By CHIEDU UCHE OKOYE

An occupant of an exalted political office ought to be a person of integrity, whose exemplary lifestyle and conduct will inspire hope in the general populace. The person should have undergone educational training; and as such, he or she should not be found wanting in character and learning. As political leadership is about rendering services to the people, political office holders should be mild-tempered, although they ought not to be weaklings and fickle-minded people.

But in Nigeria, not only are our political leaders temperamental, but also they have no moral scruples. And our egregious political culture, which is characterized by political parties? ideological hollowness, vote-buying, and violence, does not help matters. So, as a result, patriotic, well-educated, mannerly, and widely-travelled Nigerians give our politics a wide-berth. That explains why rascals are being thrown into the saddle of elective positions.

For example, since the dawn of the fourth republic in Nigeria in 1999, in the run-ups to the general elections that took place in the country, the political debates were not centred on the political reforms and economic policies that could leapfrog Nigeria out of the morass of underdevelopment. Rather, the politicians did always engage in muckraking and character defamation of one another. And on election days, vote-buying would take place in the full glare of the people.

Consequently, the political will of the people has always been subverted, leading to the enthronement of rascally and barely educated persons into positions of power. So, now, the quality of political leadership, which is offered to the people, is abysmally low. And worse still, occupants of political offices behave like tin-gods, who are above the law.

For example, when Comrade Adams Oshiomole was the governor of Edo state, he used cussed words against a vegetable seller, who obstructed the flow of traffic on a road with her goods. In his overzealousness to rid the streets of dirt and decongest the roads, Comrade Oshiomole used gutter language, which was unbecoming of him as the governor of Edo state, to address the poor trader, ? Go and die, ? he bellowed at her.

However, later, Comrade Oshiomole became penitent and came back to his senses following the backlash that trailed his comment. So he made atonements for his misdeed. The former NLC leader, who went into the trenches to fight for the betterment of the masses, became power-drunk when he got the reins of power. But, Comrade Oshiomole has managed to live down the social gaffe he committed, while sojourning in the corridors of power.

Another politician, who hugged the limelight for the wrong reason is Senator Elisha Abbo. He was the senator that represented the Adamawa North senatorial zone in the last National Assembly. He gained notoriety for allegedly slapping a nursing mother in a sex toy shop in Abuja. The case dragged on for a while until Senator Elisha failed to win re-election to return to the senate.

But when we thought that we have passed the stage and era of political office holders behaving rascally in ways that demean their offices, we were jolted out of our dream and supposition. The slaps, which Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, dealt an uber driver, Stephen Abuwatseya, who brought goods to him, is reverberating throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria, now. Hon. Ikwechegh, who is the lawmaker representing Aba north and south in the House of Representatives, had expected Mr. Abuwatseya to fawn on him. However, the uber driver was not overawed by the social status of the lawmaker.

But the barbaric and inhumane action of Hon. Ikwechegh is a throwback to the stone age period when might was right. Today, his action has no place in modern society. Hon. Ikwechegh, who was elected on the platform of APGA, behaved as though he was above the law. Yet, everybody is equal before the law; and the law is no respecter of persons, regardless of the political positions, which the persons occupy.

Hon. Alex Ikwechegh?s contumely has portrayed Nigeria before the international community as a lawless country where might is right. And, instead of making laws for which he is elected into the national assembly, he is busy throwing his weight about and making narcissistic remarks to massage his own ego. The fact is that Alex Ikwechegh is a dishonourable fellow, who deserves no place in the National Assembly.

Since the news of Ikwechegh?s atrocious misdeed broke and become a public knowledge, condemnations have trailed it. Nigerians from different walks of life and diverse ethnic and religious divides have risen up to condemn it. Among those who condemned the barbaric act is the President General of the Obosi Development Union( ODU), Barr. Chimezie Obi. He was unsparing in his criticisms of the young lawmaker, who behaved irrationally and insensitively. He made a categorical and scathing statement regarding public office holders, who behaved in rascally ways that bring their offices and persons into disrepute.

While fielding questions from reporters in his office at Obosi, Anambra state, Barr. Chimezie Obi said this, ?the public condemnation of the action of Alex Ikwechegh has brought once again to the fore the need for those in authority to learn to imbibe the virtue of humility while holding public office,

? Let Ikwechegh?s predicament be a wake-up call and reminder to people who exercise authority over others that they should learn humility; otherwise, they should resign their positions. Let them know, too, that the day of reckoning shall come, ? Obi said.

Rather than perform the functions of offices for which they were elected, some Nigerian political leaders use the immense political power at their disposal to bully other people. So Nigeria, for all her human and material resources, is mired in underdevelopment because of the bad political leadership we?ve had over the years. Our political recruitment processes have always thrown up rascally fellows, who are destitute of moral scruples, civility, and solid education. And expectedly, they do commit avoidable but costly errors, which impugn their integrity and erode public confidence in them.

But those political leaders, who fail to wield political power responsibly, should be given condign punishment in accordance with the Nigerian constitution. Or they should honourably resign their positions if they are past redemption, as suggested by Barr. Chimezie Obi, who is the President General of the Obosi Development Union(ODU).

?Chiedu Uche Okoye, a poet, writes from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State. He can be reached via 08062220654 and 09125204141

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