David Mark: A Symbol of National Stability By Adikwu Samuel Ebo

Those who are singled out for recognition as heroes, accomplishers are people who saw a situation that demanded action and without procrastination became proactive, “walks the talk” and leap into action. This is one of my core reasons for being around great personages.

In essence, to be around accomplished people in an environment that is saturated with mental energy and ambitions turn me on and raise my morale to greater heights.The immediate past president of the senate, Senator David Mark is emphatically an uncommon quintessential statesman. He is a leader who has fortified his intellect and temperament with carapace of humility, uprightness, audacity and radiating charisma.

Although, David Mark has been part of large open and in-house gathering but one of the things he rarely seen doing is putting himself on the podium of achievement before a rented audience which is purely a deviation from what is trending in the society nowadays as most people are fond of trumpeting their achievements.

One of the greatest traits and sermons of David Mark, that always attracts me to his political fortress is the fact that he is an ardent peace lover, a subscriber to the principle of stability of this nation and unity among leaders whose responsibilities are to pilot the affairs of this nation and give vision to the younger ones as a tool for effective utilization of our untapped resources. He recognizes the fact that nothing strives in a precarious environment as according to him the end of war is always devastation, hunger, penury and squalor. He never believes life to be a whirlwind of killings, destructions and adoptions of alien traits.

As a tactful and pragmatic leader, he is decisive on his core principles of tolerant with his followers and takes cognizance of the assertion that no great achievement will ever be made on a solitude terrain. He advocates tenaciously to the spirit of teamwork, peaceful, alluring dialogue and harmonious relationship as a tool for religious, political stability and conflict resolutions.

His speeches have always left his audience with hope, inspiration, good sense of humour but he never failed to make a serious point on ethics, discipline, respect for human rights and privileges whenever and wherever he communicates. He is a man with few words who has great distaste for cheap blackmail and back biting.Mark has always exhibited leadership traits that stood him out as a beacon in any position he occupied.To the admiration of his superior officers and indeed the nation, decades ago, as a young Major in the Nigerian Army during the administration of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, he headed the abandoned property, implementation committee as a result of the over the 30 months old fratricidal civil war. It was to his credit that Gen. Gowon’s administration implemented the Reconstruction, Resettlement and Reconciliation Policy, otherwise referred to as 3Rs to re-integrate, reunite the defunct Biafrans into Nigerian society.

When providence bestowed on him in 1984 – 1986 as Military governor of Niger State, his tenure was characterized by brilliant ideas, bold actions and courageous initiatives.He is a dogged fighter, a man of character, a fearless tactician who was determined to achieve good results at all times.Sequentially, because of his quest to achieve results, he is always against ant-masses policies, red-tape, and other mundane considerations. He is more of an anthropocentric leader whose policy formulations is focused on the benefits of the majority.

Once the programme is for the benefits of the masses, he hit the ground running and ploughed into action.As then Governor of Niger State, he provided ample, veritable, epoch – making platform for employment, educational transformation, and renovation of health institutions, agriculture, sporting activities, infrastructural re-engineering, industrialization and destiny reformation.One of such remarkable events was his regular visits to the state leprosarium at Chanchaga. An area which was so stigmatized and deserted by the people. Mark in his coat of kindness and social charisma ensured that their welfare and wellbeing were properly addressed.

Also, as a Governor, he introduced free and compulsory education for the girl-child that was hitherto restricted from acquiring education. He enacted an edict that prohibited girl-child of school age from hawking. Many parents who indulged in this were reprimanded. Today, Niger state ranks amongst the states with the highest number of female graduates in Northern Nigeria. His philosophy is never stop doing good to others no matter how little because sometimes those little things change their fortunes. He left a positive footprint on the sand of time in Niger State.

As the then Communication Minister, Mark transformed Nigeria Telecommunication (NITEL) with his hyper-tech engineering skills. He re-organized Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST) and started the city coding system. Under his meticulous watch on NITEL, the organization built two ultra – modern digital earth stations in Lagos and Enugu. Unarguably, services improved, internally generated revenue increased and the organization became buoyant and independent without having to rely on government for subventions.

Transcending from the military background which no matter how efficient and plausible the working system, cannot be compared with the worst democratic dispensation, we thought the gene of autocratic, dictatorship, capricious tyranny which are the modus operandi and hallmark of the military government will manifest in his political administrative assignment but ironically, and to our dismay, he is always calm, cautious, tactful, slow to anger and meticulous with choice of words while discharging his core obligations without belly aching his pears.

The extra-caution that he exercised in the management of the Senate by not acting avariciously, stood him on firm ground and isolated him far away from the proverbial “banana peel”.As the President of the Senate, he often called his fellow Senators “my bosses” to display his stewardship and humility. There was a time in the National Assembly when he was harassed and assaulted by a House of Representatives member but in his usual characteristic. he did not react and still forgave the offender.

As a nationalist and a detribalized Nigerian, during his tenure as the Senate president, different tribes co-habited effectively and were appointed as his Special Advisers (SA) and legislative aides without tribal sentiments. He was often described by his colleagues as a democrat per excellence and soldier of democracy.In almost every critical situation the nation had found herself since the return to a democratic rule in 1999, there has always been a Nigerian, a David Mark there to rescue the hitherto sinking ship.

It could be recalled that it was his invocation of the Doctrine of Necessity in February 2010 that pulled the country out of the brink of precipice by ensuring that President Goodluck Jonathan, was sworn in as Acting President of Nigeria.Also, Mark’s intervention in the January 2012 public outcry and wild protest against the removal of petroleum subsidy that put the socio-political and economic life of Nigerians in disarray remains a reference point in our contemporary history.

Furthermore, we should also refresh our memory on the lingering disagreement between the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), their polytechnic counterparts (ASUP) with the federal government that kept our students off from school for almost a year was effectively handled, managed and amicably resolved when Mark wore his wisdom cap and stepped-in. The reconciliation rekindled hope for our students and brought them back to schools.

It’s also worthy of note and highly commendable that, if it’s not the unwavering nature of Mark, by now the country would have been known for ungodly, unhealthy alien, and uncultured behaviors called same sex or Gay-marriage. It was Mark’s firmness and that of his colleagues that passed anti-gay bill irrespective of whose OX is gored.

Posterity will not forgive us if we forget in a hurry the outbreak of a deadly virus called ‘EBOLA’ disease which occurred concomitantly with the strikes of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). Then, our doctors were off the hospitals at these critical times when their services were so much needed due to certain allowances that were not paid to them and other logistics that they could not agree upon with the Federal government.

Mark called the leadership of NMA, led by Doctor Kayode Obemide and persuades them to see reasons to call off the strike and answer to national call to duty. Though, their allowances then were yet-paid, but after extensive meetings and deliberations, they called off the strike and resumed duty immediately.He has sponsored the bills for the establishment of the University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, Benue State to reduce the dearth of medical doctors in the country. He has the vision to re invigorate our primary health care to reduce the pressure on our Doctors.

Mark is a fountain of knowledge for the old and younger generations to tap from. He matters to us as individual and the nation at large. He has given his shoulders to Nigeria and Nigerians to lean on no matter the odds.Our society is in dire needs of such leader to be at the helm of the affairs and in position of resources to support and encourage others to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.Mark is a leader who live his life as if his act could become a universal law for all people because he practices leadership etiquette of prudence, justice and benevolence. As a patriotic flag waver, he believes that his candle cannot go dim or shortened by lightening other candles.

Now the country is infested with demonic clashes between Fulani herdsmen and crop production farmers, religious and political trauma, endemic hate speeches, buck passing syndrome, blames games, terrorism, eruption of kidnapping groups, war drums and trumpets, array of unemployed graduates hovering the streets, juvenile prostitution, armed robbery and cultism, moral bankruptcy, heinous crimes and other unwholesome vices, compendium of agitators from all regions of the country.

We have reached a water shed in the history of our country and the time to move forward has come. A time to collectively elect a leader who will optimally harness our potentials for greatness, peace and stability have come.Who will God use to resolve these issues for us? Who has the answers to these conflicting puzzles? Where is the transparent-middleman that will mediate between the North, East, South and West?It’s only an ignorant person that will doubt proves and will not know that experience and precedence count greatly in all circumstances.

This ship (Nigeria) must not be allowed to sink; Let Nigerians be more focused on a leader (sailor) who will save the ship from sinking irrespective of political or religious affiliations.Let issue-based and winning spirit be our priority, just like we are always united in the football pitch.

The pleasant scenario is that David Mark is aspiring for the position of president federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of people's Democratic party, PDP. My prayer to PDP delegates and stakeholders is for them to rethink and be mindful of David Mark's statement on April 8th, 2015, when he vowed not to defect to any party, even if he's the last man standing, he will not leave the party. He believes in PDP's manifestos and he will use his time, energy and resources to redeem the lost glory of the party.

As a steadfast leader, he kept to his vows despite all odds and joined hands with others to rebuild, rebrand and restructure the party. Now that the party is being rebranded, I really don't want to sound impolitely, but if justice, fairness and modesty should prevail and be considered, it will be cacophonous to give the presidential ticket of PDP to political hedonists or others who ran away when the party's Chips were down.Fortunately, Sen. Mark has promised Nigerians that he will address the grey areas and Cankerworm destroying the wealth and corporality of this country in 730 days if elected as the president of the country. I so believed that leadership and honour comes from God but for the sake of posterity and generation yet unborn, let's PDP play their parts and elect David Mark as their presidential flag bearer in the forthcoming election.