Mark decided to dispose them after his ruling party was ousted from the presidency on March 28. It was indeed a double tragedy for Mark as his party also failed to return to power in his own Benue State.
Mark led the Senate for eight years, a feat no legislator has achieved in the history of Nigeria. He hitherto had over 300 personal assistants and domestic workers. Among his workers were his son, Babatunde Mark and his brother, Igoche Mark.
While Igoche was his Personal Assistant (PA), his son, Tunde was his Special Assistant on Special Duties and Interior.
However, things fell apart after PDP was booted out of power and the mantle of leadership was taken away from the retired soldier to Bukola Saraki; hence his decision to cut cost by disengaging some of his workers.
An insider hinted that some of his domestic workers were even been owed for several months before they were sacked.
“What is the essence of keeping them when he is no longer in power? What will an ordinary floor member of the Senate be doing with over 200 workers? The money is no longer coming so he had to cut his coat according to his cloth.
Asked why he sacked his own son, the source said:“To tell you how serious it is, his son, Tunde was also affected and his brother, Igoche as well. However, Igoche is still working closely with him”, he hinted.
Following Mark’s exit from power, his GRA house has literarily turned to a graveyard as usual activities in the place has vanished. Similarly, activities in Otukpo, Mark’s country home during the weekend has died down.“His son, Tunde is not an illiterate. He studied Biochemistry and immunology from the prestigious Kings College, London. He needs to start his own life since his father is no longer in power. He has since flown out of the country following his disengagement”.
“Sometimes in the past, hotels in Otukpo would be fully booked because of some persons who came from far and wide to meet with him. Now even hotel owners are complaining of low patronage,” the insider claimed. Asked if the yearly Mark ‘D Ball basket ball competition will still hold, the insider said,
Mark, a former governor of Niger State under General Ibrahim Babangida and one time Minister for Communication was a pioneer member of the Peoples Democratic Party.“Igoche is the one in charge of that. But considering the expenses involved, I am not sure the event would hold this year.”
He has been in the senate since 1999 and had affirmed that he would not leave the party despite its defeat in the last general election.