- He said the lack of unity and justice in the north has also exacerbated the predicament of the region
Former Senate President, David Mark, has bemoaned the parlous and troubling state of things in Northern Nigeria, saying radical decisions and drastic actions need to be taken to halt the region’s decline and pull it out of the doldrums it is currently in.
Mark, who is the interim national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also said the lack of unity and justice in the north has also exacerbated the predicament of the region, underscoring the need for the people to return to the values that once made it prosper and thrive.
Mark spoke at the 3rd expanded meeting of the National Political Consultative Group (North), held at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
The gathering drew party members and supporters from across Nigeria.
Addressing the theme, “Unity and social cohesion as panacea to the challenges facing Northern Nigeria,” Mark painted a bleak picture of the North’s worsening insecurity, growing poverty, and increasing social fragmentation.
“These challenges did not develop overnight nor will they disappear until we resolve to take deliberate, collective and decisive action. We must first admit that we are the architects of our problems, we must stop the blame game if we truly and genuinely want to find a lasting solution,” Mark said.
Mark also declared that the ADC is the only political party prepared with the vision and resolve to address the deepening crises in the North.
“Division has cost us progress, while indifference and inaction have continued to deepen our division. To overcome our present travails, we must return to the principles of justice, equity, mutual respect, and shared purpose that once made Northern Nigeria a beacon of hope, peace, unity and development,” he said.
He added that, “The time for lamentation is over. The North is bleeding profusely, and we are the only ones who can heal it. Let us commit today to reject hate speech and divisive politics, invest in unifying projects—education, healthcare and infrastructure, hold each other accountable for our actions and inactions and shake hands across the divide and restore our bond of brotherhood.”
He added, “If we do these, I have no doubt we will rebuild this region into a powerhouse of not just peace and social cohesion but also economic progress, human ingenuity and compassion.”
Mark expressed deep concern over the impact years of violence are having on the region, pointing to banditry, insurgency, and communal conflicts that have devastated rural communities, displaced millions, and stifled economic growth.
Despite Northern Nigeria’s abundant natural and human resources, he lamented that the region remains trapped in poverty, with some of the worst statistics in the country on illiteracy, unemployment, and infrastructure decay