₦airaland Forum

sammyzacks: David Mark is the guy:


HIS PROFILE

Personal Data

. Date of Birth: 8th April 1948
. Place of Birth: Otukpo, Benue state
. Marital staus: Married with children
. Nationality: Nigerian
. Sports/ hobbies: Golf, Tennis, Squash
. Languages Spoken: English, Tiv, Idoma


Schools Attended

. St. Francis Catholic Practising School Otukpo: 1956 - 1961
. Nigerian Military school Zaria: 1962 - 1966
. Nigerian Defence Academy kaduna ( 3rd Regular Course): 1967 - 1970
. School of Signals Blanford England : 1970
. College of Military Engineering Poona : 1971 - 1975
. Military College of Telecommunication Engineering Mhow : 1971 - 1975
. Command Staff College Jaji : 1978 - 1979
. National Defence University Washington DC : 1990 - 1991
. Havard University Havard, Boston: 1991 - 1992
Educational Qualifications:


. NDA Certificate : 1970
. B.ENG - Telecomms: 1975
. Psc, Psc+, fwc, fss : 1979
. Diploma Defence Studies : 1991
. Diploma Senior Defence Studies : 1992

 





 

1. Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:

(i) Re-elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (third time): representing Benue-south Senatorial district under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and sworn in June 2007 where he emerges as the Senate President. Posts held include;
Senate President - June 2007 - Till date
Chairman Senate Committee on Selection - June 2007 - Till date.
(ii) Re-elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(second time): representing Benue-South Senatorial district under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and sworn in June 2003. Positions held include;

Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs - June 2003 - June 2007
Member Senate Committee on Defence - June 2003 - June 2007
Member Senate Committee on Science & Technology - June 2003 - June 2007
Member Senate Committee on Local & Foreign Debt - Aug 2005 - June 2007
(iii) Elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (first time): representing Benue-South Senatorial district under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and sworn in June 1999. Positions held include;

Chairman Senate Committee on Communications - June 1999 - Feb. 2000
Member Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs - June 1999 - Feb. 2000
Chairman Senate Committee on banking and Currency - Feb 2000 - May 2003
Member Senate Committee on Internal Affairs - Feb 2000 - May 2003
Member Senate Committee on Police Affairs - Feb 2000 - May 2003
Member Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence - Feb 2000 - May 2003
Member Senate Committee on Cooperation & Integration in Africa - Feb 2000 - May 2003
 

2. Chairman 3rd Regular Course Nigerian Defence Academy : from 2003- August 2007

3. Member Armed Forces Ruling Council:

He was an active member of the council and supported decrees that were geared towards the overall economic, potential and social development and advancement of the country.
4. Minister of Communications:

He introduced mobile phones and digital telephones systems in the country. He reorganised NIPOST and started the city coding system ; removed NITEL from Civil Service Structure , improved their welfare package, built two ultra modern digital earth stations from internally generated revenue without recourse to the Federal Government. During his tenure as Minister of Communications, NITEL stopped receiving subsidy from the Federal Government and operated purely from its own generated revenue. It was also able to make profit and even contribute to the federation account, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida was his immediate boss then.
5. Military Governor of Niger State:

In addition to introducing compulsory education for all girls, He embarked on the industrialisation of Niger State. He exposed the potentials of the State to the nation. He enacted an edict that grants automatic indigenship to anyone who was born in Niger State and all those who had spent 20 years in the state provided they had performed their civic responsibilities and don't have dual indigenship. Gen. Muhammed Buhari was his immediate boss.
6. Chairman Abandoned Properties Implementation Commission:

He supervised the implementation of the Federal Government White Paper on the controversial abandoned properties. It was a difficult and politically explosive issue that still lingers on today.

7. Director of Telecommunications Army Headquarters Lagos:

He was responsible for communications policy formulation in the Army. This included inter-service communication policies particularly policies on interconnectivity and integration with civil communication systems in operations. He was also responsible for communications between the home base and Mr Preident if he was out of the Country.

8. Staff Captain 'A' - 1 Signal Brigade Apapa:

He was responsible for the administration of the Signal Brigade, including soldiers' overall welfare as well as of their families. He initiated , formed and nursed the signals dramatic club. The club was the first of its kind in the Nigerian Army. it successfully staged two plays namely "Sons and daughters" and "East and West".

9. Brigade Major - Signal Brigade Lagos:

As a Brigade Major he co-ordinated the activities of the staff officers including the staff captains. Was responsible for operational matters . The signal brigade successfully staged series of training exercises including the training of all the direct commmissioned officers sent to the Corps.
10. Commander 3rd Marine Signals Division Port-Harcourt:

As the commander of the Division Signals, He was reponsible for the overall communications network of the Division. He was also the commander of the GOC's Headquarters in operation. We assisted in the restoration of various places. Then P & T Local exchanges as it was changed soon after the war. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma was the GOC 3 Marine Division and the Divisional signals succesfully hosted and conducted all Signals Sports Competition.

11. Directing Staff Command and Staff College Jaji:

As a Directing Staff(DS) in Jaji; He was the DS in charge of Staff Duties(SD). He supervised Military writing and staff duties. This is a very important element of military training at a higher level. It deals with routine standard military writing as well as operational military writing. He was later appointed the directing staff in charge of TACTICS AND OPERATIONS. This department oversees and coordinates all the training related to strategy , operations and tactics . it is also the department responsible for teaching the military - civilian relationship and military history.

12. General Staff officer Grade I Coordinate Command & Staff College Jaji:

He was responsilble for planning and coordinating the training at the Command and Staff College. He was responsible for coordinating and organising external and internal lectures. He was responsible for coordinating and organising external and internal lecturers, visits of participants to foriegn countries and internal geo-political tour; and organising the graduation ceremonies of participants. His immediate boss on this post was Gen, Duncan Y. Bali.

13. Commander Corps of Signals:

He was responsible for advising the Chief of Army Staff on inter and intra communication matters, running the Army headquarters in operation, He was also responsible for policy matters in respect of communication with the various units of the army. he was the adviser of the Chief of Army Staff on communicatiion matters in low intensity operations and general war.

14. Faculty Director National War College:

He was Director Faculty of Higher Military Training and Studies and also Director of the Army Faculty at the National war College. He was a founding member of staff of the National War college along with the British Training Team. He was responsible for formulating the training the policy for the army faculty and also coordinating the tri-service faculty training . He provided a stable base for the Nigerian Team after the British Training team left in 1993 as a result of the annulment of the 1993 Presidential election.

15. Signal Brigade Sports Officer Lagos:

He was responsible for promoting and organising sports and games within and outside the signal corps. The Nigerian Army signals witnessed impressive achievements in the field of sports during his tenure. The Jimmy (signals football team) was one of the best football team in Lagos and the signals hockey team made similar impressive progress.
16. Staff Officer Operations Headquarters Signals Lagos:

He was responsible for coordinating the overall operations of the corps of Signals including providing communications to the entire Nigerian Army . He also coordinated inter service communications in peacetime as well as in operations. In particular the provision of communications with his forces serving in UN operations was his direct responsibility. He was also charged with the responsiblity of providing the supporting communications to cover the 1979 elections.
17. Commandant School of Signals Lagos:

After graduating from the commandant and staff college Jaji; he was posted as the Commandant of the School of Signals. Apart from training the officers and men for the Corps of signals, he was also responsible for training all officers and soldiers in the Nigerian Army on communications and related fields. In particular the school was the supervising body of the degree course in electronics in the University of Ife. The course is still running till today and many Military Officers have benefited from it.
18. Commander I Divisions Head Quarters & Signals Kaduna :

He coordinated all telecommunication activities within the division . He was responsible for organising the Headquarters in operations. He and his team successfully routed Maitasinne religious fanatics in kano . Maj. Gen. Jemibewon was the GOC I Div while He was at the Division Head quarters and Signals Commander . He was commended by the then President Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
 





 

Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger [GCON] - 14th February, 2008

YuzedoII: Oga Pro, I didn't want to point out those obvious howlers, make dem for no talk say "stick to the issue!", but you don see am! After now, dem go dey demand job for Exxon, Chevron, etc but to write 500 word essay error-free and well structured na rocket science...

pDude: Why won't oyibo call you Mon......

igbsam: And this is the Naija Version of a CV on Billboard. People were saying this is african mentality when they saw this guy doing this. Sebi, we don see oyinbo own now.

spurlge: where are you from?






this is ridiculous and desperate.

okpara ugo: Let our youths look for work to do. If you dont find any, go to a building site and work as a labourer and stop waiting for white collar job.

Everyone is experiencing economic hardship in Nigeria, even businessmen. It isnt enough reason to engage in crime.

Sincere 9gerian: My friend, you dont have to tell us you'r from Niger delta or wherever. It is immaterial, even if you'r from Ghana. And for the fact that you did that, it makes your submission very suspicious. How can we confirm you'r from the Niger delta even if we want to go that route? You'r not a prophet that we can believe whatever you'v stated here as the truth.
Initially I didn't want to engage in this childish comparison but I changed my mind to avoid some mischief makers and depraved minds misleading children on this forum. If we sincerely want to compare two different govt, we should do that using parameters to measure the performance. It is not enough for political jobbers and depraved minds to say GEJ is better or Yar Adua is better. Lets take the parameters that matter one after the other
1) Elections: were our elections better organised during Yar Adua or GEJ. The Ekiti re-run election done under Yar Adua was a disaster. Every right thinking person will agree that elections under GEJ are better
2) Security: for me it worsened under GEJ SOLELY because of boko haram. But Yar Adua started boko haram when under his regime, the leader of boko haram was extra-judicially killed. During the Yar Adua period, there was also rampant kidnapping and all sorts of atrocities we see now
3) Power supply: Yar Adua stopped all the power projects started by OBJ. The construction of those power infrastructure only began again when GEJ came to power. Power supply is definitely better under GEJ
4) Aviation: our airports infrastructure and other aspect of aviation have definitely faired better under GEJ
5) Education: it should be remembered that it was under Yar Adua, when Sam Egwu was education minister, that our universities were shut for several months. Definitely, without iota of doubt, education is better under GEJ
5) Corruption: it was under Yar Adua that the EFCC and its leadership then, Ribadu, was completely dismantled. In the exact words of Ribadu "corruption took over the EFCC in 2007". The GEJ govt has re-focused the EFCC to a much better institution now. There is lot of exposure of corruption under GEJ- subsidy thieves, pension thieves,etc. I rate the incumbent slightly better in this regard
5) rail transport: definitely better under GEJ
6) road construction: i cant recall any major road re-construction or rehabilitation that took place under Yar Adua. It was under Yar Adua that Dieziani, as then minister of works, wept at the Benin-Ore road but still nothing was done on that road. I rate GEJ far far better
7) press freedom: media houses were hounded and sometimes closed under Yar Adua. I recall vividly that Gbenja Arulegba, the presenter of Focus Nigeria on AIT was forced out of the screen by the Yar Adua foot solders. The press is far far freer under GEJ
POINT 8: job creation: can anyone remind us of any direct job creation programmes under Yar Adua? I cant recall any. Under GEJ we had YOUWIN programme to empower 1,200 entrepreneurs annually, the women and youth empowerment scheme meant to employ 370,000 persons annually,etc I rate GEJ better

Kamanda: Take an extra one.