Background
Senator David Mark was born on the 8th day of April 1948 in Otukpo Local Government of Benue State of Nigeria.
Senator David Mark was born on the 8th day of April 1948 in Otukpo Local Government of Benue State of Nigeria.
His primary education began at St. Francis Catholic Practising School, Otukpo from 1956-1961. He then proceeded to the prestigious Nigerian Military School, Zaria from 1962-1966 thereby setting the tone of his ambition for a military career. Young David Mark graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Regular 3 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1970.
He proceeded for further professional training in the United Kingdom and India from 1971-1976 and bagged a Bachelors Degree in Telecommunications. Between 1978 and 1979, he was a student at the Command Staff College and in 1990-1991 was at the National Defence University in Washington DC and later at Harvard University Boston, USA 1991-1992.
Prior to becoming a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was Commander 1 Division Headquarters & Signals, Kaduna; Commandant, School of Signals, Lagos; Staff Officer, Operations Headquarters & Signals Lagos; Sports Officer, Signal Brigade, Lagos; Faculty Director, National War College; General Staff Officer, Grade I Coordinate Command & Staff College, Jaji; Directing Staff Officer, Command and Staff College, Jaji; Commander, 3rd Marine Signals Division, Port-Harcourt; Brigade Major, Signal Brigade, Lagos; Director of Telecommunications, Army Headquarters,
Lagos; Chairman, Abandoned Properties Implementation Commission.
He thereafter became the Military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986 and was later made a Minister of Communications in 1987; he went on a self-imposed exile from 1993 to 1998.
In 1999, he contested for the Benue South Senatorial seat and won under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP). He was again re-elected from 2003 to 2007. In 2007, he re-contested again and won. This time around, he became the Senate President. It is worthy to note that David mark was senate president from 2007 to 2011, and was reelected for a fourth time for another tenure of 2011 to 2015.
In the 2015 elections, he again re-contested for the Benue South Senatorial seat and won.
As Minister of Communications in 1988, he revolutionalized the communications sector in Nigeria by introducing mobile phones and digital telephone system in the country. He reorganized NIPOST and started the city coding system.
He also built two ultra-modern digital earth stations in Lagos and Enugu from internally generated revenue without recourse to the Federal Government fund.
While he was the president of the Senate, Senator David Mark raised alarm over the antics of some desperate persons using politics and religion to destroy the sanctity of the unity and peace of the Nigerian nation. He said:
” To sponsor or promote violence , destruction and uncharitable utterances in the name of politics or religion is totally unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest term; in words and deeds."
Speaking at the installation ceremony of the metropolitan Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Joseph Oche Job in Abuja , Senator Mark therefore urged Nigerians of all faiths to be committed to the work of social justice, peace and religious tolerance.
The President of the Senate cautioned those fanning the embers of war or disunity to think otherwise pointing out that ” current insecurity and political confusion are avoidable distractions we certainly do not need now.”
He frowned that most people tend to use politics and religion for the wrong reasons, saying ” what we need now is to embark on serious political and inter-religious dialogue with the spirit of frankness, honesty, openness, acceptance and understanding in order to move forward.”
Senator Mark noted that God did not make mistake in creating us as His children under one nation and therefore requested all Nigerians to continue to pray for the unity and peace of our country.
He congratulated the new Archbishop on his elevation and urged the clergy to continue to pray for the nation because ” With prayers and concerted efforts, the challenges we are facing can be overcome.”
He is considered as one of the pioneers of democracy in Nigeria. His socio political charisma ripples through the entire length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond. He is a lover of democracy and the rule of law and above all, a man of immense political sagacity.
Mark is a pragmatist, an outstanding Senator, fiercely devoted to the social, economic and political engineering of Nigeria, a shrewd and excellent politician, one of the best managers of our democracy, a man who brought to bear the political Doctrine of Necessity. He has all his life displayed vigor without vanity, strength without insolence and courage without ferocity and all the virtues of a natural leader without his vices.
Quotations: “Nothing whatsoever justifies this brazen act of destruction meted out on the people of Agatu. My heart bleeds.”
He is a fearless tactician, intelligent, witty and a man of character who is always determined to achieve good results by all means possible.
He is married, and has children
