Most politicians, especially those in elected offices at all levels, are evolving into audacious smart alecs. Their appetite for money is insatiable. Not content with their humongous quarterly paychecks even when they don’t sit, they move in and out of offices of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and corporate organizations to solicit for contracts and patronage. They also snoop around using Committees and Sub-Committees to harass and blackmail corporate organisations on spurious, oftentimes non-existing rules and regulations in attempts to extort money in hard currency. This abuse of office, influence peddling and subterfuge become more rampant during election cycles. One of the Committees which ongoing antics to ambush against corporate organizations and multinational firms is the Sub Committee on Interior – Expatriate quota where the Chairman who hails from Akwa Ibom, is working night and day to scare away the few thriving businesses from the country because of incessant threat of fines which only he and Members of his Committee know about. It seems like they have written new rules to guide their unacceptable exploits. It is important for Nigerians and indeed Corporate Organizations and Stakeholders in the Corporate world to be more watchful and beware of such unethical conduct by these desperate politicians.

It is no longer within the realms of speculation, or a matter discussed in hushed tones and “don’t say I told you” in the usual Nigerian gossip style.

It is an axiomatic fact that in the twilight of their tenures, Sub-Committees are inviting companies indiscriminately and making demands after hearing, peddling influence, quoting non-existent laws and regulations in a bid to extort money from their victims. This is an election season and most of these political actors are looking for campaign funds from everywhere for investment in elections they may not win.

Nigerian elites should learn to shout and call out these errant legislators who are giving the legislature and Nigerians in general a bad reputation. This is because it is a trite expression that evil reigns when good people keep quiet.

Indeed, it would be a sad commentary on the image of Nigeria for these big companies which, already are facing myriads of challenges including the serious infrastructure deficit, poor power supply, high exchange rate, taxes and repatriation of profits to fall into more debilitating traps set by selfish politicians and lawmakers.

Some of these legislators are even swimming against the tide in their Constituencies. A case in point is the Member representing Ikono Federal Constituency who no longer has a support base because of an agreement reached by the Federal Constituency regarding the zoning of offices in the Area in the spirit of unity to appreciate the age-long peaceful co-existence in the Federal Constituency ended between the component local Government Areas in the Constituency, an agreement he was a signatory.

According to the agreement, the position of the Representative of Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency in the National Assembly in 2023 is zoned to Ini LGA, because the eight years tenure for Ikono will expire with the general elections in 2023. This means that the incumbent Representative who jumped ship to the Young Progressive Party (YPP) after losing out in the nomination of candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) doesn’t stand a chance.

Recently, no less a person than the wife of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Dr (Mrs) Martha Udom Emmanuel, visited the Constituency and spoke strongly against blind ambition, noting that some were swimming against the tide of zoning which has brought age-long unity, togetherness and peaceful co-existence in the Federal Constituency and advised Ikono/Ini to continue to live in peace by standing by the zoning principle which she described as the bond of unity that has seen to the prevailing peace in a once violence prone flash point during elections in the past. That was the final nail on the coffin of the incumbent Representatives posturing in the Constituency owing to the influence of the First Lady in the Area.

Nigerians and stakeholders in Corporate Nigeria should just beware of the ill-informed antics of these desperate politicians.

•David Akpan is a Public Affairs Commentator and writes from Abuja.