Excerpts from a book published in 1999:
*THE FIRST NOTICEABLE THING ABOUT DAVID MARK IS HIS SIMPLISTIC NATURE. GOING BY THE WAY MOST NIGERIANS OF HIS STATUS CARRY THEMSELVES, THE TENDENCY IS TO EXPECT A FLAMBOYANT, ARROGANT AND PROUD PERSON. MARK IS HOWEVER THE DIRECT OPPOSITE OF ALL THESE. HE IS UNEXPECTEDLY HUMBLE, RESPECTFUL AND VERY SOCIABLE. ADDED TO THESE IS THE SURPRISINGLY CASUAL WAY HE TREATS SERIOUS ISSUES. MARK ALSO HAS AN UNEQUALLED ZEAL FOR HUMOUR.*
*BRIGADIER-GENERAL DAVID MARK, WHOSE NAME, TO THOSE WHO KNOW HIM, CONJURES UP THE NATURE OF NIGER STATE(AND WHEN HE WAS THE MILITARY GOVERNOR OF THE STATE, WAS INDEED SYNONYMOUS WITH IT), WAS A MISUNDERSTOOD MAN FOR QUITE SOMETIMES WHEN HE WAS SADDLED WITH THE GOVERNORSHIP OF THE STATE. HE WAS CONTROVERSIAL, ENIGMATIC AND ALMOST A MYSTERY MAN. WHILE NOT A FEW ELITE LOATHED TO HEAR HIS NAME, THE ORDINARY PEOPLE, THE LESS PRIVILEGED, LOVED HIM AND YEARNED FOR HIS SUDDEN APPEARANCES IN TROUBLED SPOTS AS HE SIGNIFIED HOPE TO THEM. DAVID MARK WAS A SIMPLE MAN WHO COULD BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE’S FACULTY WAS NOT AT ITS BEST. HE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT, QUICK-WITTED, FULL OF ENERGY AND HAD VERY CLEAR UNCOMPLICATED VISION OF WHERE HE WAS GOING.*(Abubakar Gimba, former President, Association of Nigerian Authors).
*THE FORMER MINISTER’S FORESIGHT IS PROVERBIAL AND HIS INSIGHT INTO THINGS AT BEST UNCANNY. WITH MARK, THE THIN LINE BETWEEN CAUSE AND EFFECT, ACTION AND REACTION, BEGIN TO BLUR CONSIDERABLY. WITHOUT CAUTION ONE BEGINS TO WONDER IF EVERY EVENT AROUND HIM IS NOT CONTRIVED TO ENABLE HIM DEMONSTRATE ONCE MORE HIS UNCOMMON ABILITY TO READ SITUATIONS, REACT AND EFFECT RELEVANT COUNTER-MEASURES TO THE CONSTERNATION OF ALL AROUND. YET, HE IS A VERY SINCERE PERSON AND VERY SERIOUS AND THEREFORE WILL NOT INDULGE IN SHENANIGANS. HE IS SIMPLY UNCOMMON. TO PUT IT IN COMMON EXPRESSION, HE IS SIMPLY UNSIMPLE.*(Engr Augustine Otiji, NITEL former MD).
*MARK IS A CONSUMMATE ADMINISTRATOR WITH THE SINGULAR ABILITY TO EXERT AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON SUBORDINATES TO PERFORM, WITHOUT APPEARING TO BE PUTTING IN THE NECESSARY EFFORT.*(A staff of Government House Minna, 1999).
*YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT TO BELIEVE IT. MARK WILL MAKE YOU SET LOFTY GOALS FOR YOURSELF, ASSESS YOURSELF VERY HARSHLY, EDUCATE YOURSELF, CORRECT AND REWARD YOURSELF APPROPRIATELY. HE IS ONE OF THOSE ADMINISTRATORS THAT ONE GROANS LOUDLY UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THEIR EVER PRESENT OFFICIAL PRESSURE BUT THEN YOU BEMOAN THEIR ABSENCE RATHER MORE LOUDLY WHENEVER THEY REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE SERVICE. HE IS AN ENIGMA, A GENIUS.*(Bayo, former NITEL PRO).
76 hearty cheers to the architect of *Doctrine of Necessity.*
