Dear sir

It is with great pleasure I write you this letter and I hope it gets to you in good time.  Let me quickly use this medium to congratulate you on your re-election into the senate. Although I was not present in Benue during the electioneering period, I ensured to keep up with the goings-on   through the social media, several telephone calls and also by emails . I would also like to congratulate you on your recently celebrated birthday.  This is coming a little late; however, I believe it is better to send best wishes late than never .

Having said that Sir, most Idoma people and I remember vividly your return from exile; Thousands of Idomas from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, friends and your well-wishers thronged the Markurdi Airport to welcome you back home after your exile in the United States of America.   This was followed by big carousal at your place and The Och’Idoma’s Palace. Following this hoopla of your return, you indicated interest in running for senate. At this point, there already were candidates contesting the position: Steven Lawani and Ameh Ebutte of the then APP.  Steven Lawani stepped down for you after much deliberation and enticing promises from you. Some of the promises you made included   the creation of Apa State for the Idoma nation, better infrastructure and developments among other things. Gullible enough, Idoma people entrusted you with their mandate. Expectations were high, premised on your electoral promises.  It was almost like a consensus voting system for you. This was the election that saw you into the Upper Chamber to represent Benue South Senatorial District. Truth be told, we were all proud and happy with the hope that we could count on you to make us proud…or so we thought.

As you enjoyed your reign in the senate, days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years and the music of Apa State creation got louder by each passing moment. The herald of Apa State creation was so insistent and thunderous that most people in Idoma land became somewhat blinded to the obvious lag and intentional government negligence of some basic infrastructural development in the area. There are no new roads constructed except for a few drainages that were constructed here and there by the then Local Government Chairman, Godwin Obla (SAN), and even the existing dilapidated ones received little or no attention whatsoever. Yet, Idoma sons and daughters still believed that with you at the helm of power, Idoma nations stand in better negotiating position with our Tiv brothers to attract developmental projects from the state level in addition the other federal projects that you would attract to the Idomaland. As you continued in your position, you were becoming very powerful, too powerful, frigid and unapproachable; your relations began exerting undue power and authority especially in Otukpo and its environs. In spite of this, a lot of other gullible people still held on to the belief that you  were the man for the job and you should be allowed some more time to at least, make good on your promise of the creation of Apa State. If only they knew what they were up against!!! Come to 2007 polls, you indicated interest in re-election and at this point, it has been almost 8 good years and the hopes and beliefs of influencing some developmental projects to the Idomaland had not yielded a single fruit. The light that Idoma nation supposedly saw at the end of the tunnel suddenly had disappeared into thin air. All you hammered on was that Apa State was a sure thing that will see the light of the day and considering the fact the next Senate Presidency was being zoned to the North Central, the creation of Apa State stood a better chance with you in power as the next president of the upper chamber, and that you will do all in your power if elected the next president of the upper chamber to see the creation of Apa State to fruition. This was the point your arch opponent, Alh Usman Abubakar of the then ANPP, rose to challenge you at the 2007 polls just as he did in 2003. I will not like to go into further details on the outcome of that election and how you got back to Abuja but let us say here, you found yourself in the senate and to the glory of the Almighty God, you became the Senate President after your election result was announced from Abuja through the influence of the then president, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo. If memory serves us all right, yours was the only result announced from Abuja because the returning officer’s result was different from what was announced. You were indeed connected to the high and mighty, President Obasanjo. Hard as this was for me and a few other Idoma people, we were caught in the bait of confusion. Was the Idoma nation going to feel the impact, the joy and be blessed with the potential of this position or otherwise? I am sure it didn’t take long before their hopes and sheer excitement is thrown into the wind.

Once you became the president of the upper chamber, you became a god in the Idoma nation. [b]You oppressed and lord it over the people with iron hand and whoever tries to challenge or question your orders is immediately dealt with. Lands and property owned by people in area where you constructed your golf course were wrestled out of their possession and since this misdeed was being dished out to them by a very rich, powerful and tough man who happens to also be one of their own, no one dared to say anything as their lives are instantly exposed to imminent danger. The fear of ‘Okpani’ (as you were referred to) was the beginning of survival wisdom in Otukpo. Our leader that was elected to serve us has behold, demonstrated to us that we are and will continue to be inconsequential to him. Your thugs will immediately come after those who refute your orders or don’t support you. Thuggery became the order of the day in Otukpo. No value was placed on dignity of labour in that area anymore. I mean who would want to engage in a strenuous work when they have the backing of your brothers to bail them out of police custody within minutes of arrest after evil is perpetuated by them and should your relations not be able to bail them, a call from your office would suffice. Youth empowerment became alien to the people of Idoma. Great impunity was celebrated in Idomaland. Sir, you made yourself an idol that must be worshiped. Your brothers and sisters openly challenge and threaten people both publicly and privately.  Those that won’t bow to the oppression and intimidation from your quarters were publicly humiliated and beaten up. Your thugs were celebrated and feared. A vigilante group that was formed to combat evil in the area lost its core value, mission and vision it became a political machinery that carried out the bidding of your camp. 3 young men were gruesomely murdered by a single person from this vigilante group in a space of 2 years, with the skull of one of the murdered guys, burst open wide with a gun right in front of his 9 months old pregnant wife and his children having breakfast. Yet, justice is not served. He still walks the streets of Otukpo, a free man.[/b] The heights of it were some dangerous comments credited to a Facebook account owned and operated by your sister, Ada Mark and directed at another woman in the area. It’s shame.

Sir, with all due respect to you, please allow me fast forward to 16 years after you served as the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and 8 years out of the 16 years, you have been the Senate President and by virtue of that office, the number 3 man in the country. In simpler term, after the President of the country comes the Vice President and immediately comes YOU. I am pained to admit to the world that after all these years, apart from the National Open University of Nigeria that is not patronised and half the property used for your personal Private Nursery School, you cannot boast of a single constituency development project that you influenced and instituted to this Senatorial District that you have been representing for 16 years and still counting.

For the sake of argument, I would like to use Otukpo LGA, from where you hail and have your country home and which is supposed to be the capital of the fluke called Apa State and the next big town after Makurdi the state capital, as a case study. It is true and I can confirm the authenticity of a picture of a police station in Otukpo LGA that has appeared several times online and discussed on some social media sites. However what those who posted those pictures have not mentioned or pointed out is the fact that this very neglected and bartered police station is actually located right in the house of the father of the number 3 man in Nigeria, the Senate President, David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, at Eupi, Otukpo. Right in his home town!!!

At this point, I would also like to quickly point out that your Son-In-Law, Dr Innocent Onu, who is married to your daughter, Blessing Mark, has been the Local Government Chairman for 8 solid years. It is worthy of note that as a Local Government Chairman for 8 years, and with him holding the same political position during all the transition periods, he too has not been able to carry out any noteworthy developmental project in his local government. Year in year out, it cuts me so deeply so see that each time I return to Otukpo, the condition gets really worse. It moves from bad to worse and it’s not stopping. A friend visited me in Otukpo during Christmas and asked me a question I have not been able answer till today: ‘is this honestly the house of the Senate President, David Mark?’. [b]With regards to roads, some people I know describe the Makurdi-Otukpo road as a death trap. The roads are merely in a manageable condition until you turn to begin to head to Otukpo, the home town of Nigeria’s Senate President. A journey of 30 minutes takes about 90 minutes due to bad road. Adoka to Makurdi road is nothing to write home about. [/b]But then, why and how would you want to pay attention to the roads when you have a chopper to fly in. [b]Again, these are the roads that connect your constituency to the state capital and ultimately, to the Federal Capital Territory. The roads leading to the local government secretariat is perpetually in a bad shape season after season. Even the road leading to your own house in Otukpo is clearly an eyesore.  Ojira road that is beside the Local Government Secreatariat and about 4 minutes’ drive from the Chairman’s house is a mess. You can’t ply the roads during rainy season. How you cannot be bothered about these things still remains a mystery to me. The chairman, Dr Innocent Onu, doesn’t see it fit to bring this bad situation of his local government under control. Yet revenues are been collected heavily from business owners, petty traders and other sources every single day. Especially, the Otukpo Central Market that is the sweat and hard labour of late Chief Ogiri-Oko, the first Och’Idoma, a practical and realistic leader who left us this legacy that we are enjoying today and generations to come. Indeed, a good father leaves an inheritance for his children’s children. I hope we will be able to point a legacy after you, Sir.[/b] The gate of Dr Onu’s house has become a place where youth and old people come to line up to beg for alms and wait for him to drop crumbs for them. The big roundabout in Otukpo, popularly known as Enugu Roundabout and happens to be the biggest roundabout in North Central, is an ugly sight to behold. This same roundabout is approximately 5 minutes’ walk from your father’s house at Eupi where the same police station is. How do you feel when you bring your fellow senators to your house in this state, mr Senate President? I refuse to be part of this. I refuse to condone celebration of mediocrity. Distinguished senator, I refuse to keep quiet anymore!!!

It is quite unfortunate yet again but this has to be said:[b] I remember when water supply was relatively stable and available in otukpo, even though not on a daily basis but we experienced some consistency in availability. There was a time when tap water supply in Otukpo would run at least every 3-4 days in a week. Sir, it is going into two (2) years (since September of 2013) that Otukpo has been without any form of free-flowing water supply for the indigenes. This is against the backdrop that work was carried out on the lines that supply water to Otukpo and it environs however, the contractor was not been paid and as such, the contracting company locked up the main source that supplies water to the town. Several appeals have been made to the local government chairman; some of the appeals were also directly addressed to your attention via your radio station, JoyFM operating at the frequency of 96.5. Delegations were sent to you to call your attention to this, but sir; you chose to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to this. It would be worthwhile to mention here that the Water Board is located right opposite your house in Otukpo and for each time you step out of the house, you see an abandoned and deserted Water Board in front of you, however you did not question why there’s no single drop of water from the Water Cooperation to service the community. These are the same people that you represent at the federal level. The reason for this would not be far-fetched; there is a dedicated water tanker to your house that drives all the way from Otukpo to Makurdi, the state capital when there is no water available at Otobi, to get water to supply to your household. As long as your household has water, the rest people can go to rot wherever. The high and mighty already has water! Knowing Otukpo has no other source of water supply apart from rain, dug well and rivers that dry up during the dry season, wouldn’t it have been apt for you as the senatorial representative in this constituency to come to the aid of the crying and suffering Idoma people, your people? Are we so undeserving of your compassion or the benefits of good and healthy standard of living that are expected to accrue to this community by virtue of your good office that you occupy and the people that you are supposed to represent?  Is stepping into this matter and impressing upon the authorities at the state level too laborious a task for you to do since apparently, you seem not to be to well-disposed or adept to doing it for your constituency with the constituency development allowance that the federal government gives you? Or is this another replay of when you were a Minister of Information when you expressly stated without apology that telephones are not meant for the poor. This is the same telephone that even a primary school student can afford today? Are the good Idoma people to remain perpetually deprived and denied the good things of life and public infrastructural benefits like water supply and good roads or are they not meant for us? Senator, please do clarify this for us, the Idoma indigenes. Is the Idoma nation now supposed to be run like a family business, as it currently appears to be so? (Your son-in-law, the local government chairman, your brother, your personal assistant, his younger brother, the personal assistant to the personal assistant to the Senate President. Your puppets: Abba Morro and Ezekiel Adaji Minister of Interior and House of Representative respectively. Your younger brother is now the honourable House of Assembly member representing Otukpo-Akpa constituency. – what exactly are you trying to say here to the Idoma people? That apart from your household no one is capable or worthy?) One of the Supervisory Councillors is your cousin who cannot even spell his name, talk more of carrying out the work of a Supervisory Councillor. And now, word on the street is you are planning on installing (or appointing) one of your sons, Inalegwu Mark,  as the next Local Government chairman and if that fails, you would bring in your cousin, Jones as the Chairman. You have surrounded yourself with mediocres; yes-sir kind of people. This is solely because you hate a market place of ideas that challenges and hold you accountable, a set of people that question you when you go wrong, so all you do is make do with the praise singers. These are the clout that can be found around you.[/b]

It has also become common knowledge that you vehemently stood against an Idoma indigene being the Governor of Benue State, because to you, an Idoma man becoming a governor would mean the spotlight of power and authority over the state shifting from The Okpokpowulu. This is something you wouldn’t want to see happen and you can’t bear, tolerate or stomach seeing any other Idoma indigene empowered to that level. I will say one thing to you, Senator, time and chance would happen one day. Scenarios like this have happened to people before and what follows next, they become people of the past. No one can ever hold on to power forever. No!!! The Almighty God did not program it to be so.

I take on board the fact that you are not the governor of Benue state, Sir, however if you ever feel a commitment to influence any form of project in your constituency given your esteemed position as the senate president, it would not be a herculean chore or thing to do. You have been the darling of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. You still are the darling of President Goodluck Jonathan. Let me also point out here for the benefit of Idoma readers who may not have the facts and figures that,[b] Distinguished Senator Ekweremadu, who is your deputy in the senate, has successfully contributed to the development of his constituency by attracting over 140 federal projects worth billions of Naira to the constituency he represents. These are not abandoned projects but projects that are on-going and some of them completed and handed over and are now being enjoyed by the communities. (ref: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/ekweremadu-attracts-140-projects-enugu-east/). These projects include construction/rehabilitation of rural roads, erosion control, rural electrification, school buildings, street lights across all the councils etc that make up his constituency. He is not a governor of his state, he is a senator much like your good self, sir. Most recent project he attracted just in Feburay, 2015 was the N986M (Nine Hundred and Eighty Six Million Naira) water project to his constituency. ref: (http://thisdaylive.com/articles/ekweremadu-attracts-n986m-water-project-to-constituency/201244.) Sir, President Goodluck Jonathan has demonstrated he has great respect for you and you have adjudged him as someone whom you have great respect for. It is therefore most shocking and questionable why you have not found the opportunity to initiate useful, well needed and fundamental social and infrastructural developmental projects to Benue Zone C, after all this development is for the good of the people and our state and country at large. While you are serving as President of the senate, President Jonathan built and commissioned 9 Federal Universities in different geopolitical zones of the nation. Some of these universities are situate at Nasarawa, Kogi (North Central), Gombe, Taraba, (North East) Katsina, Jigawa, (North West) Bayelsa,(South South)  Ebonyi (South East) and Ekiti (South West) States. The Idoma people crave educational institutions and development in the community. Even though we have an Idoma son seated in a very powerful position at the Federal level, we cannot boast of the pride of any significant development in the Idoma nation. It is unfortunate that one cannot point at a single constituency project that you facilitated during the 16 years of being a senator to Benue South Senatorial District. None of these educational institution projects was extended to us, considering that all the universities and most tertiary institutions in the state are all in our Tiv brothers’ region – (Benue State University, Makurdi. School of Nursing, Makurdi. University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Benue state Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. School of Nursing, Nmka.). Clearly sir, you have not favoured us the Idoma people to the extent that we can or should take our hats off to you. We have truly not felt your representation of this constituency as we ought to and thought we could and would.
[/b]
I find it very shameful to say that that after 16 years of your occupying these privileged and elevated national positions which the people supported you in attaining, you were still underscoring infrastructure development as your campaign. This is a continuation of the façade that we have come to know you by as your antecedents have not brought us any development worthy of applause! I particularly found it very laughable that you are promising the Idoma nation roads when you have not done a square metre of road in all your years as a senator. And might I add sir, you should honestly by now have asked your boys to remove the Apa State campaign banner in front of your house. ‘APA STATE COMING SOON SLOWLY BUT SURELY’. You should honestly by now be tired of using Apa State as bait as this is already viewed by us as nothing but a political mask and a smokescreen, and the banner is only but a display of shame which you should not be found condoning.

Still talking about education, sir, you ordered equipment to be brought to a site a week before the 2015 general election where you promised to ensure that a medical school was constructed. Yet another mask, absolutely nothing will take place as all the equipment are gone, the site deserted, the so-called project abandoned. I will say nothing further on this.

So you are presently eyeing the Senate Presidency under the next dispensation under the new APC government. I believe a new dawn has broken and we expect to see significant changes in the house. I particularly will be shocked to see you returned as the Senate President and I will advise you not to pursue that cause. After all, of what benefit have you been to the Idoma nation or even to Nigeria. Clearly, your plan to become the next president of Nigeria after President Jonathan went up in flames after the Presidential election of 2015. You had said after President Jonathan’s second term, there would be clamour for a Northern President and considering you are from the North Central and would have demonstrated in the house to have been the president of the senate for xyz number of years, people will tilt towards your candidature. Sir you should have seen how hard I laughed when I heard it! So now you want to use the next senate presidency to launch your aspiration in that direction. Well, I will wait to see how you achieve this.

We honestly do not expect more from you in the next 4 years. However, one thing I must not fail to say at this juncture is this: Please note that merely wearing a black and red Idoma Culture cap/hat on the floor of the House does not portray you as a true son of the Idoma nation or translate into a true and quality Representation of the Idoma Nation. Sir, YOU OWE YOUR KINSMEN AND THE ENTIRE IDOMA NATION AN UNRESERVED APOLOGY!!!

Thank you.

From

A Concerned Idoma

heartofidoma@gmail.com

ok

Best letter of all time...
This should be posted on all social media, not forgeting d print nd broadcast media as well.
permit me to post ur article on my facebook wall.

Op do you have proof of these claims?

Wow.. I love dis... David Mark s a Shame 2 himself and d idoma nation at large.. I weep for my people. Dis shud make front page pls.

So David Mark is a confirm failure. People need to think and move beyond a mere cultural representation in Politics.

Pls highlight d points!
Am allergic to long stories
Temitemi1 ma role model
Barcanista ma icon
Tit ma legend

Bunchersstab:
Best letter of all time...
This should be posted on all social media, not forgeting d print nd broadcast media as well.
permit me to post ur article on my facebook wall.

yes please feel free to do so

AhmedMustapha:
Op do you have proof of these claims?

proof of what sir? you can ask anyone from Benue state. you can as well visit this place yourself.

MrScript:
Wow.. I love dis... David Mark s a Shame 2 himself and d idoma nation at large.. I weep for my people. Dis shud make front page pls.

would it make front page? well let's see.

cc:
seun
lalasticlala
ishilove
OAM4J
Ikenna351
Afam4eva



LET ME STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT I AM A FULL AND CONFIRMED IDOMA PERSON FROM DAVID MARK'S CONSTITUENCY. MY HOUSE IS A STONE THROW FROM HIS HOUSE

OREMUSSANCTUS:
Pls highlight d points!
Am allergic to long stories

WILL DO THAT NOW

Since your house is close to his, why not go deliver the epistle to him?

coldsummer:


proof of what sir? you can ask anyone from Benue state. you can as well visit this place yourself.

I know David Mark is a failed Senator, I just didn't know he was this callous

AhmedMustapha:

I know David Mark is a failed Senator, I just didn't know he was this callous

you can verify all these claims and more that i wont mention here from anyone in that area.

AhmedMustapha:
Op do you have proof of these claims?

Every bit of what is written there is the truth. That is why I find it very irritating whenever that Ochejoseh keeps pointing fingers at Fashola at al when his brother from his backyard, D-Mark (as he's fondly called in Benue) has been riding roughod on their assesss for 16 good years and counting!

Great piece from the writer.


By the way, his wife is even worse.

omenka:
Every bit of what is written there is the truth. That is why I find it very irritating whenever that Ochejoseh keeps pointing fingers at Fashola at al when his brother from his backyard, D-Mark (as he's fondly called in Benue) has been riding roughod on their assesss for 16 good years and counting!

Great piece from the writer.


By the way, his wife is even worse.

thank you!!!

omenka:
Every bit of what is written there is the truth. That is why I find it very irritating whenever that Ochejoseh keeps pointing fingers at Fashola at al when his brother from his backyard, D-Mark (as he's fondly called in Benue) has been riding roughod on their assesss for 16 good years and counting!

Great piece from the writer.


By the way, his wife is even worse.

Then he must be a pretender because he seems so accommodating in his sessions in the Senate

Until we stop the politics of "na our turn, our person must dey there" we are going nowhere.

Make una persevere the good people of Apa State sorry Benue South.

wordcat:
Until we stop the politics of "na our turn, our person must dey there" we are going nowhere.

Make una persevere the good people of Apa State sorry Benue South.

this is not about the politics of 'our people'. this is the politics of 'it is time for election, we vote you, go represent us well'.

AhmedMustapha:

Then he must be a pretender because he seems so accommodating in his sessions in the Senate

and you are carried away by his pretence? lol

I stayed in benue(Ugbokolo to be precise) for over a year, and all these points the OP stated is 100percent truth... D.Mark is a failure, Abba slowpoke is a disgrace, Emmanuel Agbo is a bastard, the L.G chairlady of Okpokwu L.G.A is another bastard...

Eyahh...,if na true,he wicked o o.but how can one man promised una state,una com clap foram?.To create state in naija democracy no be com chop my guy. Dmark no try at all.cheii.., why u no go campaign and vote against him but u com d write letter? Anyway since trekking d reign now,Oya, begin to trek go Abuja to deliver ur letter.

More reasons why the igbo's are not desperate for power because politicians are so so selfish. If this's true, shame to him.

princetigris:
I stayed in benue(Ugbokolo to be precise) for over a year, and all these points the OP stated is 100percent truth... D.Mark is a failure, Abba slowpoke is a disgrace, Emmanuel Agbo is a bastard, the L.G chairlady of Okpokwu L.G.A is another bastard...

those areas are even in a more precarious state

.