Calling for urgent solutions, Mark raised puzzles on the failure of Northern leaders to openly take a stand on the Boko Haram menace and the continued backwardness of the region in education.

His words: “Will this conference avoid what may be regarded as sensitive issues and not discuss them? Will we be able to condemn current degree of insecurity in the North occasioned and heightened by Boko Haram? Are we afraid to openly condemn Boko Haram either for political reasons or out of fear of possible attack by the sect? How can we keep quiet when a group begins to propagate the ideology that Western education is Haram? Western education today remains the pivot of development.

“Have we forgotten that evil thrives when good men are silent? A Northerner killing a Northerner, a Northerner maiming a Northerner, a Northerner disrupting business activities in the North, a Northerner destroying properties in the North and so on and so forth cannot be helping the North by any stretch of imagination. Can this help Northern cause?”

He continued: “When is the North truly North? Is it when the interest of a few but vocal group is met? Is it when the interest of a select religious group is met? Is it when a section of the North is satisfied? Or is it when the interest of the common good of the North is addressed?

“Why has the North continued to lag behind in education? All available statistics show that in both literacy and numeracy, the North lags behind the South, and even within the North, there is much disparity between the zones and between states.

Is it that the states are not investing much in education? Is it that we are not providing basic infrastructure? Is it that we are not encouraging and mobilising the pupils to go to school? I am dwelling so much on education because I seriously believe that there is a linkage between education and development on the one hand and between peace and development on the other.

As a people who desire to live together, we are bound to have problems but we can overcome these if we are sincere. Sincerity of purpose, consistency, transparency and honesty are all necessary ingredients to ensure peace and coexistence in the North; sincerity on the part of our religious leaders. We must demonstrate this in words and in deeds, and we must show that we are serious about this. As leaders, we sometimes have to take decisions that are painful but necessary. We must be courageous even if we are threatened. Can we truly say that we have done this?”

Is this the start of his presidential campaign?

PointB:

Is this the start of his presidential campaign?

My brada, you too smart!

“Have we forgotten that evil thrives when good men are silent?"

Ha ha ha,  this coming from Colonel David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, the anointed IBB boy!.  David Mark can be described as many things but "good" is not an adjective I would use.

'Alechenu' is now the name to watch.

the north is one confused region.

well, in this case I think we should just grab the messege and leave the messenger But to be fair to Mr. Bonaventure Alechenu Mark, He has been the only guy in governmet who got enuf balls to make strong statements against Bokoharam in recent times, all others including GEJ talk in fear.

@KokoA

I would agree with you completely, if that statement was credited to somebody else. But Bonaventure Mark (and a lot of this ex-Army Boys) is like the Black Mamba you missed whilst Cobra hunting - too late.

David Mark is definitely brave. His handling of d senate is superb. Im no de fear boko guys at al. No mind d rest!

What I find most embarrasing in this speech is what was not said.

He criticised Northerners killing Northerners without making the point that no Nigerian should kill their fellow Nigerian no matter where they come from.

I am sorry but David Mark's speech could well be interpreted that his only grouse here and what he considers abominable is Northerners killing themselves. But if a Northerner kills a Southerner then it is ok.

I find it very shameful that from the begining of the conference to the end, nobody made this simple point. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE to kill your fellow human being no matter where they come from, not least your fellow countrymen.

I think David Mark's speech is slightly better than the crap the likes of Gowon were spewing but I am sorry it still fell short! leaves so much bad taste in the mouth.

VoodooDoll:

“Have we forgotten that evil thrives when good men are silent?"

Ha ha ha,  this coming from Colonel David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, the anointed IBB boy!.  David Mark can be described as many things but "good" is not an adjective I would use.

My brother, this is precisely my opinion also. They dont come more anti-people, more wicked and more shamelessly pro-elite more than David Mark. A highly devious character only beholden to serving those who work against the interests of the common man. No one should be in doubt that this man is one of those mainly responsible for the non-passage of the PIB perhaps because he is in bed with the IOC's (International oil corporation) while also pretending to want what is best for Nigerians.

Gbawe:

My brother, this is precisely my opinion also. They dont come more anti-people, more wicked and more shamelessly pro-elite more than David Mark. A highly devious character only beholden to serving those who work against the interests of the common man. No one should be in doubt that this man is one of those mainly responsible for the non-passage of the PIB perhaps because he is in bed with the IOC's (International oil corporation) while also pretending to want what is best for Nigerians.

If we want to go into every Nigerian's 30yr record there wont be anybody suitable for leadership in Nigeria.

But fact is, I was impressed with how David Mark handled the Yar'adua issue and the consequent power vacuum.

He may not quality as the most people friendly Nigerian. But he has not done a bad Job as Senate President.

The spirit haunting them, but they keep prevaricating.

Senate President David Mark has quietly become a heavy political weight, thanks to the recent political history of Nigeria. Therefore, to say that the Idoma ex-military general has been eyeing the presidency is an understatement. The man was said to have come very close to his goal while in Khaki. He is presently the longest serving senator in the nation’s history. The presidential bid of the Senate President is now an open secret within the political landscape. It has become the major topic of gossip and low tone discussions at all important gatherings across the country.  But, Mark doesn’t look unaware of the situation.

In     recent times, the Senate President makes comments that are only expected of activists or those that lean a bit to the left. For instance, unlike Mark who was always     perceived as being pro-establishment, he is slow in giving absolute support for the removal of fuel subsidy. To show his solidarity with the people, Mark willingly allowed for a probe into fuel subsidy management, rather than cajole senators to support an outright removal of the policy. Labour leaders are becoming more comfortable in dealing with the nation’s number three man rather than the Aso Villa on issues of fuel subsidy removal.

Another popular issue of recent was the N18,000 minimum wage for civil servants. At a time when governors were battling labour leaders over payment of the new wages, Mark decided to take sides with labour, insisting that government must honour the new law. At several fora the Senate President spoke in support of the position of the organized labour on the matter, at some point Mark almost justified a looming strike. This show of solidarity may not be coming free because support of the labour organisations is key in running a successful presidential campaign in the country.

More than all the comments, Mark’s recent display of the country’s sovereignty in the face of western attacks on anti-gay law has endeared him to many Nigerians.

It’s been long since the people were reminded of the importance of independence from western neo-colonialists who poke their noses in our affairs. The statement by Mark that Nigeria cannot be forced into dumping its norms and traditions by some western donors have raised his profile as a public office holder. In a rare show of resonance, Mark told England and America off over the gay right issue.

As if that wasn’t enough, Mark did not leave anyone in doubt that he possesses the experience and character to deal with national issues when he took the stage at the recent Arewa Conference for Peace and Unity. He challenged his northern brothers on why they had been silent on the Boko Haram crisis.   Many now recall his days as that no nonsense military officer that made things work in Niger State. The Senate President’s actions and comments in recent days have succeeded in sustaining the discussions of his possible bid for presidency by 2015.

Aside comments and actions, Mark is also beginning to correct one of the major lapses that many observers said were going to be his albatross, in case he decides to run for president. More than ever before, Mark is forging closer ties with politicians from all over the North. As an indigene of one of the ‘peripheral’ northern states, Mark requires close ties with politicians in the ‘core’ northern states to be able to achieve his dream.

To actualise that, the Senate President recently appointed two politicians to occupy important positions in his office. Senator Anthony Manzo from North East is made Chief of Staff while Senator Mujitaba Malam from North West is now the Political Adviser to Mark. This is perceived by several political observers as moves by the Senate President to entrench his structures all over the North.

Senators have since begun to strategise for the Mark 2015 project. A senator recently told this reporter that the majority of the lawmakers are only waiting for the right time to commence campaign for their ‘boss’.

According to him “as far as we are concerned in the Senate, we already have a candidate to support for president in 2015. The Senate President is most experienced politician now in the country and sentiments aside, I think it is time we have somebody that can do the job.” It is, however, not going to be a smooth sail for the veteran senator.

His biggest challenge will come from a possibility of President Jonathan seeking a second term. Though the President is said to have agreed to a single term agreement, in politics no accord is sacrosanct. The 1999 Constitution doesn’t bar President Jonathan from contesting. Another obstacle will come in the mode of zoning. Coming from North Central, the ruling PDP may favour one of the two other northern zones for the presidency.

Then there is the question of religious balance. The incumbent President is a Christian and there is likelihood that a Muslim is considered in order to avoid suspicion. But as a master strategist, Mark is likely to have a plan on how to tame the state chief executives. Apart from strategy, Sunday Trust learnt that former President Obasanjo is urging him on, assuring him of his support. This makes the Senate President the most formidable contender for the presidency.

Mark is a doofus and charity begins at home, what has he done for his idoma people?

hercules07:

Mark is a doofus and charity begins at home, what has he done for his idoma people?

Good question.

Well said! Until you travel through Idoma land to realize the kind of cruel animal mark is. The whole Idoma land is so backward in all aspect of development. The only trade flourishing in that place is Prostitut!ion

Not for the PDP rigging machine, mark cannot win a local government election.

Young Alhaji and General Onoja won the last two elections he contested for, but with PDP rigging machinery and corrupt judges to bribe, white became black.

We all know why the id!ot is barking out at this moment. Presidency cannot be for the North by 2015!!! So, mark and co can kick the bucket.

hercules07:

Mark is a doofus and charity begins at home, what has he done for his idoma people?

hercules07:

Mark is a doofus and charity begins at home, what has he done for his idoma people?

Rhino.5dm:

Well said! Until you travel through Idoma land to realize the kind of cruel animal mark is. The whole Idoma land is so backward in all aspect of development. The only trade flourishing in that place is Prostitut!ion

Not for the PDP rigging machine, mark cannot win a local government election.

Young Alhaji and General Onoja won the last two elections he contested for, but with PDP rigging machinery and corrupt judges to bribe, white became black.

We all know why the id!ot is barking out at this moment. Presidency cannot be for the North by 2015!!! So, mark and co can kick the bucket.

What is the job of a senator?? Apart from making laws to the benefit of his people, please explain to me how you expect he impacts the Idoma people
If you expect him to engage in infrastructure development in Idoma land, I don't think his job description as senate president includes that.

As a Senate President, he has shown extraordinary leadership in the face of historical and primordial divisions. He is one general I respect.

Really ? But according to the UN his people aare better off than 90% of the Abokis breathing air today. That makes Aboki leaders the cruelest and most useless Nigerians

Rhino.5dm:

Well said! Until you travel through Idoma land to realize the kind of cruel animal mark is. The whole Idoma land is so backward in all aspect of development. The only trade flourishing in that place is Prostitut!ion

Not for the PDP rigging machine, mark cannot win a local government election.

Young Alhaji and General Onoja won the last two elections he contested for, but with PDP rigging machinery and corrupt judges to bribe, white became black.

We all know why the id!ot is barking out at this moment. Presidency cannot be for the North by 2015!!! So, mark and co can kick the bucket.

Do you know how much David Mark has collected as constituency development allawance over the years as a senator?. . .I bet you don't even know senators collect huge sums of money under that disquise.

. . .Show me ONE structure/project in the whole Idoma land courtesy of him, just one.

PapaBrowne:

What is the job of a senator?? Apart from making laws to the benefit of his people, please explain to me how you expect he impacts the Idoma people
If you expect him to engage in infrastructure development in Idoma land, I don't think his job description as senate president includes that.

As a Senate President, he has shown extraordinary leadership in the face of historical and primordial divisions. He is one general I respect.

How does comparing him with Aboki leaders affect what i wrote? Hope your foolishness is making you think am Aboki?. . .

. . .the last time i checked, Benue is a state with second largest largest population of HIV/AIDS patient/victims in Nigeria. So, may be he can start by providing ARV's to his dying population or allow them to continue dying like rats via their favourable trade. Nonsense!

iskoki:

Really ? But according to the UN his people aare better off than 90% of the Abokis breathing air today. That makes Aboki leaders the cruelest and most useless Nigerians

PointB:

'Alechenu' is now the name to watch.

PointB:

Is this the start of his presidential campaign?

We must be very careful of these minority politicians with english sirnames that are first names.goodluck jonathan is a good example . . . Next thing david mark tribal last name go be Igbo then he be an Igbo man like GEJ was during d campaign.

The same man that orders state of emergency on SE state inspite crisis in jos   

I wonder who will support him apart from few hausa states & west.

“Have we forgotten that evil thrives when good men are silent?"

Ha ha ha, this coming from Colonel David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, the anointed IBB boy!. David Mark can be described as many things but "good" is not an adjective I would use.

This is the same David Mark, who was appointed Governor of Niger State by Buhari, only to turn around and worked with Babangida to overthrow Buhari. If he ever truly believed in Buhari's idea of responsible governance, would he have been so comfortable inside PDP? His often elitist remarks is enough for any right thinking person to see this character for who he really is--an opportunist, any day.

Rhino.5dm:

How does comparing him with Aboki leaders affect what i wrote? Hope your foolishness is making you think am Aboki?. . .

. . .the last time i checked, Benue is a state with second largest largest population of HIV/AIDS patient/victims in Nigeria. So, may be he can start by providing ARV's to his dying population or allow them to continue dying like rats via their favourable trade. Nonsense!

Another great point.

What has David Mark done to stop the HIV epidemic that is ravaging his state and his people?

Tick, Tock,
,, Finally here comes the one dat says it just d way it is.

Mark has occupied powerful posts in Nigeria without his influence being felt, you need to get to gboko to see what I am talking about. The senate president can influence projects and where they are constructed, the man is not a serious human being jare.

hercules07:

Mark has occupied powerful posts in Nigeria without his influence being felt, you need to get to gboko to see what I am talking about. The senate president can influence projects and where they are constructed, the man is not a serious human being jare.

Mark is not capable of doing anything selfless. Everything he does is to aid the continuation of "business as usual" for an elite few. He is, above anything, pro-establishment and men like him help keep Nigeria precisely the way it is. Note , he is only ever passionate about situations concerning keeping Nigeria one so that the gravy train continues. Those praising this man simply do not understand what a progressive and pro-people senate President can do for Nigeria. This is one of the positions the President cannot bully or use partisanly unless the Senate Presidents wants to be so used.

In short, we would expect an even averagely good Senate President to be one who , for how troubled Nigeria is, has sat on top of a legislative house that has acquited itself well via birthing urgently required laws, bills and making amendments that every Nigerian can see is taking us forward. Instead, the House under Mark is adjudged as one of the "most indolent", "most unproductive"  and "most disappointing" ever at a time Nigeria desperately needs vibrant lawmaking.

Abeg David mark is a failure. To me , given his control of an area of real influence, he is even worse than GEJ in terms of their shared lack of willingness to move Nigeria forward. I often tell folks that OBJ's original 1-4 he moved heaven and earth to impose on Nigeria (Yar Adua, GEJ, David Mark and Etteh) were specifically chosen directly out of the belief that these individual cannot 'rock the boat'. They don't have the political antecedent or will to do so. Yar Adua and Etteh are gone but Mark and GEJ continue to serve the purposes they were drafted in to serve. What revolutionary or transformational bill has Mark used position and conviction to pass? The House under him, considering he has been there a while, is highly stagnant and extremely bad value. Noteworthy that the coordinated legislative agitation for the FOI bill Mark takes credit for began ,under Civic rule, in 1999 !!!! People should not take my word for it . They should investigate to find out that , in reality, Mark is easily one of the worst Senate Presidents we have had in how the House under him has failed in its core brief of delivering legislative leadership that improves the lives of Nigerians. Recycling "establishment men" likes Mark, Anenih, Haliru Bello et al is part of what is killing Nigeria.

http://saharareporters.com/article/david-mark-and-progressive-acn-senators-e-c-ejiogu



David Mark And Progressive ACN Senators By E. C. Ejiogu
Posted: July 11, 2011 - 12:17
By E C Ejiogu

The aphorism, ‘wash a pig, clothe a pig, it’ll remain a pig’ was so much of morning assemble speeches by our grammar school principal, the now late Mr. J. P. Nworgu, JP, that by the time some of us wrote our school certificate examination and graduated from our alma mater, Obizi High School, it had been etched onto our impressionable psyche as a cliché that applied only to errant school boys.  But in my adult life, I have come to realize that it could apply to supposed adults as well.  I have even come across research findings in social science theories that substantiate that aptly:  Individuals carry the social gene from early socialization for the rest of their lives.

I am about to talk about the individual called David Bonaventure Mark—is that his name?  When I first came across the name of this individual in either The Renaissance—defunct—which was then owned and published by the Ukpabi Asika-headed government of East Central State, or The Nigerian Tide—also defunct now— which was owned and published by the government of Rivers State, then headed by the Igbo-hating Diette Spiff—is he still alive?, he was a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.  That was right after the Nigeria-Biafra war.  You wouldn’t believe his designation then in the mis-governance of Nigeria.  He was the secretary to the “Abandoned Property Commission”, the entity created by Yakubu Gowon’s Federal Military Government to formally dispossess Igbo people of their legitimately acquired landed property in Port Harcourt.

That act of officially-sanctioned dispossession was part of the reprisal inflicted on the Igbo to punish them for daring to self-protect sequel to the genocide they suffered in northern Nigeria cities in 1967.  You might be interested in knowing why I am conversant with the ‘abandoned property’ infamy.  Well, my hard working father is a victim of that act of injustice.  He lost the house he built on a piece of land in Umurusho, in Port Harcourt that he acquired with his hard-earned resources by virtue of the definition of ‘abandoned property’. 
   

Later on when David Mark grew in military rank as an officer and became Nigeria’s communication minister, he reportedly proclaimed that telephony was not meant for everyone.  He was rightly excoriated in the media for that backward proclamation.  But no one remembered to bring up his sordid antecedence over the dispossession of the Igbo after the Nigeria-Biafra war. [size=18pt]The evident truth is that David Mark is an individual who has made a career and earned a living through despicable endeavors that were perpetrated against people.[/size]
   

[b]Today, he is a senator, as well as the presiding element in the Nigerian Senate, a supposed legislative body.  Hardly has a chunk of time passed ever since he took charge of the do-nothing Nigerian Senate without something unworthy of man being written about David Mark concerning the filthy manner in which he runs the so-called Senate.  There was a time when he flagrantly disobeyed a court order and kept an Igbo lady whose election was over-turned by the Courts, as a sitting member.  There was rumor then that the woman was one of his concubines.

Information that I gleaned through some painstaking research is showing that David Mark is decidedly making it impossible for individuals who have been elected to the Nigerian Senate under the banner of Alliance Congress of Nigeria (CAN) to perform their duties as elected representatives of their constituencies.  These past weeks, during the charade that he presided over in the name of confirmation of Goodluck Jonathan’s nominees as minister, David Mark made sure that ACN senators had little or no involvement on the floor of that supposed legislative body.  There may be some people who would think that I am making this up.  But I am not.  [size=18pt]I dare him to deny it.  My investigation revealed that Mr. Babafemi Ojudu, the newly elected senator from Ekiti state kept raising his hand to be recognized to contribute all to no avail.  David Mark never gave him the floor to put questions to any of those nominees.  Some of you might know that Ojudu is a former journalist.  Is David Mark aware that he might have dossiers on those characters that were brought before the supposed Senate for confirmation as ministers?  You bet!  David Mark’s role in the ‘Senate’ is evidently to railroad charades in the place.[/b][/size]

That brings me to my next point.  What they are supposed to be operating in Nigeria is a Presidential System of government where the Senate must function as the most deliberative part of the legislative arm of the government.  Can you imagine a senator in the United States where they copied the system from being denied the opportunity to perform his constitutional duties by the presiding officer of the Senate?  One is compelled to wonder where Nigeria invented its own rules that apply to its ‘Senate’ from.  Not to worry. After all, Nigeria is an anomic Lalaland, where everything aberrant is the norm.
   

[size=16pt]The interesting thing is that it is all about the same David Bonaventure Mark, an individual who has thrived in all things infamy all his adult life.  Whether he was a junior officer, a minister, or a ‘senator’ David Bonaventure Mark has thrived as a scourge. [/size] ‘Wash, a pig, clothe a pig, it’ll remain a pig’.  Only in the Lalaland, which is also called Nigeria!  It is a shame!

● E. C. Ejiogu, PhD, is a political sociologist and the recent author of The Roots of Political Instability, published by UK-based Ashgate Publishing.

Fair comment, Tinubu should do more for his community and it is a disgrace that Ota (and Nigeria) does not match Dubai given OBJ's reign. 

Does that mean we should not castigate our Senate President for being incompetent, elitist and corrupt.

If there is any justice, Nigeria owes Col David Mark and his co-travellers (many of them) a bullet for treason against the youth and unborn generations.

Senator David Mark’s corrupt past haunts him in the UK
Posted: June 3, 2007 - 01:00

David Alechenu Bonadventure Mark may well be one of the wealthiest Babangida era army generals going by disclosures from his messy divorce in a London family court. He was a core member of the “Babangida Boys” club within the Nigerian military hierarchy under military dictatorship directed by the evil genius, IBB between 1985-1993. Though currently a senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria David Mark had been a military administrator of Niger State, a diplomat to the US and onetime federal minister of communications who made a fortune stealing public funds and currently wants to become the number 3 most powerful Nigerian political office holder as he jostle to become the senate president on Tuesday if plans by former president Obasanjo sails through.

David Mark had a controversial history in Nigeria before he fled into exile in 1994 after he fell out of favor with military dictator, Sani Abacha he first fled to Ghana on exile before moving to the UK, while he was in Ghana, General Abacha contacted Jerry Rawlings of Ghana to help him chase down David Mark because he Abacha found out David Mark had stolen so much money from Nigeria but J.J Rawlings replied that he couldn’t do it because if David Mark was mishandled, the Ghanaian economy will feel the impact. It was true, David Mark was traveling with a huge sum of money in Ghana and for a brief period he was the largest dealer in foreign currency in Ghana according to sources in Ghana who witnessed his brief stay in the West African country.

David Mark was born in 1948 in Benue State and had a flourishing military career ending in the rank of general before he was retired in 1993. David Mark, according to our investigations made a fortune during his military career mostly ferrying cash money on behalf of General Babangida before and during the “Gulf Oil windfall” era. His main duty was to help set up fictitious companies and offshore bank accounts in Cayman Islands and Jersey on behalf of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and himself as Babangida and his boys looted the Nigerian national treasury before he was forced out of power in 1993 owing to the mass uprising arising from annulment of the June 12 elections won by businessman Chief M.K.O Abiola.

As news has it, it was David Mark who led some army generals known as “IBB Boys” to scuttle the electoral success of Chief Abiola who later died in detention under controversial circumstances. He was quoted as threatening to kill Chief M.K.O Abiola and IBB if the military handed over power to Abiola after the Chief won the June 12 1993 presidential elections adjudged to be free and fair by local and international observers. IBB did annul the results of the elections and went ahead to set up an interim government headed by Chief Shonekan. The interim government would last only 82 days before General Sanni Abacha took over from Shonekan through a palace coup.

David Marks’ opposition to the June 12 elections and the desire to scuttle the elections tallied with that of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who was being recruited by IBB with the help of David Mark’s group to lead the interim government, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became close with David Mark as he worked underground with the military to ensure that Chief M.K.O Abiola did not take over power on the account of the June 12 elections, though IBB didn’t let Obasanjo head the interim government as planned because he –IBB-couldn’t trust Obasanjo, David Mark became close to Obasanjo ever since, their friendship was cemented when Abacha suddenly died and Obasanjo was released from prison to run for office as President, David Mark who had lived in the UK during the time between 1994 to 1998 returned back to Nigeria from exile. He was an arrowhead of the third term project which would have seen President Obasanjo extend his tenure for a third term of four years in office.



It has been rumored that David Mark owned a private jet and a multi-million dollar golf course in Ireland but none of those could be independently confirmed by Saharareporters as the time of filing this report. What gave a major clue into David Mark’s corrupt lifestyle was a bitter divorce filed by his fourth wife, 57 year old Victoria Preye Mark, a Rivers State indigene to whom David Mark was married in 1979. The couple had four kids all of whom were British citizens. The four kids attended schools in Switzerland and the UK before their parents’ divorce which commenced on July 17 2000.

Victoria’s divorce claims provided the best yet exposé on David Marks corrupt past, in 2000 Victoria successfully got a Family Division court in London to freeze an account owned by David Mark to the tune of 6 million pounds. Obviously the monies in the account were proceeds of corruption from his days as currency courier for the Babangida’s family.

The monies which were set up in four accounts namely three accounts at the Northern Bank, Isle of Man, and one account at the Allied Irish Bank, Jersey were frozen in October 2000 as a result of the ancillary relief sought by Victoria Mark in their divorce case.

The full text of the Appeal is included in the E-Library

By Sylvester Asoya

Senator David Mark’s recent assertion that only ex-military officers should aspire to become president incurs the wrath of the civilian arm of the political class.

Controversy and Brigadier-General David Bonaventure Mark (retd), now Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are companions. In different political epochs, Mark, Chairman, Senate Police Committee, has made waves and enmeshed himself in controversies, slipped into oblivion and, again, re-emerged in controversial circumstances.

Largely seen as an opportunist in military circles, Mark’s recent interview with The Punch has added another spat to his pool of controversy. He told the daily that only ex-military men have the requisite training to be president of Nigeria. “Do you know the history of America, the mother of all democracies? Who among the presidents did not wear uniform? Go and look at the percentage. Do you know one of the things that could have worked against Clinton was that he did not wear uniform? If I have my way, I will say whoever does not have military background should not be made president. You civilians don’t have the requisite training,” Mark argued.

In what observers described as irritating arrogance, the senator said a sergeant in the Army is better than a university graduate, stressing that the polity would be more robust only if retired military men played prominent roles at all levels of governance. He added: “Military training is the best. That training gives you boldness. You people think we are just zombies.”

Source:http://saharareporters.com/report/senator-david-mark%E2%80%99s-corrupt-past-haunts-him-uk-6-million-pound-frozen

VoodooDoll:

Fair comment, Tinubu should do more for his community and it is a disgrace that Ota (and Nigeria) does not match Dubai given OBJ's reign. 

Does that mean we should not castigate our Senate President for being incompetent, elitist and corrupt.

If there is any justice, Nigeria owes Col David Mark and his co-travellers (many of them) a bullet for treason against the youth and unborn generations.

This is the crux of the matter. For me , I have not and will not make issues about what David Mark has done for his people because his current job is not about his people. He is the current Senate President of Nigeria. I.e a very influential and powerful position that , in the right hands, can be used to move Nigeria forward rapidly.

Mark, rather, uses the position, totally expectedly as per his history, in "bow and go" style, to do everything possible in ensuring that the interest of the "owners of Nigeria" is always protected. This issue , for focused Nigerians, should therefore not concern Tinubu or OBJ even if some have wondered what Mark has done for his people and community. We should all , as Nigerians, condemn this very poor gatekeeper who , in a very influential position, is nothing but a 'Voltron' for the vested interest ruining Nigeria. To change Nigeria today, paramount and without doubt, we must get our recruitment drive totally correct as per the positions of President, Senate President and AGF.  The functions of those offices determine success or failure for Nigeria.