Your Excellency,
\nThe Most Distinguished Senator,
\nMY PIECE OF ADVICE TO SENATOR DAVID MARK: You have served your people
\nenough, let someone else help you carry the burden of leadership
\n\u201cNo man will make a great leader who want to do it all himself, or to get
\nall the credit for doing it\u201d Andrew Carnegie<\/p>\n
I am greatly constrained to formally write you this letter, your
\nExcellency, the most distinguished Senator David Mark, the Senate
\nPresident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for so many reasons than one.
\nFirst, I must say that such a letter as this shouldn\u2019t have come from me
\nbecause I am not a politician, and do not have political ambition neither
\nam I aiming ambitiously at taking your position away from you. But I
\nbelieve that our lives begin to ebb to an end when we keep silent about
\nthe things that are about to happen to us. For now, I do not have such
\nbogus and over-sized ambition. Two, I am just \u2013 a mere child before you oh
\ngreat man of valour. I hail from Igede, one of the component tribes and
\nstakeholders that make-up your (domain) senatorial district where you have
\nruled and reigned over the poor hopeless and helpless people for the past
\nfifteen years unchallenged.
\nI am not in any way qualified to write you such an open letter let alone
\nchallenge you on issues that are exclusive reserve of great and notable
\npoliticians; if not for the democratic liberty that I now enjoy, made
\npossible by the guts of men gifted with the act of epistemology like Chief
\nOlusegun Obasanjo. I thank God, for this period which luckily for me is
\nthe season of letter writing. This has also afforded me the ample
\nopportunity and audacity to tow the line of great and mighty men in the
\nact of letter writing like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, the Former
\nMilitary Head of State and two term democratic president of the Federal
\nRepublic of Nigeria and the likes of His Royal Highness, the Emir of
\nNigeria\u2019s Financial Institution, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria,
\nMallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who have lion hearts and are bold enough to
\nwrite President Goodluck Jonathan as I now do to you.
\nThree, given the present security situation of our country, where mere men
\nlike us dare not raise their voices to challenge or even ask our leaders
\nquestions that border on the welfare of the people for the fear of being
\neliminated by private solders; \u201ctrained snipers\u201d (guerrillas) as alleged
\nby the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in his letter to
\nPresident Goodluck Jonathan. But I have humbly decided to do this by
\nlaying down my life as a living sacrifice on the altar of selfless service
\nto my people in the hands of the Almighty God in whose hand are the hearts
\nof all kings.
\nI was most pleased to find such worthy compliments about the Idoma people
\nin the WIKIPEDIA which I herein restate to buttress my points. \u201cThe IDOMA,
\nthe WIKIPEDIA says, are multi-ethno-linguistic group that primarily
\ninhabits lower and western areas of Benue State, Nigeria; meaning that we
\nare more than one ethnic group in Idoma land. \u201cThe Idoma are known to be
\nwarriors and hunters of class, but hospitable and peace loving\u201d; also
\nmeaning that we are brave and fearless but amiable. \u201cThe population of the
\nIdoma is estimated to be about 3.5million\u201d. We are large group of people,
\ntherefore cannot be short of capable hands in replacement of you to lead
\nus.
\nThe statements above seem to sum up and provide the main thrust of this
\nopen letter to you, the most distinguished Senator. The Benue South
\nSenatorial District that you represent at the senate consists of nine
\nlocal government areas in Benue State. They are the Ado, Apa, Agatu,
\nOkpokwu, Ogbadibo, Oju, Obi, Otukpo, Ohimini LGAS. These groups of people
\nare highly educated, so industrious, humble, yet subservient, very poor
\nand greatly marginalized up till date by few of her privileged individuals
\nlike you. The land has produced great medical doctors, lawyers, engineers,
\neconomists of repute, academics, serving and retired military generals,
\nhigh cadre police officers and para-military personnel, diplomats and
\nother career men and women, therefore are not in short of capable hands.
\nYou were fortunate to be singled out and elected among this potpourri of
\ngreat people not necessarily because you were better and greater by any
\nstandard than most of them, but because the time and chance has happened
\nto you according to (Ecl 9:11) and today, you are the longest serving
\nsenator in the Nigerian Senate. You are as old in the senate as the
\nNigeria\u2019s 2nd and 3rd republic democracy itself. I hail and envy your
\nuntiring strength and courage to want to serve your people this long
\nwithout minding whose right is usurped and trampled upon.
\nBy the special grace of the Almighty God upon your life you were elected
\nand re-elected time and time again up to four times, not because people
\nlike you so much, but sometimes for fear of the unknown which made even
\nthe legible contenders stay clear and dumping their ambitions. And very
\nsoon you will be serving out your fourth term of 16 (sixteen years) making
\nyou the longest serving senator in the history of Nigeria\u2019s democracy, and
\nyet asking for more.
\nFor the past fourteen years, the Idoma people are proud of you, what you
\nmean to them, the position you hold and what role you have played at the
\nNational Assembly. Your presence at the Senate provided the ample
\nopportunity of an Idoma person to become the number three citizen of the
\nFederal Republic of Nigeria. And since 2007, you have provided sustained
\nleadership at the Senate. This is no mean feat at all. The people are also
\naware of your efforts at getting them to the Promised Land through the
\nrepeated promised creation of \u201cApa State\u201d which could have freed us from
\nthe domination of the majority Tiv tribe.
\nThis proposed state of yours may or may never be possible after all during
\nour life time. Your inability to secure \u201cApa State\u201d for the Idoma people
\nwhich was one of your strongest campaign promise was not entirely your
\nfault, but the unforeseen political exigency of the moment. We also
\nacknowledge the numbers of Idoma people you have empowered, countless
\nnumbers of them are in the Federal Civil Service today and many others are
\nself employed courtesy of your effort. These people we are also aware are
\nmostly your biological children, siblings and those whom you owe some
\ntoken political favours. Nevertheless, they are all Idoma people. Before
\nnow, Benue State indigenes especially the Idoma rank third behind
\nAkwa-Ibom and the Cross-Rivers States people on the queue of odd and
\nmenial jobs in all the cities of the Federation. But today, everywhere you
\ngo to, young Idoma men and women have increasingly replaced the others as
\nsecurity men and service waiters.
\nI also want to on behalf of the great people of Idoma thank you for the
\nwonderful Gulf Course which you have built at Akpegede, Otukpo. That
\nlandscape is un-compared to and unrivaled with any in the whole of Africa.
\nThis has greatly exposed our people to the knowledge and skill of how rich
\nmen spend their leisure times with their wealth with predominantly peasant
\nas spectators to this very strange game. The on-going King David
\nUniversity project at Asa is another great investment you have brought to
\nIdoma land. Even though it will not be a school for the ordinary people,
\nbecause it will be out of the reach of our people, but the infrastructure
\nwill greatly beautify the landscape of Otukpo \u2013 Igumale road, no doubt.
\nOur people will also have the opportunities to be employed as labourers
\nafter dispossessing them of their farmland just as you have done for them
\nat the Gulf Course.
\nAt least, passersby will definitely know that we have a great son in
\nSenator David Mark. In the past few years, the annual International
\nBasketball tournament held every December in Otukpo has greatly added
\ncolours to Christmas in Otukpo and has made home-coming for many
\nworth-while.
\nYour achievements for the past fourteen years or so are uncountable,
\nendless and unforgettable such that mere words of our mouths are too few
\nto recount them. Only the Almighty God can reward you sufficiently.
\nBut come to think about it, your Excellency, the distinguished senator,
\nhave you considered nurturing a successor to your position? If you have
\nnot, then is it the fear of being politically irrelevant afterwards which
\nis the case with most politicians or the fact that you have not seen any
\ncapable hand in the whole of the Benue South Senatorial District among the
\nIgede, Utonkon, Agila from Obusa, Ameka-Owo through Ijigban Adum Otukpo to
\nAgatu who could replace you? If the last reason is your strong reason and
\nfear, then I have a candid advice for you, from Theodore Roosevelt which
\nsays \u201cthe best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men
\nto do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling
\nwith them while they do it,\u201d please reconsider this. In the spirit of
\ndemocracy whose principle is based on equity, justice and fair play,
\nshouldn\u2019t the other federating parts of the Benue South Senatorial
\ndistrict share in this leadership you have monopolized for so long?
\nYour continuous stay at the senate is no more in the interest of your
\npeople but a big slap on the face of the Idoma people and the entire Zone
\nC. It speaks volume of who the people of Benue South Senatorial District
\ntruly are; incompetent, ineptitude, none-ambitious and docile. The Otukpo
\npeople, your immediate ward and constituency may be comfortable with your
\ncontinuous stay may be because they thought you are the best they could
\noffer, but the Igede, Agila and Ufia have among them very competent sons
\nand daughters who are ready to offer themselves for service and willing to
\ntake over the saddle of leadership from you and do what you are doing or
\neven do better.
\nThe General, the Engineer, the most distinguished Senator David
\nBonaventure Alechenu Mark, you were once a military Governor, Minister
\nfrom the slot of the Idoma people and now Senator representing your people
\nfor almost sixteen years out of which you will soon round-up your second
\ntenure at the Senate as Senate President for eight years. What would you
\ndo differently after now for your people and what would you say you have
\ndone so spectacular for the people of Benue South Senatorial zone that has
\ngiven you the moral comfort to want to stay on for another four year which
\nwill cumulatively make it twenty years of selfish service to you, yourself
\nand your immediate family members alone? Please recount our blessings to
\nthe people and name them one-by-one aloud, and you will be surprise what
\nopportunities you have wasted for 16 years. I remember that in your time
\nof learning the rope and while the democracy was still booting, you had
\ninnocently supported Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to go for the third term.
\nThat means you encouraged long stay in political offices. You have
\ngloriously served out your own turn, served out the turn of Tunde, your
\nson and even now your grand-children\u2019s. So what else do you want? God has
\nbeen so gracious to you and you are a great gift to the Idoma people, no
\ndoubt, but let someone else from another side of the Senatorial zone help
\nyou to carry the burden of leadership.
\nDistinguished Senator, some of us were glad and overwhelmed when it was
\nrumoured that you were going to contest for the presidency in 2015. We
\nwere proud and willing to be your foot soldiers because you would have
\nprogressively deserved such an exalted position. No man in the present
\nNigeria\u2019s political landscape is more qualified to be there than you.
\nConsidering your political antecedents; you have progressively moved from
\na corps commander, to be a Military Governor, Minister, Principal Staff
\nOfficer in Abacha\u2019s regime, Senator, Senate President and now the most
\nappropriate place to occupy next should be Aso Villa. By all political
\ncalculation, it is the turn of the Middle-Belter to produce the next
\nChristian president, and you are the most qualified. But why did you
\nchange your mind? Why did you chicken-out? I encourage you, great man of
\nvalour, go for it, and soar like an eagle, you have our support.
\nI have looked around and have found among us, people who can replace you
\nand be trusted enough to protect your interest in order to maintain your
\npolitical relevance in the land long afterward. Among your kinsmen and
\nkindreds\u2019 are people like; Dr. John Eyimonye, Engineer Benson Abounu,
\nBarrister Godwin Obla, Dr. Innocent Onuh; your son-in-law, your daughter,
\nBlessing Onuh or even Professor Isawa Elaigwu, who are very legible.
\nAnd if you are so magnanimous enough to concede it to the other side of
\nthe zone, please consider any of these great men; Chief Innocent Audu
\nOgbe, Chief Steven Lawani, Prof. John Idoko, General Geofrey Ejiga,
\nGeneral Lawrence Onoja, General Chris Garba and even General Harrison
\nAdoga who are men with similar military training as you.
\nAmong the Igede people are also capable hands like Prof. Oga Ajene, Prof.
\nJohnson Onah, Dr. Isaac Egboja, Prof. Ibu, Prof. Odeh Ojowu, Prof. Agwu
\nIgwe and Engr. Morgan Okwoche and a host of others.
\nLastly, you may want to consider a great Idoma son in the person of Chief
\nMike Onoja who was the Permanent Secretary, Defence under General Sani
\nAbacha. All these are great men and women from Idoma land who have equal
\nrights as you to contest and be elected and could bring great honour to
\nIdoma land as you are said to have done.
\nYou should now assume the role of a king maker of high repute and the
\npolitical godfather of our people rather than wanting to stay on till
\neternity. It is better to leave now when the ovation is loudest.
\nOutstanding leaders appeal to the heart of their followers, not their
\nminds and bearing in mind that \u201cLeadership is not wielding authority \u2013 its
\nempowering people\u201d \u2013Becky Brodin. So kindly do this for posterity sake.<\/p>\n
Your humble compatriot,
\nOga Tom Uhia
\n08033062309
\ntogauhia@yahoo.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your Excellency, The Most Distinguished Senator, MY PIECE OF ADVICE TO SENATOR DAVID MARK: You have served your people enough, let someone else help you carry the burden of leadership…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n