disintegrate the "ZOO" (as if they are not also part of the zoo)

cumbak60:

Kanu should sit back and rethink his position.... He sure need to don his thinking hat on.
Leave Ugosample. He is on a journey of no return. He thinks he can be more Nigerians than those that regards Malian or Negerians a brother than him.

From what I understand there are tactical and logistical reasons that militate against the alternative you envisage.

None of the leading groups in the struggle is homogeneous, while advocates like you ( while potentially in the majority) don't have a vehicle.

nengibo:

Odili is the most popular Ndoni man I know and he never Identified as Igbo, why? Why is it s.easterners dat are always doing attache, when indigenous men from this Recognized Tribes say they are not Igbo

WHAT NAMES DID oDILI GIVE TO ALL HIS KIDS?

Ugosample:




Let's see how you people's pipe dream of Biafra will come into fruition, as referendum of such nature is illegal according to the constitution, and the U.N. cannot compel Nigeria into organising one.


The only second option will be WAR which is not even an option

So let's see how Nnamdi Cownu and his IPOB thugs will disintegrate the "ZOO" (as if they are not also part of the zoo)

A journey of a thousand league begins with a step. Constitutions are made by humans, and so is subject to amendment. The Nigerian constitution is not an exception in this regard. The part of war is not an option, not now nor tomorrow.

Curlieweed:


From what I understand there are tactical and logistical reasons that militate against the alternative you envisage.

None of the leading groups in the struggle is homogeneous, while advocates like you ( while potentially in the majority) don't have a vehicle.

IPOB should form a political party and drive the agenda of Biafra through the legislature....

Do you know that Ogidi is an Edo name. An the word Ogidi has a Yoruba meaning. Maybe The Ogidi was an Benin Warrior returning from war who settled outside the city remember the benins are well known for their diabolical powers which explains the an being able to invoke a huge rock

cumbak60:


"For instance, the Aboh and Ndoni ancient towns were
first founded by the Igbo-speaking elements from Nri or Awka zone. For Aboh, they were the Akala or Akalai party whose eponymous ancestor was Ogidi who magically invoked down an imposing rock (salvivic water deity) that aided his party to cross the Niger from Isala axis, a reason why the ancestors of Akili never drowned in the river. In Ndoni, they were the Obonya elements, whose ancestor was Awka, father of Aguukwu to Ezenwocha and Anyaogwu. Both Ogidi and the Awka were reputed to have arrived at the banks of the lower Niger about the 10th century or before."

Oral history of Ndoni people. Read and get educated. The article was written by a known Ndoni son.
http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2014/03/21/appraising-kingship-in-ndoni-11/

AlPeter:
Do you know that Ogidi is an Edo name. An the word Ogidi has a Yoruba meaning. Maybe The Ogidi was an Benin Warrior returning from war who settled outside the city remember the benins are well known for their diabolical powers which explains the an being able to invoke a huge rock

Care to explain further

In the book, The Art of War, written in the 5th century BC and widely acclaimed as the greatest book on military strategy, Sun Tzu gives this advise: "When [your enemies are] strong, avoid them. If of high morale, depress them. Seem humble, fill them with conceit. If at ease, exhaust them. If united, separate them. Attack their weaknesses. Emerge to their surprise." But my interest is in the line "if of high morale, depress them". If anyone can put fear in you, that person can control you. When people know you fear them, they usually take advantage of it. Don't show your enemy your weakness.

Truth be told, a lot of bullies we encounter in life are only cowards in disguise. The reason they are mostly able to overpower us is because they know we fear them. They use fears as their weapon. There is a German proverb that says "Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is". Meaning, fear makes a problem seem bigger than than it actually is. Conversely, fearlessness makes you more powerful than you actually may be. The most dangerous person in this world is the person who does not fear anything and anyone. Dare to be fearless. Be gutsy.