July 1, 2012.
by #Ehi.
News.
Senator David Mark’s recent warning over Boko Haram bombings may have ignited criticisms from some Nigerians, especially northern leaders, but Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports that with his outburst, he has not only set another mark for his assessment as a political leader but has provided a practical way of tackling the Boko Haram menace.
When he decides to comment on any sensitive public issue, Senate President David Mark, it seems, is hardly ever abridged by the likely criticism. In fact, this trait has contributed immensely in defining public perception of him, since his days as military governor and minister of communications. While his admirers consider such utterances and sometimes unorthodox actions as marks of courage, self confidence and forthrightness, critics see them as his weaknesses.
On Monday, at the Senate retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mark, again exposed himself to such criticisms and assessment when he said “The way Boko Haram is going, if nothing drastic is done to halt it, God forbid, it may result in the break-up of the country.” He added, “If allowed to go on, it will encourage disunity and religious war, because there is a limit to patience,” pointing out that “Christian leaders have been appealing against vengeance. But, for how long would the people continue to listen while they are being killed?”
Given his position as the Number Three citizen and as a northern leader, this comment has expectedly attracted emotional and combatant reactions from fellow northern leaders.
First to hit him were Arewa Consultative Forum’s Shehu Sani and elder statesman, Tanko Yakassai. Insisting that North’s leaders are doing their best to stop the sect, they wondered why they were being criticised by Mark.
According to Sani, “David Mark’s warning of a possible break up of Nigeria as a result of bombings and his shifting of blame or responsibility to northern leaders is most unfortunate. David Mark is simply exonerating himself and shying away from calling a spade a spade in terms of the failure of government to protect its citizens and the failure of the generation of leaders of which he is a leading figure. If northern leaders have failed the nation, David Mark stands as the emblem of that failure.”
National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Mr. Anthony Sani, retorted “Is David Mark not from the North? Is he not part of the Northern leaders? Why is he talking like that? If you talk about the country breaking up, in what direction is this going to take?”
Yakasai was more combative, insisting that the senate president’s statement “means he doesn’t believe in the future of the country and demonstrates that he is not qualified to hold his current position.”
A prominent member of Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, was equally not sparing. He described the statement as “inflammatory.”
In a joint statement by Arewa Youth Development Foundation and Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, some northern youths also berated Mark. “It is unfortunate that Mark, supposedly a public figure and people’s representative should publicly admit not being aware of the concerted efforts by the Northern Elders Forum that has cut across religious and tribal boundaries; the various meetings held by the Northern Governors Forum, the northern traditional rulers and various coalitions of religious leaders.”
Is Mark uncaring and anti-people?
As a public officer during the military regime, some Nigerians, especially common citizens, insisted that Mark was rather uncaring and anti-people. This impression was further emphasised when he served as Minister of Communication, by the well quoted remark that telephone was not for common Nigerians.
Perhaps, if Mark did not join partisan politics after his retirement and if he did not rise to serve as a two term Senate President, that notion may still not be contested.
But according Dr Godwin Udoh, a public analyst, some of his roles and utterances as the leader of the legislative arm of government have since changed his image. Now, I think he can be called a man of the people.”
Udoh said this change is not only traceable to “Mark’s people-friendly utterances in recent times but also to some courageous and rather innovative leadership qualities he so far exhibited.” Of course, his critics describe such strategies as grossly unorthodox.
But The Nation’s investigation shows that though sometimes very controversial, Mark may have evolved a leadership style that is both survivalist in nature and hardly offensive if viewed dispassionately.
For example, at the dawn of the seventh senate, Mark noted a brewing crisis poised to task his leadership acumen.
Some northern senators had alleged some lopsidedness in the composition of the senate standing committees and allocation of projects in the 2012 budget, accusing a top member of senate leadership of denying them of their due.
Visibly worried by the development, Mark, according to some inside sources, immediately convened a closed door session of the Senate to “create room for the aggrieved Senators to express their grievances.”
At the end of the session and some follow-up meetings, some adjustments and key appointments were made, some sacrifices were also made and the matter was finally resolved.
Also, although his critics and supporters are yet to agree over his real motive in acting as a self-appointed mediator during the nationwide strike ordered by the Nigerian Labour Congress over fuel subsidy, it is on record that he took action for which he has been counted.
Soon after the fuel subsidy crisis, some reporters asked him why he took some of his unusual actions and risks. His response was instructive: “By virtue of my level anyway, I should be nationalistic and I should have the interest of this country at heart in everything that I do and it should be foremost in my actions. If there is crisis and I can intervene, then I’ve just done my normal routine duty. There is nothing extraordinary. I felt that the country needs peace and stability for economic development and anything that can ensure that there is peace and stability; I will do it with all my heart.”
Speaking of the Doctrine of Necessity option, he said in his farewell speech, at the valedictory session to mark the end of the sixth senate on Thursday, June 2, 2011: ” The nation looked up to us for a solution to a situation some people had already considered an impasse. My distinguished colleagues, you collectively rose to the occasion by introducing the Doctrine of Necessity. That singular action by this distinguished Red Chamber saved our dear country from imminent political crisis to the contentment and applause of majority of Nigerians. The concept of the Doctrine of Necessity has enriched our political lexicon and rescued us from the brink.”
The point seems to be that Mark considers it his responsibility to act or speak up when the need arises. His image has expectedly taken the heat for such actions. Not perturbed though, Mark, according Udoh; “has remained a realist and a survivalist.” It remains however to see if his alleged realist and survivalist tendencies have positively rubbed off on the nation’s polity.
When he emerged the Senate President during the sixth senate, most informed analysts did not give him a chance, pointing out the recurring exploits of banana peel.
It is still a matter of intense debate what has sustained Mark this far as the president of the seventh senate. Some said he had some unusual leadership style, which is sometimes traced to his military background, while his critics alleged that his survival is not unconnected with his tendency to play along with all interest groups in order to avert conflict.
Northern leaders and Boko Haram
Mark’s current comments over Boko Haram came as a surprise to his fellow northern leaders and elders but others, including Christians, are applauding his courage and candidness, arguing that solution to the Boko Haram puzzle rests in the hands of northern elders and leaders. “Truth must be told, no matter how bitter and we are proud that Mark found the courage to say the truth,” said Pa Uduma Okonji, a retired senior civil servant.
Pa Okonji however added that Mark only said what most Nigerians have been canvassing. “So, we must not stop here. Sambo Dasuki will need to make progress from here,” he said.
This seems to be the general consensus, that no matter how anybody may hate Mark’s seeming isolation of himself from the blames, he has obviously set a new mark that must serve as a compass in the country’s search for solutions to Boko Haram and insecurity.
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