True nationalist, these are the two words that aptly captured nationalism that the late Chief EK Clark displayed when he used his first daughter, Elizabeth as guinea pig by enrolling her in Queens College Enugu shortly after the civil war that ravaged the entire South East.
Clark did not stop there, he reconstructed schools and supplied furniture to schools that students were attending classes sitting on bare floors.
Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon during Clark’s book launch in 2023, simply titled: ‘Brutally Frabk’, gave a vivid picture of the real Chief EK Clark. At a time when nobody from the other zones can dare sending their kids to war torn East, Clark offered his first daughter as guinea pig.
Hear him:
Principal among this being the fact that as erstwhile Commissioner for Education in the Mid-West State, he had gone ahead without pressure but with encouragement from me, Governor Ogbemudia and the Federal Government in initiating reconciliation with the war ravaged states of the East Central and its people at the time.
“As a matter of fact, he went to the extent of using his first daughter, now Mrs. Rebecca Okorodudu, who was a teenager in one of the best schools in Mid West at the time as a kind of guinea pig, moving her to Queen’s School, Enugu, which had great impact from the unfortunate years of conflict
“As if that was not enough, he also extended a hand of solidarity to the northern states by sending hundreds of science teachers to various parts of the northern states from the Mid-West and also attracted some of their young persons and gave them places in the best schools in his home state.
“There was no better Nigerian for the job of information minister at that time when we needed to show our warmness and empathy for one another as a people. He did the same for the East-Central States, sending help to the university and other institutions in the war affected areas.
“The need to fill in the void created by Chief Enahoro’s exit was what gave E.K. the job of minister in the government which I headed.
“He became my confidant and the voice of the government, fearlessly defending the government and projecting its image. I found comfort in discussing government and other issues with E.K., most amicably at all times.