Former Governor of Bayelsa State and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, has described the death of Chief Edwin Clark as a huge loss to the Niger Delta and the country.

Speaking on Wednesday at Abuja when he led a high-powered delegation of the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress (APC) on a condolence visit to the family of the late Clark, he said the Ijaw nation has lost a mentor.

He said: “We have lost a father, a mentor and a senior advocate of the oppressed. We will greatly miss him.”

A statement signed by Sylva’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, said the Bayelsa APC Chairman, Dennis Otiotio and Philip Ikurusi were among the APC leaders on the delegation that visited the Clark family.

Others who followed Sylva on the condolence visit were members of the APC State Assembly Caucus and Bayelsa APC appointees of the Federal Government.

Sylva, whose delegation was received by Boladei Igali and the Clark family, the statement further said later led a delegation of Southsouth APC to the party caucus meeting that was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.on Wednesday.