CLARK. Chief Edwin Kiagbodo

Born May 25, 1927
in

Kiagbodo, in Ijaw area of Delta State

Chief

CLARK.

Edwin

Kiagbodo
Edwin Clark is a Nigerian nationalist, Ijaw leader and politician from Delta State who worked with the administrations of Military Governor Samuel Ogbemudia and Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon between 1966 and 1975. In 1966, he was a member of an advisory committee to the Military Governor of the Mid-Western State, David Ejoor and was appointed Federal Commissioner of Information in 1975. Clark was an unofficial advisor to President Goodluck Jonathan.[1] He is a philanthropist who founded the Edwin Clark Foundation and established a university in his hometown.
Gender: Male
Marital Status
  • Married
Name of Spouse Marinatu O. Yusuf , Dr. Abisola Sodipo-Clark
State of Origin: Delta
Father's Name Chief Bekederemo Clark
Father's Status Deceased
Mother's Name
Mother's Status N/A
Number of Male Children 7
Number of Female Children 5
Profession Legal Practitioner , Educationist , Public Servant , Elder Statesman
Working Experience Headmaster, Local Authority School, Ofoni, Western Ijaw, Head master, Local Authority School, Bomadi, 1954; Headmaster, Secondary Modern School, Bomadi, 1955-57; appointed Assistant Community Development Officer, 1957-61; Director, Asaba Textile Mill, 1967;

Founder, Edwin Clark Foundation; Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo

Previous Appointments:

Commissioner for Education, Mid-Western State (now Delta 1968-71; Commissioner for Finance and Establishment, Bendel State, 1972-75; Federal Commissioner for Information, January-July, 1975; Chairman of Council and Pro-Chancellor, University of Benin, 1970-75; Director, Bendel Brewery, 1972-74; Chairman, Bendel Line, 1973-74; Chairman, Bendel Delta Boatyard, 1973-74; Pro-Chancellor, University of Technology, Minna, 1983; Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979-83;

African Church School, Effurun, 1939, Native Authority School, Okrika, 1940, Native Authority School, Akugbene, 1940-45, Government Teachers Training College, Abraka, 1949-53, Holborn College of Law, London, 1961-64
Tertiary
Yes

member of National Executive Committee, banned National Party of Nigeria (NPN); Traditional

Ebi-Ebekekere, Owei of Western Ijaw; Iyalaje of Oke-Ona Egba

reading, swimming, tennis

Clark’s involvement in the political process began during the pre-independence period when he was elected a Councillor for Bomadi in 1953. Clark later joined NCNC. While a student at Holborn College, he was active in the West African Student Union.

After the military coup of January 1966, Clark was among a group of delegates from the Mid-West who opposed any ideas of confederation that were raised at an ad-hoc constitutional conference constituted by Gowon in 1966. The delegation’s mandate was Nigerian unity and when proposals of a loose federation were tabled the regions delegates asked for adjournment. He was later appointed Midwestern commissioner of Education and later Finance. As commissioner for education, he was active in the establishment of a Mid-west College of Technology that became the foundation of University of Benin.

During the second republic, he was a member of the national executive committee of NPN and was the Bendel State treasurer of the party. In 1983, he was an elected senator for three months at the twilight of the Shagari administration

Alive
Last Update

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