In 2014, I Caution You Against Provocative Utterances – Senate President Mark

In his welcoming speech to colleagues at the first plenary since Christmas and New Year’s break, Senate President David Mark urged them not to be used as mere tools of factional politics but to uphold the primacy of the interest of Nigeria and the welfare of the people.

He noted that, driven by personal selfish ambitions, politicians tend to overheat the polity thus undermining governance. He warned his fellow lawmakers against provocative utterances, urgin them to exhibit maturity in their approach to national issues.
“As we resume today, we will soon realize that it is not only our legislative responsibilities that will task our wisdom. Pervasive political tension arising from festering political disputes continues to engage the larger polity.
“Across the nation, governance appears to have been sacrificed on the altar of desperate political manoeuvres and feverish permutations aimed at out-flanking one another ahead of the 2015 elections.
“Blinded by unclad ambition, the political class has so painfully forgotten the lessons of our national history, and has once again allowed the collision of vaulting personal ambitions to overheat the polity and undermine governance,” Mr. Mark said.
“Coming at a time when our nation is still transiting amid tremendous strains and enormous social and economic challenges, the emphasis on primordial politics at the expense of governance is irresponsible, and even dangerous.
“I have said this several times, and even at the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me once again caution against provocative utterances.”
The Senate president lamented attacks on Senators Magnus Abe, Ali Ndume, and Gbenga Obadara in different parts of Nigeria and assured that he had instituted probes into the cases.