I want to admonish the Idoma people just like Obierika did to his good friend Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart by Achebe when the latter was bent on being part of those on the voyage to kill the unfortunate lad, Ikemefuna, "Do not have a hand in David Mark's political death"
What is this noise and useless disassociations? Mark didn't do this, Mark didn't do that, he didn't help me blah blah...? To me, these are petty and needless. Whatever you say now, we , especially the Tiv still believe Mark loves Idoma people. In short, wrong or right, we believe Mark can change the laws of nature to make an Idoma man great.
In recent political history of Benue state, no politician from Idoma nation has outsmarted and dwarfed the schemes of all the Tiv political warlords put together like Mark did. As his years are coming to a close, the greatest disservice an Idoma man can do to this great man is to rewrite another history of his exploits or how he appeared . Once again, I admonish the Idoma people,do not have a hand in his death.
Rather learnt from the Tiv people your neighbours or should I say, be quiet and allow the Tiv people to learn from you. One of the greatest Tiv folk singers Obadiah Okor had warned us using a parable of the cockand a fox but we didn't listen.
Obadiah sang that the cock and fox were once friends but the only reason why the fox was scared of eating the cock was because it thought, the cock was carrying fire on its head. By this, the fox meant the cock's red comb. This misguided fear gave the cock safety. One day, without any reason, the cock told the fox that it should come and see, that what was on its head was not fire....
The end of Mark started with the end of PDP. Mark was one of the biggest creations of PDP and he was on the verge of becoming the next president of PDP, all things being equal. As long as PDP was in place and the system it operated lasted, Mark knew exactly what to do.
Mark's only mistake was failure to plot the 2015 graph, correctly. He had a lot of options. But the times, conspired against him, just like it did end PDP's 60 years dream. That was what brought the Mark's myth to a halt.
When the times are against a man, the humanity in us should be activated to give such a soft landing. That is what the Idoma needs to do now. As it has become clear that Daniel Onjeh will displace Mark, the Idoma should learn from the killing of Ikemefuna.
Mark might not have helped you enough, but you don't need him now not necessarily because he didn't help you enough, but just because his ambition stands against the destiny of the tribe.
The Tiv on their part should not be fooled by the Idomas but learn a lesson on strategy too. When it mattered most, when the Marks incubus poised as a milking machine for them, they maintained a perfect silence on what he did and didn't do for them. All of them were comfortable to hide under the monstrousness of Mark to harass and intimidate little animals.
We insult all our leaders and rob them of substance. We make them subjects of beer parlour talks and the likes, so how would they amount to anything?
But I think, the most important lesson here must be learnt by Onjeh who takes over from Mark. He must, as matter of fact learn from Mark, the Idoma and the Tivs and deliberately work out measures to become the bridge of these people who wallow in self destruct, one way or the other.
Iorliam'Amo Shija is the Editor-In-Chief Oracle Business Limited, he writes in from Makurdi Benue state.
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