My attention has been riveted to the egregious, caliginous, and perfidious narrative propounded by the ignominious factional chairman of the Benue State All Progressives Congress, Mr. Austine Agada, in his vitriolic diatribes against the venerable former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, on TVC a few days ago.
Ordinarily, one would be inclined to dismiss Agada’s fulminations as an exercise in futility, orchestrated by the Machiavellian forces of calumny and mendacity. Nevertheless, I shall respond with alacrity to set the record straight and vindicate the indefatigable Senator Mark.
It is risible (laughable) to behold Agada’s temerity in attributing the developmental maladies in Benue South Senatorial District to the lap of the former Senate President. Agada should not be dignified with any seriousness because he is a man whose abortive attempts at becoming a Councillor of his Owukpa council ward ended in ignominy, yet he has the effrontery to denigrate a political colossus like Senator Mark as lacking influence in his locality. What an irony!
The risible Agada, bereft of erudition and sagacity, masquerades as an oracle of wisdom yet his spoken English is a travesty of the English language.
In a deliberate attempt to beguile the gullible members of the public, Agada vaingloriously proclaimed that Senator Mark has not visited his Senatorial District, failed to exhibit empathy to victims of herder attacks, and did not construct any road to Otukpo. Nothing could be more fallacious than this assertion.
Senator Mark needs no permission from Agada to visit his hometown. Perhaps, due to Agada’s incredulity, he could not read or spot the retinue of press releases from the former President of the Senate decrying the murderous attacks on the innocent and defenceless citizens of the state.
I am utterly astonished that Austine Agada, who during the nomination of Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria justified the selection against his Idoma clan, saying that “Senator David Mark during his Senate Presidency cornered all political appointments to his Idoma people and as such Senator George Akume was right in towing the same route,” is today telling the world that Senator David Mark has done nothing for his people as a Senate President. It is a chronic case of approbation and reprobation in one swing. Perhaps, it could be a pitiful case of hallucinations or inebriation.
Agada’s tergiversations and perfidiousness are a testament to his lack of testimony. And, this is a colossal testament to his rejection and conferment as an internally displaced party chairman (IDPC) seeking rehabilitation, a vocation he found in Senator Akume’s Fortress. And, as a political rehabilitatee, one expects him to be circumspect in his public commentary.
Furthermore, Agada credited the ongoing dualisation of the Makurdi – Otukpo – Enugu Road to President Tinubu. To put the records straight, it is imperative to tell the world that the ongoing construction of the Makurdi-Otukpo-Enugu Road was started by Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, who indisputably must be credited with the ideation and design of the road. It was inherited by President Buhari who brought in the current Chinese company via a loan arrangement to be recouped at a later date. At the time President Tinubu came on board, the work had reached an advanced stage. And because government is a continuous process, the current government continues in the construction.
Perhaps, it is essential to draw the attention of Agada and his sponsors to the Keffi – Oweto – Agatu – Otukpo road as well as the Oweto Bridge which was facilitated by the Distinguished Senator Mark. Similarly, I wish to bring to the attention of Agada that the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, is a brainchild of Senator David Mark. No Jupiter in this world can erase that great feat.
Peradventure, Agada is oblivious of the National Open University of Nigeria Campus in Otukpo built and donated to the institution by the indefatigable Senator Mark. This was the first in the country. Before this, the institution had its presence only at the State capitals in the country. The presence of this facility in Otukpo, the capital of Benue South Senatorial District, has no doubt benefited thousands of people, especially civil servants.
Senator Mark’s developmental antecedents predate his senatorial quest. It was adequately documented that right from his military days, Mark, who believed in the participatory paradigm of development, fought and championed the re-creation of Ado and Apa Local Government Councils, which were hitherto proscribed by the military government of General Mohammadu Buhari.
More instructive is the fact that David Mark is not from any of the two local government areas. The re-creation of the Apa and Ado local government areas was to facilitate the quick development of the localities.
Before now, David Mark got the ancient town of Otukpo telephone exchange digitised to keep the city in touch with the wind of globalisation, thereby facilitating unfettered communication and bridging the gap between the local populace and the global community.
He also facilitated the establishment of two Federal Government Colleges in Idoma land – Federal Science and Technical College, Otukpo and Federal Government College, Otobi, thereby providing a bastion of academic excellence and fostering the intellectual growth of countless students who have passed through these esteemed institutions.
Today, a lot of people are benefiting from these institutions, and the impact of Senator Mark’s initiatives can be seen in the numerous success stories of individuals who have been empowered by these schools to pursue their dreams and make meaningful contributions to society.
Also, Senator Mark successfully lobbied the Federal Government to award the contract for the Oju – Otukpo – Oweto road, a project that has brought immense relief to the people of the area by improving their access to markets, healthcare, and other essential services.
When he discovered at the initial stage that work on the project was moving at a glacial pace, the Onmojijik’apa (killer of mystery animal), as he is called within Apa/Agatu Federal constituency, pleaded with the Benue State government to take over the construction and transfer the bill to the federal government. However, the then Benue State government reportedly refused after allegedly collecting a humongous amount of money from the Federal coffers for the purposes of constructing the road, thereby frustrating the efforts of Senator Mark to bring succour to his people.
Following the refusal, Senator Mark turned to the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo, who accepted his proposal and sanctioned the construction of the road and its ancillary components, especially the Oweto Bridge, which was subsequently constructed. We should not forget that the road was, at one point in time, diverted to another state before Senator Mark fought and reverted it.
Similarly, he attracted the construction of a multi-purpose dam at Otobi-Akpa, which when completed, will not only boost agricultural productivity but also provide electricity to the swelling populations of Otukpo and its environs, in addition to the provision of potable drinking water.
The dam will also create tremendous job opportunities for the inhabitants of the area, thereby reducing poverty and improving the overall quality of life for the people. Not less than fourteen communities will benefit from the dam, which has the potential to generate electricity and transform the lives of the people. Though the work has been stalled at the moment since the government of the All Progressives Congress came on board, it is hoped that when completed, it will greatly benefit the people of Benue South Senatorial District.
The Senator, in his quest to extricate the Ado people from the clutches of poverty and underdevelopment while in exile, had wanted to establish a cement factory in conjunction with some associates but was frustrated by late Gen. Sani Abacha.
The People’s Senator, as David Mark is fondly called in Benue State, established garri processing plants at Ado, Apa, Ohimini, Okpokwu, and Obi Local Government Areas and donated them unconditionally to the inhabitants to reduce the incidence of poverty in the areas. This initiative has had a profound impact on the lives of the people, enabling them to engage in productive economic activities and improve their standard of living.
Taking cognisance of the role of sports in human development, Senator Mark established an ultra-modern golf course in Otukpo, thereby providing a platform for young people to develop their skills and compete with their peers from other parts of the country. Today, hundreds of youth from the area are taking advantage of this benevolence and competing with their peers from other parts of the country, thereby promoting healthy competition and sports development.
Golf tournaments in Otukpo have empowered hundreds of people economically, and these tournaments have also become a veritable avenue for the people of the area to showcase their cultural heritage.
He also established the David Mark Football Competition for all secondary schools in Benue-South senatorial district to discover young and raw talents, thereby promoting football development and providing opportunities for young people to pursue their dreams. During the competition which took place at Jesus College, Otukpo, a player, Oya Ogebe, was discovered and invited to the under-16 female national team. David Mark, as a motivator, procured all her training needs as well as funds needed for her upkeep while in training, thereby demonstrating his commitment to nurturing and developing young talent. Today, Oya Ogebe is an international footballer playing for a reputable club abroad.
Similarly, Senator Mark, to propel Otukpo to the desired level of development, established a radio station (Joy FM) in the area, which has not only contributed positively to the socio-political development of the entire Benue South Senatorial District but also greatly enhanced the socio-economic well-being of the populace.
By the way, I am yet to hear about Agada’s visitation to the victims of herder attacks in any part of Benue State. Ogbadibo local government area, where Agada hailed from, was recently enveloped by Kidnappers. I did not hear him decrying the orgy of violence in the area. I did not hear about his visitation to the area, not even his ancestral homeland – Owukpa.
Why did he fail to bring his influence to bear when kidnappers recently ensnared his local government area? I thought he would utilise his connections to flush out those criminals from the enclave, but, alas, he was nowhere to be seen. Yet, he is flaunting himself as a leader. Indeed, an inconsequential leader. No wonder he was chased out of the APC party secretariat like a rabies-infested canine by the Executive Governor of Benue State for lacking what it takes to propagate and nurture a formidable party like the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Perusing Agada’s diatribes, it is patently evident that he is ensconced in a paradisiacal realm of fatuous delusions, naively presupposing that Senator David Mark is bereft of influence in Benue South, and thus incapable of galvanising and channelling the political fortunes of the senatorial district towards his newfound affiliation, the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Nevertheless, as the portentous horizon of 2027 draws nigh, we shall witness the dénouement of this fantastical conceit and behold the veracity of Senator Mark’s enduring impact on the political landscape.
