By Denrele Animashaun

“Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners” — Laurence Sterne

Words really fail me for what I am about to write but write I must. The behaviour of Nigerian law makers has sunk to the lowest depths.I  would have thought any right thinking person could not have imagine a depth this low. The River state assembly had the dubious venue of the crime most foul.

These hoodlums parading as honourable people have not only brought their position to disrepute but they have also given us a glimpse to the type of  people we support and put in high office.

I wrote some months back, in “Ladies, jets and big egos” that Jonah was flexing his FG muscle to intimidate the River state governor, Rotimi Amaechi and that trouble was afoot.

The latest antics are deplorable and if the finger of blame points to the FG and Jonah, then Nigeria is indeed ungovernable and the leaders are scoundrels.

They should hang their heads in shame and accept that what happened on the floor of the assembly was truly despicable and shocking,period.If grown men, and I mean, grown men behaved in such thuggish manner,waving the mace and using it as a weapon,  what example are they displaying to the the young and the impressionable.

No wonder Nigeria is going to the dogs!  On July 9th, Bipi led his rent a mob then attempted to take over the assembly chambers. Where he proceeded to make himself the speaker of the House,with no assailable majority,they refused to  abide by the rules when faced with descent.He then starts to beat up some principal officers of the house. The farce was cringe  worthy as he paraded himself  with his goons as the speaker,before Governor Amaechi personally intervened to thwart his charades.

So ensue the most farcical tussle when a pro-Amaechi lawmaker, Chidi Lloyd smashed a wooden mace on the head of another lawmaker who has remained hospitalised overseas.

There seem to be silence in the aftermath, which can only be reserved for the mischief makers because no one need tell  them  that these what they did was s unlawful and totally unacceptable. They should be a  shining example but instead they behaved disgracefully and dishonourably, sadly these scoundrels have shown.The nation how not to behave.

They have the temerity to go on boasting that their behaviour as if it is justified and that they  were merely responding the governor’s stubborn stance . They have already made themselves judge,jury and  executioner! What a country and what a people! We  definitely have scrapped the barrel to be  represented by these uncouth,bully boys and narcissistic men.

They are ready to compromise the safety of Nigerians because of their over inflated egos. It is about time Nigerians insists that those found guilty of this raucous behaviour should face the full weight of the law, put them in chains and  throw away the keys. Really,when is enough,enough? We cannot pretend it did not happen, it did and should not be swept under the carpet like all the others before it.

I  see that some people remain deep in their trenches blaming others for what happened and refuse to lay the blame for the shambles with the culprits How do  we  justify the  unjustifiable is beyond me.When someone is wrong,they are wrong,there are no two ways about it,no more pussy footing about,we need to grow some  moral backbone.

These anti-Amaechi lawmakers in Rivers State House of Assembly in particular, the Hon. Evans Bipi, representing Ogu/Bolo constituency, had the gall to  declare himself  a  worthy replacement for the speaker of the house and also attempting to  remove  the incumbent governor for insulting Patience .

He  said”why must he (Ameachi) be insulting my mother, my Jesus Christ on earth?” “I have no mother, I have no father. She (Mrs Jonathan) is my mother,” he said. Well, one cannot make this  up even  if  one wants to; he spoke like true deluded loved up puppy this man is not fit to be a law maker or anything else for that matter. So is this man really sane? Not sure that is what one wants in their law maker.

So what has the fragrant Patience got to do with the melee ? It seems the lady is not an innocent  bystander, the blame should be shared by her and her cronies of sycophants for  meddling in the state  business. Me thinks  the lady is acting  like a tyrant “she who must  be  obeyed” is pulling some political  might and no one seem to be  stopping her by rightly putting her in her place.

I and many other Nigerians  who saw the videos  of their madness on the floor  of the assembly watched with shock and horror,  it was not pretty.it  was downright gory. In full view, we can see Evans Bipi attacking a police officer and all hell broke loose, it seems that the break-away fraction of  the  House also control the use of the police and officials in the state.They flexed their physical and political muscles, bullying their way through so as to  make the Governor a lame governor. They  have  misfired in fact it had made them look  instead uncultured, mediocre and self serving.

So, no  surprise there then, when the Rivers State Information Commissioner, Ibim Semenitari, stood up for the good lady and declare her innocent of  all suspicions!

Wole  Soyinka has called on Jonah to call off his unruly, out of control wife. At  last  someone  with courage and wisdom calling  it  as it is that she is a  loose cannon,she meddles in the business that  she has not been elected for nor have the experience and qualifications for ;  she seems to have  the  knack of creating disunity and discord in  the Government and I  totally  agree.

We  have  for awhile  given  people unbridled  respect  that  their  high office deserve but  the  wrong type of people are chosen  to represent this  high  office  and they  seem to  demand the respect they do  not deserve and thus cheapen the  position. It  is  high  time , we make our elected officials   and  non  elected people accountable to the  high  office they occupy, there  should be  and I  believe, a  cord of conduct  hat they  should  adhere to  and if  they  fall below  that  then they should face the consequences  even if it means custodial sentences.  This  shameful event  is  the  game changer here  if the president  operates  in such  cavalier manner and  behaves in a way that puts his office  in jeopardy  then it is high time Nigerians made a stance that these  behaviours are not acceptable and  cannot be condoned.

So suddenly, Patience, the lady  now wants to smoke peace pipe, through her  spokespersons, she denies any involvement in the event.