Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, said on Wednesday that there was no plan for the President of the Senate, David Mark, to relinquish his Senate seat soon.
According to the governor, Mark will remain in the Senate until he becomes the “Methuselah” of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
Methuselah, according to biblical account, lived for the “longest” number of years.
Suswam spoke in Otukpo, the headquarters of the Idoma land, where President Goodluck Jonathan performed the groundbreaking ceremonies for the College of Medical Sciences/Teaching Hospital, University of Agriculture, Otukpo campus.
Jonathan was represented at the event by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.
The governor said he wished for Mark to remain in the Senate because he had attracted Federal Government projects to Benue State since he became a senator in 1999.
Mark, who has been the Senate President since 2007, is seeking re-election on March 28.
“He (Mark) will remain there till he becomes Methuselah. He has been able to attract Federal Government presence to Benue State and we must thank him,” Suswam said.
Sambo, who read the President’s text, told the gathering that the event was a fulfilment of Jonathan’s promise to rebuild infrastructure, particularly in the health and education sectors of the country.
Seizing the opportunity to canvass votes, the President said it was his desire to see all Nigerians have easy access to quality health care and education in the country.
“Rebuilding infrastructure, especially quality education, is part of the transformation agenda of this administration,” he said.
Jonathan gave the assurance that he would be in Otukpo again to inaugurate the project when completed, if given the opportunity of a second term in office.
On his part, Mark praised the President for “genuinely” implementing his transformation agenda.
He noted that it was regrettable that some people still did not believe in him in spite of keeping his to promises.
“Jonathan genuinely carried out all that he promised in his transformation agenda. It is unfortunate that some people do not believe in you, but we believe in you and will continue to support your lofty ideas,” Mark said.
The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, campaigned for Jonathan at the event, saying that since he had “given much” to Benue State, the people would be unfair to him if they failed to vote for him.
The ceremonies lasted about 45 minutes.
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