By Pius Adesanmi
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) I don’t like how His Excellency Distinguished Senator David Bonaventure Alechenu Mark is being treated by his kinsmen in the Nigerian political elite.
Last week, they hauled him to EFCC for billions that went the Nigerian way during his tenure as Senate President.
Today, he stands accused of illegally purchasing his official residence as Senate President for peanuts.
There is a golden rule among the Nigerian political elite which transcends party, faith, tongue, and tribe. Once you recede to the background and make yourself totally invisible and unheard after high office, once you don’t rock the boat, you are usually left in peace to enjoy your loot – especially if you have retired to a quieter public office.
This rule is scrupulously respected. Every thief who respects himself by retiring to dignified silence is always left in peace in our system. Who has ever disturbed Joshua Dariye, David Jonah Jang, Danjuma Goje, Kabir Gaya, etc?
They and many other Governors from the corruption class of 1999 – 2007 are still in the Senate. Very quiet. They don’t disturb us, we don’t disturb them. They are quietly collecting their pension as former Governors, collecting their current Senate entitlements, and keeping their corruption haul as Governors in peace.
Who exactly has David Mark offended that his own case is so different? He has been an exemplary and model thief in semi-Senate retirement. Quiet, invisible, no boat rocking. We don’t even hear anything anymore about his rumoured ambition for the Villa sef.
He and Jeremiah Useni and Shaba Lafiagi have been role models of dignified keeping of one’s loot in near-total invisibility. In fact, until Shaba Lafiagi’s soldiers killed three civilians recently, nobody even remembered that the 1990s former Governor of Kwara state has been in the Senate since he left Government House in Ilorin – silent and totally invisible in Abuja.
David Mark has largely been like that since he became a floor member of the Senate. So, when did we change the rules that quiet thieves are not to be disturbed?
Is it because he is from Benue?
Is it because he is from the Middle Belt?
Is it because he is Catholic?
Is it because he is PDP?
See Dimeji Bankole. He bought nearly half of government properties in Abuja and Lagos at criminal prices when leaving office. We have largely left him in peace. If he resurrects his ambition for Ogun Government House in a manner we don’t like or begins to dream of Aso Rock, that is only when we shall remember his illegal purchases and train the EFCC on him to do the needful. For now, he is a good boy. He is not disturbing us and we are not disturbing him. Why is this rule not applying to the very quiet David Mark?
We therefore urge Nigeria’s political elite to apply their golden rule to all thieves without discrimination. We must fight for the loot keeping rights of Senator Mark because he has been respecting the rules of loot keeping.
‘Live’ David Mark alone!
Source: Facebook