Nigeria@64: Time for serious introspection, says David Mark

Former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, on Tuesday, took stock of Nigeria’s tortuous journey to nationhood and submitted that the time calls for sober reflection as the country celebrates its 64th independence anniversary.

Mark, in his goodwill message to Nigerians, reflected on the journey so far and noted that despite the challenges of insecurity, poverty, disease, and general underdevelopment, Nigeria is endowed with human and natural resources capable of changing the tide for good.

This, he said, is achievable if all citizens are patriotic and united with a common mission and purpose.

He said: “Disappointing as the situation may seem, the shortcomings of the past should serve as useful lessons for progress. We must learn from our past mistakes and work towards a better future.”

He recalled the 30-month-old fratricidal civil war, occasional ethno-religious conflicts and the uncertainties surrounding political engagements, saying that all these issues are traceable to inadequacies of leadership and citizens’ failure.

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Mark in a statement, by his media aide Paul Mumeh, cautioned against divisive tendencies and inflammatory statements in recent times that tend to exacerbate the already fragmented atmosphere.

He added that, “Those who exploit our fault lines of ethnicity and religious differences to promote hatred are enemies of the country.

“Though we are not yet where we should be, we are certainly better than yester years. This should serve as motivation for us to continue working towards a better Nigeria.”

The former Senate President emphasized that political leaders should lead by example and strive to put the citizens at the centre of their programmes and policies.

He added that “Leaders must prioritize the needs and well-being of the people.”

Mark expressed optimism that Nigeria can come out of its current challenges if all Nigerians resolve to bury the hatchet of yesterday and work together.

“We need to create an environment where everyone can ply his or her trade in any part of the country without fear of intimidation or molestation. We need to be our brother’s keeper at all times. I wish Nigerians a prosperous nation,” Mark said.