Igede: Shall we ever forgive D.Mark ?? By Okwo romeon

Sen.David Mark. 

Thisday mark four years and and some months now since Distinguished Senator David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark,an excellent Military General, a politicians of rare class,a former Minister of Communication and the longest Senate President of Nigeria Federal Parliament.

History will remember him as the Senate President that buried the banana peels in the Harold chamber .

His steadfastness why steering the leadership of the Upper Legislative Chamber during his days as the Senate President put an ice stone even on the lips of opposition parties senators.

Senator D Mark,as he is fondly called is not a man of many words,his mates in St Francis Catholic school where he started his early school days in Otukpo present Benue state and some of his colleagues who were commissioned together as officers in seventy still attest to this allusion.

Senator D.Mark was the renew hope of the Idoma nation in the fifth Republic dispensation as he rose from floor bench Senator to became the longest serving Senate President and equal the like of his kinsman Senator Ameh Ebutte who was also the Senate President during the aborted third Republics.

Anyone familiar with Benue political history knew Benue has three senatorial zones just any others states in the country,the Tiv majority controlled two of such zones while the Idoma’s,Igede’s and Agatu’s and the others make up the major tribes that share the remaining one .

Also,Zone C have nine local government areas,the Igede have two LG,the Agatu one ,the Untonkwo one and the core Idoma speaking have five local government areas.

In politics,the core Idoma speaking populate the zone and even have most candidates from the political parties.

But the truth of the matter is that ,most at time,the idoma contest against themselves especially in Senatorial election which then make Igede zones the deciding factor in the senatorial poll.

So,the deciding factor or prospect for winning the Senate from the Zone C has Alway been the two local government areas from Igede land and Agatu. But unfortunately,this are the most neglected area of the zone.

This were the political support that Senator D,Mark enjoyed for four consecutive term in the senate.The Igede ‘s gave him their votes and he uses their votes to buried their voices because of his position as the Senate President and there was nothing soever to attribute to him (Senator D,Mark) over the two decade plus he represented this noble tribe that were as milk and honey to him during his political dynasties.

It is now a known facts that,during Senator D.Mark Senate’s Presidency,no Igede son or daughter was given any appointment from the Federal government,it that mean David Mark converted all the appointment from Benue state to his only kings men in zone C .

Despite all the votes he got from Igede land,they is none Federal project sighted in the two local government areas of Igede during this time.

It will be amazing to some of you to know that between Senator D.Mark country home at Oturkpo and Oberika the headquarter of Obi Local government is just about twenty Kilometers stretch of road but because the former Senator President depurate Igede people like most of his tribal men,that road today is the worse road to drive through .

The Idoma’s should stop crying of marginalization in Benue state,as they themselves had kept smoking the political lives of the Igede’s for decade.

Igede been peace loving people left Otukpo town to the Idoma even when the Idoma are not the original habitat of the place,yet most of them don’t want any meaningful developments to extend to her communities both from the Federal and state government

History will be kind to Senator Abba Umoru if he continues the way he has started by extending his representation as the Senator of zone to all the tribes in the Zone not minding the dialect differences,unlike his predecessors who only sang one Idoma unity when it is politically bell time .

Igede nation had never been subdued before,not even by powerful monarchs,we stand up in Benin kingdom when our brothers,the Bini rose against us for a causes the Igede’s knew nothing of ,and by gods on our side,we moved to our present abode as people we have no regrets for any actions we face as people even as our history have it.

So the Idoma should stop taken our patient and kind gesture to granted especially in politics.Igede had given much,and it is also imperative those that represent the Zone give back to us the Federal benefit even if they felt the can passed us the office because they have the political numbers just like the Tiv are doing.

To answer my question,will the Igede forgive Senator D.Mark is an open retrospect that will be answered by all sons And sundries of Igede land and not just me alone but the facts are not something that can easily be hidden.the era of Senator D,Mark Representative to Zone c was a minus to conscience of the people.

Okwo Romeon is the editor at large with The Prime Newspaper Makurdi, a season Reporter, Columnist and Public Relations Practitioner,based in the nation capital Abuja.sms only to +2348035809004 and email @bonromeon@gmail.com or follow him www, romeonropelblogspot.com or all social media, account @ Romeon Ropel.

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