During David Mark's Time, Who're You That the Senate a will Summon You and you didn't come-Sen Abbo Elisha

Senator Elisha Abbo, who represents Adamawa North senatorial district, has hailed the leadership of David Mark during his tenure as Senate President. Abbo, speaking on Trust TV, lauded Mark's leadership, stating that government appointees had greater respect for the Senate during Mark's tenure than they do today. He expressed skepticism about any significant improvements in the current 10th Senate.

According to Senator Abbo, David Mark was not just an ordinary senator but a Senate President of exceptional caliber. During his tenure, the Senate was not only cohesive but also commanded a high level of respect. Abbo pointed out that in Mark's time, no government official, be it a minister or Central Bank Governor, could refuse an invitation from the Senate. Disregarding such an invitation was simply not tolerated.

Abbo stressed instances where government officials like Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank Governor, and Hameed Ali, the Comptroller-General of Customs, openly declined Senate invitations without facing any repercussions. In contrast, during David Mark's leadership, such actions would have been unthinkable, as the Senate's authority was upheld with greater vigour. When questioned about his expectations for the current Senate, Senator Abbo expressed pessimism, suggesting that the Senate's trajectory points toward a more challenging and less effective period compared to the days of David Mark's leadership. His remarks underscore the contrasting levels of respect and authority wielded by the Senate during different leadership eras.

Hear him: “David Mark is not just a Senator but a Senate President per excellence. During his time as President of the Senate, the Senate was not only united but they were respected. During the time of David Mark, who are you, a minister or a Central Bank Governor or anybody that the Senate will summon you and you didn’t come? It’s not possible. But today, you see Emefiele, he never came to the Senate when the Senate invited him. See Ahmed Ali of customs, he will tell the Senate I will not go. And nothing happened to them. During David Mark’s time you cannot try it.”