Posted by By Christy Anyanwu on
Dr. Rosemarie Eno-David Mark, wife of the Senate President, David Mark is a woman worthy of emulation. Her simplicity says it all and you would be stunned on a first meeting with her.
Dr. Rosemarie Eno-David Mark, wife of the Senate President, David Mark is a woman worthy of emulation. Her simplicity says it all and you would be stunned on a first meeting with her.
Looking very simple and she unassuming in a burnt orange sequined silky Kaftan, had apologized for coming a little late for the interview.
According to her, her main mission in Lagos last weekend was to have a meeting with some widows whom she gave her widow's mite.
One burning passion she also loves to talk about is the Voluntary Primitive Intervention (VPI) She told Saturday Sun this is her vision and she is in partnership with Shell, Aso and National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Talking about it she says: 'This is an initiative, it's not a project. When you say a project it becomes personal. When you say an initiative, everybody comes on board. Each time we are in any state, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, administrative officers and of course, people who want to support the funding come on board. So, what we do is to join hands for the change that is coming to this country".
A medical practitioner for 30 years, Dr Mark is using her profession as a vehicle to support her country. She stressed that health is not only physical but also an emotional and mental phenomenon.
Hear her 'If you are well and have no money in your pocket, then you are ill.
If you have money in your pocket and your health is bad, then you are not well, too. If you have all these and yet you are not happy, you are not well. What VPI is doing is actually trying to embrace all aspects so that we become balanced human beings. When we are in any state, we take on board the medical team which is not made up of doctors and nurses alone but anybody that is concerned about health.
We pick a zonal coordinator, state coordinator and local government and a ward coordinator, so that we can get into all the strata in order to touch all the communities. Once the funding is there, we roll on to states like Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, then, we come in through Kogi State, we actually wanted to finish all these parts before the rainy season. The North is not too bad, even if it is raining.
We are going all over Nigeria,"
Again, the youths are so dear to her heart. During the interview, one major word that she constantly used was 'my children, my children". These are youths that she has been meeting, especially from the Niger Delta and has had dialogue with them. She has also provided their needs sometimes, instantly and at other times, asked them to come back later where she would have to see to their needs too. This, she does to ensure that their future is structured properly.
This amiable woman shared her experiences going from place to place. She also talked about her personal life and lots more.
Working on the field
I thought that if we roll it from state to state we can get correct data. From Enugu, Anambra, Abia and of course, we would go to Cross River, then, Rivers State and Niger Delta are my babies. I want to pay special attention to Niger Delta because we need to be able to solve the problem of that area.
If we approach it from the angle of a mother that our children are crying and our children are hurting, how do you take care of a child that goes from being hurt to becoming delinquent?
In entering Rivers State, I had meetings with Shell four consecutive times. When I am going to a place, I don't like being confused. We have many partners but I chose only one so as to avoid competition and so that we can be so straightforward in what we are doing. I met with the Managing Director of Shell, I also met with the medical team and I told them what I wanted.
I have actually become known as the mother of the youths for some years now because I can talk to them and the women. I am prepared to dialogue with the youths that are ready to dialogue with me but I don't believe in talking to people without bringing funds. I know that once we are healthy, 50 percent of the problem is solved but of course, when we look at a different perspective of listening to your problems and pampering you a little bit, then you feel loved.
For me, everything is showing people love in the real sense of it. This means that I will pamper you, if need be, I will scold you, if need be and I will even shout at you, , knowing fully well that it is because I care and I just want ensure that your future tallies with that of leaders of tomorrow.
Lessons from Ogoni land and Urusagama
The first day we went to Urusagama (Rivers State) something happened. In their tradition, when a woman wants to see their elders, she must be dressed in wrappers. Although, I don't wear trousers so much but when I was to be taken in a boat on the trip, I had to wear trousers. It was the only comfortable thing for me to wear but do you know that they had to provide wrappers for all of us, the females? And of course, they had to give the wrappers to us as gifts, eventually when we were leaving.
These are people that virtually have nothing. The doctors and nurses went to Kula and the people cooked rice and fresh fish for them. They really pampered them. They even had to rent generators to power their musical sets for our entertainment.
But the sad thing about Urusageme is that the primary school children go by boat everyday to school. They have no toilet. They have no drinking water. They go to toilet in the water and it is the same water that they drink from and toilet in. all they need do when they need drinking water is just to wave it off
But they can't continue to live like that forever. I have put a plan in place and Shell has been very supportive. I am partnering with Shell and Aso to help build very simple structured primary school for them. It is being considered. I am also talking with NEMA to help in their little way because it is an emergency thing mall. We are considering small boat transportation and provision of life jackets for them.
The situation there is critical. It is unbelievable that there is no sign or signal whatsoever indicating that this is a town. There is no sign post anywhere indicating that you are approaching a town. We now made a sign post to show that there is a town and that has helped to bring back their identity. They have no mobile phones. I have spoken to MTN and Visa phone to help out in that area. I strongly believe that with the provision of these simple amenities, we would have been on the way to giving them hope and joy.
In Ogoni land, I was a bit surprised. We didn't wear Shell emblems the first time and the traditional rulers were happy to meet with me. We took the medical team along and they were just overwhelmed to receive us. I was able to speak to the youths and for me, frankly, I believe that the solution to everything in this world is Love.
When people feel that you are radiating love to them, they would respond. They have about 10 kingdoms but we went to 3 places. The responses were so amazing. When I was talking to the youths, some negative people were planning to disrupt and for those ones, the Lord led me to simply invite them to come and sit beside me and that quenched everything. They sat beside me and felt very important.
I had thought that when I got to Ogoni land that I would see people walking on their heads because they said it is juju all round the place but they were normal. They are normal people like any other people doing their things normally, too. To tell you the fact, I don't want to say negative things because I like to be positive in every venture I go into but the condition of living there is most horrible. I told the youths there whom I often refer to as my children that it is not their fault. If you don't allow people to come into your land, how would they help you? And they made promises to remain calm. Before I left the place, we have had a 2-room clinic and trained 10 of their people as the helping hands of the clinic. We have 5 men and 5 women to do auxiliary nurses and have got doctors go there, twice a week.
Dealing with militants
What humbles me is the fact that I was able to visit the militants in their place and came back alive. I was not kidnapped. They didn't take hostage and no one asked for money. It shows that when you treat people and respect them, there won't be any problem.
When I had meetings with them and we had dinner together. For those who came from afar, we arranged for them to be lodged in one of the rooms in the hotel and that actually made them feel wonderful. At least, they were treated as human beings. They have promised me that they won't do those bad things anymore.
In six months time, let us see these changes and I promised too, that I would surprise them with great things. I dare say that people don't just go out doing wrong things, it is only when they are hungry that they go destroying things. I have promised that I will treat them as a loving mother would do to her kids. I will send rice, garri and other foodstuffs to them so that they don't go hungry again.
Dealing with youths
I listen to my children usually when I am in a place. I talk to the secondary school children. If there is a University in the place, I would also talk to the University undergraduates. I talk to the women as well because we are the mothers of these youths. There is a disconnection somewhere as far as I'm concerned. These youths have parents. If you actually talk to the mothers which I have already done, I believe that there is no mother who wants her children to be delinquent, and they just want support. They can now talk to their children, beg them to drop the guns. I spend a lot of time with the youths and I don't talk too much. I will talk a bit and sit down and let them talk to me. I take notes, the ones that I have immediate solution to, I would tell them and I have even formed cooperatives in all these places now.
Lifestyle
To me, I say I am a missionary and I work for God. The only reason I am coming out now is that my husband is the Senate President and I want to seize the opportunity to do as much as I can for my children and for the women.
I like to look very simple. I don't believe that I should go about with orderlies and all the paraphernalia of my husband's office even though that seems to be what people expect of public officials. So what happens after 4 years? And that has been good because I can relate with anybody. I can go to the village and sit with the villagers and eat the same food as they do. That has made them to open up to me, wherever we go.
I am a grandmother. Some people, like my children have my phone numbers because you want them to know that you genuinely care. One of the commandos called me, I was even at a meeting and told me that his mother had died and he had no money. I inquired who he was and when I found out, I counselled him not to go and steal because he has nothing to bury his mother but that he can count on our support. That was just the day before yesterday.
Coping with hubby and family
My kids are all grown up. I tell women that in all stages of a woman's life, she needs to utilize it. We have our growing up stage, the middle, which is really dedicated to your family and you have the stage to look forward to when the children are all grown. And that is when you have to do something to make you happy.
My husband is a very busy man and this is my support for him. I have decided to support him with this new venture. I'd rather do this than tying the best of gele, attending all manners of events shaking hands everywhere. I would rather support him instead of idling away. Thank God that the mobile phones are here and they are wonderful. E-mails are wonderful. We would keep in touch with it. I was in Calabar and there was no flight. I drove all the way from Calabar to Abuja. I think that at age 58, I can go home any minute and when I get there, I would have to account to the Almighty God about what I did with the gift He had endowed me with.
When I say my children I really mean it. My family is now large. One of my children Victor is getting married this Saturday and I already have a prior appointment on Sunday in Owerri, but I have to be there. I remember two of my very close but old mothers whom I have promised that I must attend their burials.
The first was Mrs. Fregene, I didn't know that she had died but a voice kept reminding me of my promise to her and I instantly called, only to find out that she had passed on and her funeral was to start that day Thursday. I flew straight to the place.
Then, Mrs. Sonibare was the other. I had also promised her. These were my great favourites. I actually had an accident at the time of her death. I was still walking with the aid of a walking stick but I was determined to attend her funeral as I had promised. The fact is that we should make the world our family and by so doing, we won't be lonely.