“Our popular adage goes “When one of your tooth is dirty, no one will insult the one tooth but the owner of the tooth”
The Idoma people must go back to the beginning—to our roots, our values, and the respect we once had for those who paved the way for us. The solution to our problems might not be far; it could be with someone we once had but failed to truly honor.
Politics is not driven by emotions but by sentiment, logic, and unwavering solidarity, whether in good times or bad. A leader’s sacrifice for his people can take a lifetime, yet to the followers, it may seem like only a fleeting moment.
For over 20 years, I failed to realize a painful truth: we, the Idoma people, disrespected one of our own—’Senator David Mark’. In 2008, we allowed sentiment to cloud our judgment and traded his respect for political emotions. Since then, nothing has remained the same.
No matter how much a father is misunderstood, he remains a father. Senator David Mark was not just any leader; he was a bridge between ‘military and democracy’, a man whose name echoes in the highest corridors of power in Nigeria. The nation knows his worth, but somehow, we failed to recognize ours.
Ask yourself, why does the world still fear and respect him? Why does he still sit in rooms where the fate of our nation is discussed? The truth is, ‘we need him now more than ever’.
While we were busy playing politics, the world continued to respect him. Today, Idoma land is plagued by insecurity, and we cry out for help. But have we considered that the same man we turned away might be the one who can make a single phone call to summon the support we desperately need?
History has been forgotten, and generations have been raised without knowing the battles he fought for us. But if we still care about our land, if we still dream of peace, then it’s time to ‘humble ourselves, retrace our steps, and seek his help. Let’s unite and know politics is politics, religion is religion and tradition is tradition’.
Senator David Mark is still a father to the Idoma people. Let’s not wait until it’s too late to realize his worth again… let cry to him!
*Lawrence Odoh
