- Servant-leadership made me succeed as Senate President – Mark
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Years after leaving the Senate to become Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir of Bauchi State says great political mentoring and guidance by former President of Nigerian Senate, Senator David Achelenu Bonaventure Mark played a significant part in his meteoric rise politically.
Governor Bala admitted owing a lot of his political fortunes largely to the support and tutelage by Senator Mark whom he described as a true nationalist.
The public declaration conveyed a show of gratitude by the Governor in appreciation of what he described as “good virtue of political mentoring worthy of emulation by older Nigerian politicians for the upcoming ones.”
Speaking in Katangan Warji, the headquarters of Warji Local Government Area during the flagging off ceremony for the construction of Katangan Warji-Gwaram Road, Governor Bala said without personalities like Senator Mark at the helm of affairs when the country found itself in a political lock jam, crisis of an unimaginable nature would have erupted.
He recalled that during the near political lacuna created by the incapacitation of late President Umar Musa Yar’adua, Senator Mark, then as Senate President, alongside others who had Nigerian project at heart, stood boldly to settle the issue.
The Bauchi Governor said it was the leadership role and harmonious working relationship with the former Senate President that ensured safe landing for contending forces, thereby endearing him (David Mark) to many people and also made a mark in his life (Bala) as a Senator and later FCT Minister.
Similarly, the governor said at the point he had no backing of his State administration to emerge as FCT Minister, the former Senate President stood behind him and supported his confirmation by the National Assembly.
According to him; “I did not emerge from my state, that was the work of God, but he was instrumental to my becoming a Minster.
“And when I was coming back, it was same David Mark who stood his ground and stood behind my back and said Bala Mohammed must come back as FCT Minister. I have never told anybody this; I have a deep sense of gratitude to him and gratitude to God.”
Appreciating Senator Mark more, Governor Bala said; “These are people who fought and kept Nigeria as a united nation. Such people should be revered as true Nigerians who sacrificed all they are in order to keep Nigeria as one and United entity.”
In his remarks, Senator David Mark, said his tenure as one of the longest-serving Senate President would not have been possible without the support of Senator Bala Mohammed and others who shared his political ideology.
He said leading a rancour-free Senate for eight years was only possible “because I had committed and patriotic Senators like Bala Mohammed, Baba Tela and many others who laid down their political lives for the survival of the nation called Nigeria”.
“I was a servant – leader and opened minded to the rest of my colleagues, we worked together irrespective of our political differences because the Nigerian project was our focus, how to make it successful was our aspirations”, the governor said
