ELDER Statesman and former Minister of Information, Edwin Clark revealed Wednesday that the Super Eagles encounter with Burkina Faso, the final of the Africa Cup of Nations almost, claimed his life but for the quick intervention of his personal physician.
Clark, who made this revelation while receiving the trophy for the Chief E.K Clark U-18 International Football Tournament at his residence yesterday in Abuja, disclosed that his blood pressure shot to an alarming level that he had to put a distress call to his doctor during the match.
Describing the Super Eagles Nations Cup victory as success to President Goodluck Jonathan and the country as a whole, the elder statesman, said, “when Nigeria was playing Burkina Faso, I found out that my blood pressure had risen. It is true and I had to send for my personal physician, Dr. Moses, at the National Hospital. He came and asked what went wrong that my blood pressure could rise to that extent. I was actually worried and stressed that day.
“I said that the president must pray wherever he is because if we fail to lift this trophy, he has also failed in politics. Football is part of politics and if we win the trophy after 19 years of wait, he has also succeeded in politics.
“So, when I saw him dancing in London on Nigerian jersey that day when we won, with my doctor still sitting beside me, I did not know when I jumped up and announced that I am well now,” he noted.
Clark also admitted that it was the Eagles’ victory in South Africa that reconciled him with some of the governors he had criticised because of their roles as members of the Nigeria Governors Forum, adding that he had to hug them and shook hands with them during the presidential reception for the team in Abuja.
“So, when they asked me if I would be at the State House during the reception, I did not also indicate interest but was among the first persons to be there. The reception came after I had made my speech on the Governors’ Forum but football united us because I sat with the governors at the State House.
“We even greeted ourselves and were very proud of Nigeria. That success was one of the turning points in the life of this country. I want to say that more successes in football will bring us more success until the end of this tenure,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the promoters of the Chief Edwin K. Clark’s U-18 International Football tournament, has disclosed that four European and African countries have indicated interest to slug it out with eight teams selected from each of the six geo-political zones, with Delta State and the host state, Akwa Ibom, completing the number of Nigerian teams.
Clark said in spite of the security challenges threatening the unity of the country and alarming predictions that the nation will disintegrate, elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark has insisted that Nigeria will remain one indivisible entity no matter the handiwork of the antagonists.
Noting that the existence of Nigeria as one entity has come a long way such that no one in his right senses would now think of dividing the country, he advised whoever is working to split the country to look elsewhere.
The elder statesman, who stated this at the formal presentation of Chief Edwin Clark U-18 football tournament trophy yesterday in Abuja, solicited the support of Nigerians for President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to build a stable and prosperous nation where justice, equity and tranquility will prevail.
He said at his age he had nothing left to offer Nigeria except his mouth which he used to speak the truth and protect the sovereignty of the country. “The only thing I have now is my mouth to speak the truth. Nigeria is one and it will remain one forever.