David Mark: End of an era of a pacesetter in the Senate (Opinion)

By Ochigbo John

Sen David Mark’s stay in the National Assembly came to an end on the 6th June, 2019 after an eventful 20 years in the Senate. Senator Mark has remained a reference point as the longest serving Senator in the red chamber before his exit.
He became the President of the Senate twice in an unprecedented feat. He escaped the characteristic banana pills syndrome and brought great innovation and stability to the office. Recalled that prior to his ascension as President of the Senate virtually all the states in the southeast took turn to produce Senate Presidents which were short-lived at intervals in a two term Senate tenure from 1999 to 2007. He undertook his leadership of the Senate without blemish.

We remember vividly how he used his sagacity to handle petroleum subsidy crisis that almost paralysed the economy of Nigeria. It is on record that the Senate under his leadership embarked on shuttle diplomacy in bringing the problem to an end.

The Doctrine of Necessity he applied in making Vice President Goodluck Jonathan the acting President of Nigeria should be regarded as the greatest achievement of the Nigeria Senate, for this saved Nigeria from the trauma of uncertainty and bleak future.
That exceptional conflict management remain a reference chapter in Nigeria political history.

Our memory will not let go in a hurry how he handled the complicated and thorny issue of Petroleum Industrial Bill(PIB) by ensuring it didn’t divide the Senate along geographical line of north and south as the bill was meant to disintegrate the National Assembly. He proved skeptics wrong as a core nationalist and demonstrated his strong believe in the unity of Nigeria, the bill scaled through second reading meritoriously in his reign as Senate President.
He presided over a Senate that worked together in unity rather than party lines, Nigeria was focus, a point Senator Ahmed Lawan stressed in his valedictory speech.

Worthy of note is the constitutional amendment he championed which was aimed at strengthening the local government institution in order to take democracy and development to the grassroot.

Though his exit is seen as a massive erosion of ideas, dexterity in handling complex affairs in the Senate. Sincere and genuine wish is that he should remain a parliamentary institution outside the Senate where parliamentary knowledge will be sought.

On the home front, nobody or politician has made giant strides into the development of Benue south like Sen David Mark. His achievements are monumental and posterity will be kind to him. Sen Mark succeeded in recreating Benue south and positioning it to be at the center of national reawakening. Some of his most enduring legacies include: the Oweto-Loko bridge project (which on commissioning would reduce considerably travelling time to the nation’s capital Abuja from Benue South, this is besides the economic importance that comes with it when completed),

The Otobi multipurpose dam (which is near completion with the capacity to generate electricity and solve the perennial water scarcity of the people),

The Youth Centers spread across the four federal constituencies of the senatorial district (which are meant for training and equipping the teeming unemployed populace of Benue South).

Worthy of mention are the opportunities Sen David Mark gave through appointments to lots of people including a large number of Idoma sons and daughters. Appointments that had multiplier effects. Amongst those whose appointments benefitted the Senatorial District were Comrade Abba Moro, former Minister of Interior leading the pack, Dr Mathias Oyigeya CMD Federal Medical Center, Makurdi, Chief Augustine Ejembi of NECO Board and many others. An elder posited that ‘Idoma had never had it so good in appointments and employment, we hope the future can surpass this’.

We can’t thank him enough for providing pragmatic and purposeful leadership in all spheres.

May God continue to grant him good health, long life and more wisdom.

Ochigbo John a social researcher and a public affair commentator writes from Abuja.