Tag: David Mark

President of the Senate David Mark accepted yesterday the  Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) nomination form from his Benue South Senatorial constituents to return to the Senate next year.

The nine local government council chairmen in Benue South Senatorial zone purchased the party nomination form  in Makurdi, the state capital yesterday, urging Mark to return to the Senate.

Mark, who accepted the form at a crowded gathering in his Otukpo country home, promised not to depart from the path of honour, justice and equity in the service to his country men and women.

He added: “This is the covenant with my people. This endorsement speaks volume of the immeasurable responsibility on my shoulder by my people. Please pray for me that God Almighty gives me the grace, wisdom and courage to continue to serve to the glory of God and benefit to humanity.”

The Senate president, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, betrayed emotion as he intermittently cleaned tears from his face on account of the overwhelming crowd surging to have a handshake with him and his wife, Helen, at the event.

The Senate President added: “For this trust and confidence repose on me, I cannot afford to fail. Let us work together as a team. I am prepared to give the last pint of my blood to serve my people diligently. Together, we can reach the promised land.

“You all defied the heat, the scorching sun to gather here for my sake, to represent you in the Senate. This is unimaginable. Your sacrifices would not be in vain.”

In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Steve Lawani, said the endorsement of the Senate President was a confirmation of the position of the state government because of Mark’s unprecedented achievement in the Senate.

Interior Minister, Comrade Abba Moro, who earlier led a delegation to obtain the nomination form in Makurdi, the state capital, said the people of the zone were overwhelmed by Mark’s record and therefore decided to return him next year to continue the good job.

A head of the presentation of the 2015 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, Senate President David Mark has reiterated the need for the full implementation of the national budget.

Mark, who spoke yesterday at a roundtable of civil society organisations’ (CSOs’)/non-governmental organisations’ (NGOs’) on the monitoring of the 2013 budget at the National Assembly, noted that the full implementation of the budget was imperative to national development.

Represented by his Special Assistant on NGOs, Nehi Okunmendia, the Senate President said he had never deviated from his stance on the need for the full implementation of the budget after its passage by the National Assembly.

The result of the CSOs/NGOs independent monitoring and tracking of budget in their zones, he said, would contribute to the debate on what amounts to an acceptable implementation rate of the budget from an independent and objective point of view.

Mark said the objective of budget monitoring was to map out a mechanism ensure total budget compliance.

The Interim Administrator National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO), E. B. Jarumi, noted that the implementation of the budget would affect everybody when it was poorly executed.

Jarumi, who chaired the event, said the 2014 budget was christened Budget of Job Creation “but I still have more than 15 jobless persons in my house”.

He urged the CSOs to expose those responsible for poor budget implementation.

Jarumi added: “There is no gainsaying the fact that the government budget, apart from being a key policy document, is also the vehicle for the mobilisation, allocation and management of resources geared towards the achievement of development plans, programmes and projects.

“However, in Nigeria, especially in recent years, the implementation of the capital component of the budget has elicited deep concerns on account of poor implementation, leading to abysmal performance and inability to achieve well spelt-out development goals.”

He said it was for the development that NABRO decided the annual production: “Mapping of Capital Projects” report since its inception in 2012.

 

 

Senate President David Mark yesterday urged Nigerians to have faith and remain steadfast in promoting peace and unity, no matter the challenges.

Mark, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, to mark this year’s Independence Anniversary, said: “The indivisibility of our nation is not negotiable because there is no better place than Nigeria.”

He recalled the nation’s chequered political history since 1960, during which Nigeria went through a 30-month civil war, ethno-religious conflicts and assured that “our crises are surmountable.”

The Senate President dismissed as untrue, insinuation in some quarters that Nigeria has not made progress since independence, saying: “Let us cast our minds back a little and see the number of road networks, schools, universities, health institutions, telecommunications and a host of others.

“We may not have been where we want to be, but we have made appreciable progress and we can do more. All we need to do is strengthen our unity as one people with one mission and purpose. The stable democracy has offered us the opportunity to harness our abundant resources for good.

“Nigerians passed through challenges in the past and we came out of them.  The security challenges, especially this Boko Haram insurgency, can be defeated if we unite to fight them.

“I believe the Boko Haram insurgency is alien to us as a people. We have the capacity to defeat them and confine them to the dustbin of history.”

He promised that genuine complaints and agitations among Nigerians “arising from the structure of our polity can be addressed by the government,” but was quick to point out that “we cannot correct perceived imbalances by taking up arms against our brothers, sisters and nation.”

Senate President David Mark said yesterday that he did not call for the postponement of the 2015 general elections.

He said it was unfair for anybody to link him with the alleged plot to postpone the poll.

A statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Mark made the clarification in his reaction to a statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed that the Senate President called for the postponement of the 2015 elections.

He described the allegation as “a bogus and blatant lie.”

Mark recalled that during debate in the Senate, he said insurgency, which was the subject of the debate, must be addressed and not election matters.

He added: “I did not need the misinterpretation of any medium to give myself expression on any position I hold.”

The 2015 general elections, the Senate President said, was of importance to every Nigeria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senate President David Mark is in the frame for a record fourth term in the Senate  as a reward for his ‘loyalty’ to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),party  sources hinted yesterday in Abuja.

Several first term governors of the party and some other principal officers of the National Assembly also stand a good chance of  benefitting  from a trade off with the party leaders.

The party is determined to whip into line erring party members and punish those a source labeled ‘rebellious’ members.

Such ‘rebels’ in the Senate and House of Representatives  will,thus, not have their  current tickets renewed for next year’s election ,it was gathered.

The party has decided against  renewing  their nomination following  the  unanimous endorsement of  President Goodluck Jonathan  for a second term by PDP leaders.

All PDP Senators and Representatives will,accordingly,be screened with a view to weeding out the ‘rebels’, party sources said yesterday.

Senate President   Mark and some principal officers as well as some first  term governors  will be  rewarded with automatic tickets for their  ‘loyalty’.

It was gathered that  party’s leadership is under pressure to retain its present power sharing formula agreed  in 2011.

Also, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State said yesterday that  he had never declared interest in the presidential race and there was no question of stepping down.

A high-ranking PDP source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The party will not give automatic ticket to all Senators and House of Representatives. What applied to Jonathan is not across the board.

“Besides performance benchmark, loyalty counts in politics. Some outgoing Senators and members of the House of Representatives were disloyal to the party; they were not committed to the ideals of the ruling party.

“Some members of the National Assembly also disrespected the Office of the President and frustrated budget presentation and laudable programmes of the party.”

The ‘rebels’, abandoned the mandate given to them by the people,the source said, and added: “this is not a question of vengeance but we will promote discipline and ensure that the right candidates are selected.

“We will not look for robots but we will get the best who believe in quality legislative business.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “The President of the Senate, Chief David Mark and some principal officers in the National Assembly  may get automatic ticket if they want to come back. Some party leaders are already making a strong case for these leaders.

“I think there is a strong push for Mark to return as the President of the Senate We will also address local issues surrounding the ticket for some of these leaders in their states.

“We have issues with some principal officers of the House, they should forget returning on the platform of the PDP.”

The source added that the party may return to its power sharing formula which was designed in 2011.

“If the leaders retain the power sharing formula of 2011, the South-West may produce the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“We want a formula that will appeal to all the six geopolitical zones. There was a distortion since June 2011 and the party is still carrying the burden about.

Meanwhile, Governor Lamido said he never  nursed any aspiration for the Office of the President,much less  stepping down for President Goodluck Jonathan.

“I have never declared interest in the presidential election. Maybe you should remind me when you and I discussed my declaration and aspiration,” he said in an interview .

“I could not have stepped down for an office I did not seek.”

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Umaru Kyari also gave more insights before boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj.

Kyari said: “He has never told anybody that he was going to contest. That is why they are urging him to contest.

“It is not correct to say he has stepped down for the President  because he has never told anybody that he will contest for the presidency in 2015. But it is true that based on his excellent performance, some people were urging him to contest.

“When the South-South, South-West, South-East, North-Central, North-East endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan, they had their reasons. But in the North-West, Jigawa State said he has not fulfilled election promises he made in 2011.

“To support the President in 2011, he promised to construct an airport in the state; put a water scheme in Dutse;  water works and irrigation project Auyo Valley project, a dual carriage way from Gaya to Jigawa State; and  to assist the state in the area of desert encroachment

“The Federal Government has not fulfilled all these promises, that was why we said Jigawa should be counted out of the President’s endorsement by the North-West for 2015 poll.

“Even Governor Sule Lamido’s friends in the PDP have spoken to Jonathan that his grouses are genuine and based on the promises.”

 

Senate President David Mark restated yesterday his resolve to pursue the quest for the creation of more states.

He said most Nigerians desired the creation of more states to correct the imbalances and give everybody a sense of belonging.

The Senate President described as a “legitimate demand”, the agitation for state creation.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Paul Mumeh, said Mark spoke when four members of the House of Representatives and nine chairmen of local governments from  Benue South visited him in Abuja.

Mumeh quoted the Senate President as saying that “even if it takes my last energy, I want to pursue the creation of states. I will put in my last breath to ensure the creation of Apa State  for my people.”

Mark was also quoted to have responded to the call by his constituents to re-contest the senatorial seat next year by saying: “I am a loyal, faithful and dedicated party man. I will only make my intention known when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) releases the guidelines and programmes for the elections.”

He was said to have told his constituents to remain steadfast and loyal to the PDP because there were good reasons, including guaranteed dividends of democracy, to remain in the party.

The Senate President  cautioned aspirants to base their campaigns on issues that would positively impact on the citizenry, instead of engaging in mudslinging or character assassination.

He said: “We should tell the people what we have done and what we intend to do when elected.”