Benue govt moves against David Mark

The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in Benue state has begun measures to reduce the political influence of Senator David Mark as it denied the former Senate president the use of Oju Stadium when he went to the area to thank the people for voting for him during the recent rerun election.
According to the tribune, following the failure of the local government chairman to permit the use of the stadium for the event, Senator Mark, his entourage and the large people of Oju, who turned out to receive him, eventually converged on Juila Resort owned by Andy Olema, who is a member of the PDP.
The government also plans to sanction traditional rulers who received Senator Mark during his tour, particularly that of Ohimini local government area, Chief John Ochai, who conferred on him the title of Ogomola K’Ohimini, meaning, the defender of the people. Reacting to the government’s action, David Mark said it was undemocratic’ for the APC led government to deny him the use of the stadium.
He thanked the people for their support, which culminated in large votes for him in spite of intimidation from the government of the day.
The state chairman of PDP, Dr Agbo Emmanuel, also thanked the people for standing in defence of Senator Mark against the wish of the government. Meanwhile, David Mark has urged Nigerians to rise up against the growing insecurity in the country.
The Nation reports that the former Senate president noted that although insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria alone, the country must stop the needless killings and not allow the phenomenon cripple the nation.
In a statement released by Paul Mumeh who is the media assistant to Mark, the senator said this in Ogume, Delta state after he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree on Intelligence and Security studies from Novena University at the institution’s convocation ceremony.
In another develpomet, the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, in Markurdi on Monday, March 21, blamed the recent killings in Agatu, a local government area in Benue state, on porous borders around the location.
Ortom, in a meeting with members of the Senate led by officials of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the porous Nigerian borders have lead to an influx of foreigners in the country. He said foreigners from Mali, Senegal and Ghana are the perpetrators of the crisis in Agatu community.