2015: Mark Cautions Politicians Against Provocative Statements
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Says Naked Ambition Overheating the Polity BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 21, (THEWILL) - President of the Senate, David Mark, has warned politicians on provocative utterances that is capable of igniting crisis ahead of 2015 general election.
His warning came as President Goodluck Jonathan introduced , for formal consideration and enactment into law, the Cybercrime Bill, 2013.
Mark, in his address, to welcome the Senators back after the Christmas and New Year holidays, also warned that politician's naked ambition is overheating the polity.
According to him, the Nigerian environment is tensed up as a result of pervasive political tension arising from festering political disputes, which, according to him, have continued to engage the larger polity.
He said across the nation, governance appears to have been sacrificed on the altar of desperate political manoeuvres and feverish permutations aimed at out-flanking one another ahead of the 2015 elections.
"As we resume today, we will soon realise that it is not only our legislative responsibilities that will task our wisdom.
Pervasive political tension arising from festering political disputes continues to engage the larger polity.
"Across the nation, governance appears to have been sacrificed on the altar of desperate political manoeuvres and feverish permutations aimed at out-flanking one another ahead of the 2015 elections.
"Blinded by naked ambition, the political class has so painfully forgotten the lessons of our national history, and has once again allowed the collision of vaulting personal ambitions to overheat the polity and undermine governance.
"Coming at a time when our nation is still transiting amid tremendous strains and enormous social and economic challenges, the emphasis on primordial politics at the expense of governance is irresponsible, and even dangerous.
"I have said this several times and even at the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me once again caution against provocative utterances.
"But here in the Senate, how we ride the challenge, and not let it deflect our focus from our constitutional responsibilities and our duty to our nation, will be a measure of our maturity as elder statesmen and women, democrats and patriots," the Senate President said.
Mark however admonished the Senators to be vigilant and alive to their responsibilities, saying the nation is watching the Senate on how they will handle the situation.
"Our nation is watching to see whether distinguished Senators will uphold the dignity of this institution and their oath of office, or whether we will allow ourselves to become mere tools in factional political disputes and intra-party rows.
"In fragile and young democracies such as ours, the cause of democracy is vastly served when statesmen and women refuse to sell the truth to serve the hour.
Living true to our conscience as elder statesmen and women as well as distinguished Senators is the challenge of this very hour.
And it is a challenge that will define the social and political fabric of Nigeria .
"The leadership which we as Senators have always collectively offered compels us now to brace for these obvious political challenges, and to insist, as we have always done, on the primacy of the interest of the nation, and the welfare of our people.
"Our collective resolve, and our example as Senators of the Federal Republic, should serve as a powerful reminder to the political class that democracy's fundamental raison d'être is to free the average citizen from the bonds of poverty, deprivation, disease and want.
"Our compatriots desire a society where every citizen, irrespective of tribe or class, is availed a socio-economic and political space that dispenses access to resources, privileges, and opportunities in a fair and just measure.
"The political class will certainly be judged by how far this ideal is attained, not by how much we ingratiate ourselves, advance our political careers or flaunt the panoply of high office," he stated.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA