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Governor Ortom Bars David Mark From Usage of Public Facility, Mark Vows Court Action

The former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark was on Tuesday denied the usage of the football stadium in Oju town during his ‘Thank You Tour’ to Oju Local Government Area of Benue South senatorial district. Local handlers cited orders from above referring to the state governor Samuel Ortom.

In his reaction to the development, Senator Mark described the incident as “totally unacceptable”, vowing to take legal action.

“We were in power for 16 years (PDP), we never prevented or stopped the opposition one day or anybody from using a venue,” a furious Senator David Mark decried the rising political intolerance in Benue State and by extension Nigeria.

In a similar act of intolerance, the traditional head of Oju was forced to meet Senator Mark in a secret location, in the outskirts of the town where the former number three citizen of Nigeria did not hide his frustration. “We are meeting with Chiefs as if we are hiding. It is totally unacceptable,” says Mark.

Only recently, the head of Ohinmini traditional council, Chief John Ochai was suspended by the Och’Idoma (paramount ruler of Idoma land), Elias Obekpa for six months for conferring a traditional title on David Mark.

Public sources say the Och’Idoma is acting based on the order from the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom as the Ohimini chief did not violate any law. Other traditional chiefs are now scared of meeting David Mark.

“I am very saddened by the turn of events. First, you can see where we are meeting; this is not the normal place where we meet. We were in power for 16 years (PDP), we did not prevent or stop the opposition one day or anybody using a venue.

“When I was told to come and meet you here (Oju chief), I was reluctant to do so. I said no. Because when I meet traditional rulers now, government will suspend them. What type of nonsense is that. What are we doing?

“This is not democracy at all. In a democracy I cannot talk to my Chiefs because they will be suspended. The council chairman cannot see me because he will be suspended or removed. I think this is very very unfortunate. This is not what I expect in a democracy. But that is what it is now,” a worried Mark complained.

On the denial of access to the venue, Mark said: “We are going to meet in a venue that is not where we normally meet because when we asked for them to give us authority to meet in the normal venue it was rejected.

“We are going to test that in the law court. I have made up my mind. We will take them to court and we will test it. We are Nigerians, we have a right to that venue, it is not an APC venue. It is a venue for everybody who can take permission and have lawful gathering in that place,” Mark vowed.

Efforts to reach out to officials of the State Government proved abortive while evidences show that the venue in Oju was appropriately requested for but was turned down.

 

 

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Copyright 2015 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.

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