The former military governor of defunct Bendel state, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, has congratulated his colleague and friend, Senator David Mark on his 74th birthday.
Senator Mark, who was a Senate President during the reign of PDP, was born in Otukpo, the present-day Benue state, on April 8, 1948.
Senator Ogbeha, in a goodwill message to Senator Mark, contained in a statement released on Thursday, praised him for his steadfastness in the service to the nation.
He noted the contributions of the Senator to the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria and urged him not to rest on his oars.
Senators Ogbeha and David Mark were classmates at the Nigeria Military School (NMS), Zaria, and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna. While Ogbeha was military governor of old Bendel state Mark was the military governor of old Niger state.
Both retired as Brigadiers-General of the Nigerian Army on the same day.
On retirement from the Army, the duo went into politics. Ogbeha was elected Senator under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kogi West Senatorial Zone of Kogi State. In contrast, David Mark was elected Senator to represent Benue South Senatorial District of Benue state.
Senator Ogbeha pointed out that David Mark has over the years shown strong political will in the service to Nigeria, saying, “both in the military and political environment, Mark outdid himself.”
He noted David Mark’s political sagacity in 2010 when his invocation of the Doctrine of Necessity helped salvage a leadership crisis in the country.
E/Suzan O.
