*Explains why stopped celebrating birthdays
Elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on political leaders in the country to devote their energies toward promoting peace, stressing that trust deficit is breaking up the country.
Clark gave the verdict on Thursday at his private residence in Abuja at an event marking his 96th birthday anniversary.
The event which was attended by the Governor of State, Duoye Diri; former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Amb. Godknows Igali; former Edo State Governor, Oserheimen Osunbor; All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mr. Cairo Ojougboh, saw Chief Clark in best of his elements, renewing his commitment to speak truth to power at all times.
The Ijaw leader told his guests that he stopped celebrating his birthday anniversary when schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, were kidnapped in 2014 as a mark of honour to them.
It would be recalled that on April 14, 2014, over 200 students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, were abducted by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect, a tragedy that sparked international condemnation.
Chief Clark said: “I will always speak of what I know in defense of Nigeria. We cannot be one country by words of mouth.
“We must love and trust ourselves. It is lack of trust that is breaking Nigeria today, Nigeria is divided but we must speak our minds.
“I am a Nigerian, but I won’t keep quiet when Nigerians are suffering. If Nigeria does not stand properly, there will be no unity, there will be no peace.
“I have worked for Nigeria for over 70 years, from the age of 25 or thereabout.
“I have served this country in various capacities. I must have offended many people, but I will always speak on any issue concerning Nigeria.
“I am not celebrating. I stopped celebrating my birthdays since the Chibok school girls were abducted in Borno State. It was very painful.
“Today, I am not celebrating, I am thanking God. I am not celebrating because I lost two younger brothers in the past.
“On October 13, 2020, I lost my younger brother, Prof. John Pepper-Clark. In July last year, I lost my brother, Amb. Blessing Clark, who was Permanent Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. So, I no longer celebrate my birthdays”.
The elder statesman who unveiled his memoirs titled, “Brutally Frank,” at the event, expressed his readiness to face litigations because of “what I wrote in this book.”
He added, “this is a book, my memoirs that I have written. It contains everything and I titled it, ‘Brutally Frank.”
“I know some people would like to take me to court, but I am waiting for them. I have spoken the truth and you can’t kill truth.
“The foreward to the book was written by former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon”.
In his goodwill message, Gov Diri extolled the courage of the nonagenarian for his deep sense of history, stressing that even at his (Douye’s) age, he could not boast of Clark’s athletic mind especially when dealing with datelines of important events.
