The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) says it is untrue that its Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Edwin Clark is dead.
Recall that rumour of the demise of the elder statesman, who recently recovered from COVID-19, circulated on Saturday.
In a Sunday statement, National Publicity Secretary of the body, Ken Robinson said, “PANDEF was inundated with anxious calls all evening of February 13, 2020, inquiring about the state of health of its National Leader and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Dr. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark.
“The anxiety of the inquirers has necessitated this release.
“PANDEF wishes to state, assuredly, that Chief E. K. Clark is his normal healthy and ebullient self. The information making the rounds on some social media platforms is a concocted, malicious falsehood, ostensibly intended to cause confusion within the Chief’s teeming, multi-dimensional constituencies.
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“PANDEF urges all friends and associates of the South-South Leader, and, indeed, the entire Nigerian public, and the global community, to disregard the ugly rumour. Chief Clark is alive, hale and hearty.
“What is true, is that our leader, soon to be ninety-four years old, did test positive for COVID-19, but had since been confirmed negative by health officials, after 14 days of isolation in his Asokoro, Abuja, and residence.
“The good chief, reacting to the perplexing story, last night, expresses his appreciation for the kindness of those calling from good hearts. He uses this instance to also thank all those, within and outside the country, who had been calling, in the last three to four weeks upon hearing of the outcome of his COVID-19 test, and yearns all to join him in thanking God for his dramatic deliverance from the scourge.
“PANDEF, itself, gives glory to God, for graciously blessing our leader with salubrious longevity, to continue to bestow his God-given wisdom and leadership acuity, still very much needed, not only in the Niger-Delta Region, or the Southern-Middle Belt Alliance, but also, the entire Country, Nigeria.
“On an important footnote, PANDEF strongly implores operators and sponsors of online communication platforms, to maintain the highest professional standards, in their practice and endeavors, by authenticating their stories before hastening to publish, to avoid creating this kind of unwholesome and disconcerting situation,”