Condemnable
I'm a die hard fan and big admirer of senator Ike Ekweremadu. I political model by gentility, composure and acceptability by his people. Sen. Ekweremadu may not be our best politician but he is definitely not the worst. The behaviour of some of our brother is Germany against respectable Ike Ekweremadu was an absolute misplaced transfer aggression. I totally condemned the attacked on the honourable Senator Ike Ekweremadu in strong terms. He never merited such display of shame. We must learn to respect our leaders and know how to channel our grievances to them. An unreserved apology must be tender to Ekweremadu with immediate effect and those found culpable be punished and fined.
While others ethic group are right in their accusation that lgbos lack respect for elders, they should also know the igbo ethnicity operate a decentralized system of which was penetrated with “indirect rule system” by those who only were after our common wealth in the name of civilization. Ogu umunne ji abani ana.

Commendable Act

Lets get some statistics for those who may not be aware. Hope you know a House of Representatives member monthly take-home pay is N11.39m. "A senator’s take-home pay is N182,060,000 per annum at the rate of N15,171,666.66 a month, which translate to $596,918.03 per annum and $49,743.17 per month respectively. Federal Government had recently increased the country’s minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000 ($98.36). Even though it has yet to be implemented, when it eventually takes effect, the emolument of a senator would be 505.72 times the minimum wage. That means a monthly salaries of the 109 senators would pay the salaries of 55,154 civil servants at N30,000 per month while the salaries of the 360 members of the House of Representatives would pay the salaries of 136,800 civil servants. That’s a total of 191, 934 civil servants Then imagine how many mouths(food, house rent, school fees, house bills) that feeds on his civil servants.
Nigerians senators are one highest earner at the detriment of the populace when compared to developed and advanced countries with high GDP.
United States , for instance , where per capita income is $ 60 ,200 ( as of 2017) , the 435 congressmen and 100 senators take basically the same amount , that is $ 174 ,000 per annum
In Canada , a country with a per capita income of $ 48 , 601 ( 2019) and $ 1 .8tn GDP, members of the House of Commons earn $ 172 ,700 per annum . The House is made up of 338 members that serve its population of 37 .06 million people . Senators who are appointed by the Governor General earn $ 142 ,400 per annum and the senate is made up of 105 members .
United Kingdom runs a parliamentary system of government. The official site of the United Kingdom ’s parliament said , “ The basic annual salary for an MP ( Member of Parliament) from 1 April 2019 is £ 79 ,468 . MPs also receive expenses to cover the costs of running an office.
In neighbouring Ghana, lawmakers get GHS11 , 000 per month. This translates to $ 2 ,048 .36 or ( N624 ,749 . per month
(https://punchng.com/n30000-mimium-wage-469-senators-reps-to-pocket-191954-civil-servants-monthly-salaries/)

On the above statistics, you can attest that the honourable Sen. Ike Ekweremadu is the combined highest beneficiary going by his term in the red chamber. Now, the same sane senators are demanding for N50m car each despite the fact most of them have been in on political post or the other. That’s 50m x 109 senators. The questions is, has Sen. Ike Ekweremadu spoken up against his colleagues greed while the masses perish in penury?
For the first time a senate got beaten and majority especially youth whose future has been mortgage how have pity in them but if it were to be the poor man that stole garri in the market, they would have, stripped him, showcase their own masculine replica to the world via social media video which ultimately as you know culminates with the man going up in infino. However, when the same politician comes sharing peanut of our looted wealth, they portray for him to use them as foot match and crown him a title “ Omere Oha 1 or place him in front seat in our religious houses.
These altitude has continue unabated that even a primary one pupil now knows that politics is the easiest way and aspire to be one while seeing his father who is a principal struggling to put three decent square meal a day on their table. To him, his father has failed him abs cannot be like him.
While majority of the youth engages in all vises to make ends meet, the others rather spend their productive time on what happen and didn’t happen in show of pornography BBNaija when such resources could have been channeled towards ultimate search of best brains and education system.
The few others whose struggle to pave way for themselves are being intimidated by all sort of fake social media life to make the feel they aren’t giving their best, plugging them to wake up in the mid night to question their created or rather lured into depression: a twin sister to suicide. In one or the other, we are all culprit in this.
The youth whose future is being fought for rather hide behind their key board to spew trash. Upon all the protest that has been recorded in Nigeria history, which of them yielded result. Sowore is DSS custody, Nnamdi Kanu has done his part is his own way and ran away, MKO Abiola and Ken Saro Wiwa died not running. Tuface, Charley boy, Ezekwesili all tried and chickened out by threat of forces that be. Did l forget to mention that the bad guys Boko haram and Militant (Asari Dokubo) were once peaceful just like the Shiite we have at hand. I have to be sarcastic with these heroes before someone will still accuse me of siding them or being bias with their struggle.
While should we condemn these fellows who gathered the ball to say enough to start with. l see. alo of our reaction to this issue without giving kudos to these guys. l hear a man from that video saying. " ibiara ebe emesiri emesi iri ji" Do you come to a developed place to celebrate the new yam festival. I don't what to dive on dressing of the senator which is untraditional of a typical Igbo culture if he claim to be a leader.

The rich who goes into power steals more than their hungry folks against our believe they wouldn’t. The hungry once may entertain fear a bit. Examples are spread across governors offices and Ministerial positions even to the local government level. We don’t trust anybody again. “Who shall we send?”
I know some elders will condemn this act when some of them failed to fight for us. Hey, don’t talk about respect if you ain’t a history student of Arab spring, Haitian revolution 1791, Revolution of 1848 aa well as American, Russian and French Revolution. I’m an advocate of one Nigeria with a solution to Africa financial, Power and Economic emancipation. Nobody will talk of disintegration if the political class has done their home work well. I know Nigerian will not care if you steal provided you carry out your duties. Abi no where person de work him go chop. Even priest do eat from the alter.
The problem of this country is not only that we don’t learn from history or hold our leaders accountable, l think religion and ethnicity are devil and blue sea we face but hypocrisy steer us in the eyes. Until the masses learn to keep this two factors behind them to fight for a better country we dream of, our politicians will continue to manipulate us along this line perpetually.
There is no other time for the masses to stand up for their right than now.

Articulated my Kalu Chima
(Political activist/observer)

Great