The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mark

  • Sambo, Obasanjo, Mark, Tambuwal lead PDP campaign train

    Vice-President Namadi Sambo; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Senate President David Mark; and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, will lead the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign train ahead of the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State.

    At the inauguration of the campaign committee yesterday in Abuja, Sambo said the PDP would fight and win the Ondo election on the basis of ‘one man, one vote’.

    Sambo, who chairs the campaign committee, explained that the Federal Government would ensure that the election is free and fair.

    The PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, bemoaned the loss of Ondo State to the opposition Labour Party (LP) through a judicial process.

    Hesaid the PDP would reclaim the state through the ballot this time around.

    Tukur said: “Ondo State is a PDP state and a very important one to our party for that matter. It was, therefore, a matter of distress to us when we lost it, not through the polls but through a judicial process.

    “Our resolve to win Ondo State back is the underlying factor for setting up this high powered committee.”

    Tukur, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, expressed optimism that the popularity and acceptability of the PDP candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, would ensure victory for the party.

    Other members of the campaign committee are: Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amechi; former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu; former Ekiti Governor Segun Oni, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP.

     

  • MARTINS SETS 15 GOALS MARK

    MARTINS SETS 15 GOALS MARK

    GINGERED by his fruitful debut Sunday against Real Sociedad, Nigeria international and Levante forward Obafemi Martins is optimistic he can supercede the contributions of Ivorien Intenational Arouna Kone who left the club for Wigan Athletic making way for him to fill the gap.

    Kone made 34 appearances for Levante scoring 15 goals for the side before heading for Wigan.

    Speaking in his post match comments to Spanish Media, the Nigeria international says he wants to better Koné’s record even as he dismissed insinuations in some quarters that Levante is a moderate club.

    “In the first practice I saw that the club Levante is not as small as some think and I’m very happy to be here,” Martins was quoted as saying by superdeporte.es.

    The former Inter Milan star who thanked his parents and brother who stood by him during the long period uncertainty just before landing levante deal, described the debut goal and the three points claimed in the bargain as a major boost. The 27 – year -old popularly called Obagoal by his fans is the 11th Levante player to score on his debut in the Spanish top flight.

  • Floods: Mark, Foreign Minister meet Camerounian envoy

    Floods: Mark, Foreign Minister meet Camerounian envoy

    Nigeria has launched a diplomatic initiative to encourage Cameroun to check the raging water from its Lagdo Dam which has wreaked havoc in several states.

    Dozens of Nigerians have been killed, thousands rendered homeless and farmlands and livestock washed away by the flood triggered by excess water released from the dam.

    Worst hit are Adamawa, Benue and Cross River States.

    Senate President, David Mark and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, on Thursday evening met with the Camerounian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Salahuddeen Ibrahim Abbas in Abuja on the issue.

    Mark and Ashiru asked the envoy to prevail on the authorities in Yaounde to manage the release of water from Lagdo Dam.

    Also, there were indications last night that the federal government might send a Mission to Cameroun next week for technical talks on the situation.

    It was gathered that the Senate President and the Foreign Affairs Minister conveyed the displeasure of the federal government to the High Commissioner on how more than 200,000 Nigerians have been displaced in seven states.

    The states affected by the release of water from Cameroun are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and Bauchi.

    Others flooded by water from River Niger are Kwara, Kogi, Kebbi, Anambra and Kano.

    A reliable source said: “The Camerounian government sent a note verbal to Nigeria on the situation in Lagdo Dam and we decided to meet with the High Commissioner on the way forward.

    “But as a responsible government, there is no way we will sit by and watch Nigerians lose their lives and property to floods created from the release of water from Cameroun.

    “I think the two nations will jointly find solutions to the challenge of floods.”

    Ambassador Ashiru, who confirmed the session, last night, said the federal government has stepped into the flood problems.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, also spoke with our correspondent, and said: “We have sent our team right to the dam to take stock of the situation. We will send a Mission to Cameroon next week for talks on how to manage the release of water from the dam.

    “They told us that the release of the water is important to avoid the collapse of the dam which can wreak more havoc. We have observed that when they release water from Lagdo Dam, after some days, it will recede. But this has not been so this year because of the structures that have been built.”

  • Nigeria will tackle Cameroun over flooding – Mark

    Nigeria will tackle Cameroun over flooding – Mark

    Senate president David Mark has assured victims of flood disasters in the country that the Federal Government has put in place measures that would compel cameroun not to release excess water from Lagdo dam or Lake Nyios.
    Speaking with journalist after monitoring settlements affected by floods in Makurdi, Benue State,Senator Mark,who was in company of the former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Barnabas Gemade and Minster of Interior,Comrade Abba Moro, said the government would address the challenges of flooding in the country.
    He noted that since the creation of Benue State,this year’s flood is the most devastating and pledged the assistance of the senate in bringing succour to the victims who are scattered in various camps in the state capital.
    The senate president donated N4 million naira to the victims,while Morro and Gemade coughed out N2million and N1 million respectively.
    Governor Gabriel Suswam on his part said the state and federal government are working out modalities to compensate the victims of the disaster and appealed for calm.
    Meanwhile, residents of several communities in Udaba, Osomhegbe, Ofukpo and Agbazi in Anegbette and Udochi in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State have been sacked following overflow of the River Niger occassioned by heavy rainfall.
    The affected persons struggled to move to dry land even as many relocated to their relatives in neighbouring villages.
    Farm lands, houses and property worth millions of naira were washed off.
    The lawmaker representing Estako Central at the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Johnson Oghuma, raised the alarm during plenary session on Thursday.
    Oghuma, who drew attention of his colleagues to the plight of the affected communities said his people were in dire need of aids.
    Other lawmakers who spoke on the matter urged relevant agencies to provide relief materials for the affected communities.
    Edo State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barr. Osikhena-Boih Donald, who hails from the area also visited some of the affected villages for an on-the-spot assessment of the damages done by flooding.

     

  • Jonathan meets Mark, Tambuwal over N5,000 banknote

    Jonathan meets Mark, Tambuwal over N5,000 banknote

    President Goodluck Jonathan has met with Senate President David Mark and House Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on the decision of the National Assembly to reject the introduction of the N5,000 note by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    It was learnt that at the Tuesday night meeting at the Villa, the President expressed worry on plans by the National Assembly, especially the House, to begin Status Enquiry on Capital Projects in the 2012 budget.

    But Mark and Tambuwal assured him that the physical tour of projects was not meant to attack the Executive or initiate impeachment proceedings against him.

    The President met Mark and Tambuwal after the two chambers of the National Assembly opposed the introduction of the N5,000 note by the CBN.

    A source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the media, said the Senate President and Speaker insisted that the timing of the N5,000 note was not good.

    They also conveyed the feelings of Nigerians that they do not want the denomination, asking President Jonathan not to run against the wish of the majority of Nigerians.

    The source said: “The President and the National Assembly leaders had mutual discussion on the arguments for and against the N5,000 note.

    “At the end of the day, the President told the leaders: ‘If that is the popular decision of Nigerians, we will advise the CBN to have a rethink of the policy. We will not enforce it because we cannot run against the wish of our people.’

    “The President was not too categorical but his body language at the meeting indicated that he might consult with the CBN and the Economic Management Team to drop the introduction of the new note.”

    It was gathered that the President was concerned also about the decision of the National Assembly to embark on Status Enquiry on Capital Projects in 2012 budget.

    According to another source, the President felt physical verification of capital projects by members of the National Assembly might still be a carry-over of the row between the Executive and the Legislature over budget implementation.

    But the Speaker explained that the inspection is designed to assist the Jonathan administration to know the true position of implementation of capital projects.

    “We are not out to undermine your administration or move against you,” the Speaker was quoted as assuring the President.

    The House also agreed to go ahead with its planned Status Enquiry on Capital Projects in 2012 budget from next week.

    This decision was reached at an Executive Session yesterday.

    A source said: “As part of our discovery that budget implementation is low, we will begin inspection of project sites as from next week.

    “This inspection will be solely financed by the House; we won’t take a penny from the Executive. We want to know whether these MDAs are working on not.

    “After the tour, we will be able to determine the true position on the implementation of the 2012 Budget and give Nigerians the accurate percentage of execution.

    “We want to ascertain the list of contracts awarded, status of projects and the extent of cash backing.

    “This Status Enquiry will also assist us in considering the 2013 Budget due for presentation by the end of this month. The era of abandonment of projects is gone. We will not appropriate funds for abandoned projects.”

     

  • Mark: Nigeria facing greatest challenge to its existence

    Mark: Nigeria facing greatest challenge to its existence

    Senate President, Senator Mark, on Wednesday declared that the country is facing the greatest challenge to its corporate existence since the 30 months civil war.
    Mark said that he is convinced beyond doubt that the country requires immediate healing to save it from strife and anomie.
    This is contained in the speech he read to mark the resumption of the Senate from recess on Tuesday after about two months.
    The Senate President lamented that the activities of the Boko Haram sect were at its peak when Senators dispersed for their recess to various parts of the country.
    He added that as a result of heightened insecurity, it was with heated breath and anxiety that he watched Senators disperse in late July for recess.
    He noted that a new evil has combined with old and familiar perils to present the country with perhaps the greatest challenge to its corporate existence since the civil war.
    He said, “We return from our recess to meet a nation sorely in need of healing, a nation previously free from strife and anomie, but now convulsing from a genre of violence that we all thought was alien to our shores.
    “A new but formidable evil has now combined with old and familiar perils to present our nation with perhaps the greatest challenge to its corporate existence since the civil war.
    “In the course of interactions and consultations with your constituents during the recess, you would have noticed the fear and anxiety in their eyes. You would have also noticed that almost everyone expects the Senate, nay the National Assembly, to lead the campaign for a solution and for national rebirth.
    ”That expectation is not misplaced. Legislators are the gatekeepers to the realm of the public good. We are the vanguards of democratic norms and we carry the aspirations, hopes, and expectations of the people, and even their fears.”
    Mark said that the legislative tradition of recess sharpens the synergy between the legislator and his constituents, because it affords the lawmaker an opportunity to feel the pulse of the people – and by extension that of the nation.
    He urged Senators to prepare to take on the unprecedented challenges facing the country, saying “the times call for sacrifice and statesmanship, and for everyone to rise above narrow and parochial interests.”