Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The remains of the literary giant, Prof. John Pepper Clark have been interred at his Kiagbodo homestead in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The 85-year old iconic Poet who breathed his last on Tuesday in Lagos, was buried on Thursday in a quiet and solemn ceremony attended by family members and a handful of community members
In a brief remark, eldest son of the deceased, Elaye said their father had to be buried within three days of passage in fulfillment of his wish while alive.
Elaye commended Nigerians and the Clark family for the solidarity given to the immediate family in their moment of grieve.
The late octogenarian was said to have instructed his children before his passing to bury him within three days of his death in a quiet funeral devoid of crowd.
He had also told the family not to take his body to mortuary.
Officiating priest at the solemn and brief Christian interment, and senior pastor of Trinity House, Victoria Inland, Lagos, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, disclosed that the late writer gave his life to Christ before he passed on.
Pastor Ighodalo, represented by Pastor Jolomi Guoti and Pastor Ken Okochu, described the departed famous poet as a gift to humanity, saying he was happy that J.P. Clark received Christ in the twilight of earthly journey.
It was learnt that the body of the legendary writer arrived Kiagbodo at about 8:48pm on Thursday before being ferried in a wooden boat to his house along the Kiagbodo river.
The brown-casket containing the body of the deceased had earlier touched at Asaba Airport from Lagos, before being conveyed in an ambulance belong to the Delta State Government to his country home in the riverine Kiagbodo town.
The casket was intercepted by community youths joined by the women folks singing different Ijaw traditional songs used to honour and celebrate great sons and daughters of the Ijaw ethnic nationality.