[size=15pt]Sambo, Mark rift deepens[/size]

Published on 10 August 2011


COSMAS EKPUNOBI (ASSIST. POL. EDITOR)





The alleged battle between Senate President Senator David Mark and Vice president Alhaji Namadi Sambo over the soul of northern politics may have deepened ahead of 2015 presidential election.

But Mark reacting yesterday denied there was any rift between them, insisting that he had no reason to fight the vice president.

Sources yesterday told Daily Champion that Mark’s alleged interest in the number one seat in 2015 may have unsettled the vice president. Our sources said the vice president is no longer comfortable with the growing political romance between Mark and President Goodluck Jonathan. Both leaders were alleged to have raised a tact team to sensitize the major power blocs in the north ahead on the 2015.

Mark is alleged to be at war with the vice president over the renewed plan to sale the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL).

The vice president who is the chairman of the National Council on Privatization (NCP) was reported to be working for a foreign investor to buy NITEL at $968 million, as against the alleged preference of the senate president for Globacom for $450million. The duo is alleged to be flexing muscle over who determines the NITEL buyer.

However, Mark in a statement yesterday and signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Kola Ologbodiyan insisted that there was’ no conflict of interest with Vice President Namadi Sambo over any business transactions.

Part of the statement read: "Mark and Sambo are mutually working together for the success of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan and have no frosty relationship of any kind between them.

"It is also a huge lie to impute that Vice President Sambo is interested in selling NITEL to a nameless "foreign investor that is prepared to pay $968 million while Senator Mark has a preference to sell NITEL to an indigenous operator, Globacom, for $450 million.

"It is important to stress that the President of the Senate, Senator is neither a member of the National Council of Privatization (NCP) nor the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). He therefore has no input whatsoever in the day-to-day activities of these privatization agencies.

"Also, contrary to the report in a national newspaper, Mark did not order a probe of the BPE. The motion to investigate the collapse of some privatized federal government companies was moved by Senator Ahmed Lawan (ANPP, Yobe) and carried by the whole house.

"The investigation of the sale of these privatized companies is therefore to further the economic interest of our nation just as it is in tandem with the pledge of Mark to engender legislations that will benefit the ordinary Nigerian.

"There is no tussle between Mark and Vice President Sambo over the sale of NITEL or any other matter," the statement noted.


http://www.champion.com.ng/displaycontent.asp?pid=11609

I don't really see what this has to do with 2015.

it has to do with 2015

I have been waiting for this show down for sometime now.lollz Sambo or Mark, who knows? Watever happens, Ngozi Okonjo is still the best VP, if not President for 2015.

I will have to go with David Mark for now.

I believe they are truly fighting and Mark will definitely beat sambo. Mark only came out to give an official story as usual

NITEL should be sold to a new hand not Globacom, we need fresh ideas in the telecommunication sector.