Last week, a supposed honourable member of the House of Representatives, Alex Ikwechegh, suddenly gained national notoriety for exhibiting all that is wrong with our society. He attracted attention not for his contributions to advancing or improving the cause for which he was supposedly voted for but for an unbecoming attitude for which our so-called big men and politicians have come to be known. For most elite politicians, humiliating, harassing and intimidating the very people they are supposed to represent is a part of their new status, as ‘big men.’
For Ikwechegh and his likes, there will always be a day of reckoning. Not that he will be punished or be made to face the full wrath of the law, but that he is learning the hard way. He is learning that with the advancement of technology there is no hiding place for him and his likes anymore.
His assault and threats against an e-hailing (Bolt) driver, Alex, a first-term lawmaker, representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency of Abia State, had gained him notoriety akin to that of Senator Elisha Abbo, who in 2019 attracted criticisms from a large section of Nigerians after being caught on video slapping a nursing mother repeatedly in an adult toy shop, including directly on her face while saying she was stupid.
For his indiscretion, the senator representing Adamawa North, was ordered to pay N50 million as compensation to the woman, Osimibibra Warmate.
This rather disturbing abuse of power and affront on the dignity and rights of Nigerians, especially the common men on the streets who are subjected to these assaults on a daily basis but are never heard, is to say the least objectionable and condemnable.
In a viral video on X, Ikwechegh is seen not only striking Stephen Abuwatseya, an e-hailing driver three times but also issuing threats to make him “disappear.”
Stephen’s offence was that he told him to come and take delivery for the snails he ordered from a vendor.
But for the extensive media reports, Alex like all others before him, would have got away with this. It would have been the word of the poor Stephen against that of Alex and if we understand how our judicial systems work, then you would realise that Alex’s threat of ensuring that the inconsequential Stephen disappeared would have been carried out and indeed, nothing would have been done.
Such is our situation in a country where the rich and very high ranking government officials in our society get away with murder.
The police swiftly condemned the lawmaker’s action and invited him for interrogation, after which he was arraigned and subsequently granted bail by the court.
Similarly, the House is to also investigate the unfortunate incident, but if previous experiences are anything to go by, these may just be to fulfill all righteousness, after which a soft landing would be provided for him.
So, for asking the poor Stephen if knew who he was, I want to say yes, we know who he is.
Alex, you are a product of a skewed system in a society that keeps throwing up the worst among us as our leaders.
You are an offshoot of a voodoo electoral and judicial system that crown losers as winners and winners as losers, and in the process unleashing brutes and bloodthirsty vampires on a hapless citizenry.
Alex Ikwechegh, you are a typical average Nigerian politician who would harass a community with siren-blaring convoys to their constituencies, community meetings as well as at church service.
You are the typical politician who, on being selected or pronounced winner by a court, against the choice of the electorate, immediately erect high walls around his houses in the village.
Alex Ikwechegh, you are the type of politician that humiliates and harasses your spouses and constantly threaten your house helps and other personal staff. And we do know that those frightened and humiliated people around you, would be happy now seeing that your nefarious behaviour has been made public for all to see. So, finally they might just be shouting; free at last!
You are the type of our so-called ‘big men’ who have no qualms dropping names and intimidating people at public functions and ceremonies.
You represent a past that we desperately need to forsake so we can realise that dream nation where all are equal before the law and where the sanctity of life and dignity of labour are fully enshrined and entrenched and where hard work, dedication, sincerity of purpose and commitment are rewarded, not one where bandits, hijackers, kidnappers, ballot-box snatchers, touts, cultists are elevated as models for our future generations.
Alex, as a typical Nigerian politician, you are the type with a questionable past in the university. Before long your reputation and activities as a student of University of Calabar would become public knowledge to confirm our worst fears.
Until our society is free from the current criminal and diabolical hijack of evil men, we would continue to live with situations such as these.
As for that half-hearted piece of public relations stunt you call an apology, know that it is of no consequence.
Your emergence as a lawmaker in the Green Chambers only goes to show the ugly side of our so-called brand of democracy, where the judiciary and not the electorate determine who gets elected.
Recall that the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia sacked the lawmaker representing the Constituency in the House of Representatives, Emeka Nnamani of the Labour Party, based on certificate forgery in September. The three-man tribunal declared Ikwechegh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance as the winner of the election.
It’s this unfortunate role by our courts in our electoral evolution that continues to unleash these dragons on the poor masses. Would it not have been better for a rerun to be ordered so the people reserve the right to decide who their choice is, rather than the court pronouncing someone who they had rejected as the winner of the election?
Why heap the blame on the party only by denying them the vote given to their party by the electorate because of the irregularities of a candidate? Did INEC and the security agencies not also clear the candidate for the election?
Again, INEC must wake up to its responsibilities by ensuring that the process is credible and reflects the aspirations of the voters. That way, when these elected politicians fall below the expectations of the people, they know there would be consequences for that.
As long as political officers feel that they owe no one any explanation for their stay in office, because they were not voted for in the first place, they would continue to treat the people with scorn and disdain.
As it is, the people of the Aba North/Aba South constituency cannot evaluate the performance of the lawmaker and consider recalling him for his misconduct, because he is only a product of our crooked electoral system.
This unruly lawmaker must be severely punished to serve as a deterrent to other political officeholders.
Finally, Alex Ikwechegh, we know who you are: you represent all that is wrong and abhorrent with civility, democratic norms, ethos and practices in saner climes.
That’s who you are.
