Even by their own loquacious standard of adult delinquency and bad manners, the rowdy altercation in the Senate, which degenerated into a shouting match between Sen. Dino Melaye, (APC-Kogi West) and Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, (APC-Lagos Central) and wife of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, set a new low, in what, unfortunately, has become the unedifying trademark of the eight assembly. It was disgraceful, shameful, indecorous and bereft of any perfunctory exaggeration. To the extent that such discourteous and uncivil remarks expose the Senate and the institution of the National Assembly to ridicule and public contempt, the reprehensible conduct of the lawmakers, especially Melaye must not be allowed to go unpunished. If anything, this is one situation where Senate President, Bukola Saraki should be held to his pledge to instill ethics into the workings of the upper legislative chamber.
The two law makers cast banal aspersions on each other, over the trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing rules. An unapologetic Melaye claims Tinubu fired the first salvo, allegedly calling him thug and dog. In equally unglamorous language ornamented with harmful grandiloquence, Melaye threatened to beat up, rape and then impregnate Tinubu. As if that was not bad enough, he then reportedly said he would not even demean himself by impregnating a “Bonga fish” alluding to Tinubu’s slim body frame, saying he would prefer sex with “a woman who has beef, like Sen. Stella Oduah”. This is plainly egregious in its insanity. Melaye should tender an unreserved apology to Nigerian women on the Senate floor and this apology should be published in at least 10 national newspapers!
It is hard to believe that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would descend to such level. At a time when Nigeria is facing rising cases of violence against women, it is unacceptable that a Senator will stand inside the hallowed chamber and threaten to beat up, rape and impregnate a fellow Senator; a mother and married woman. Only in Nigeria can such a thing happen and the Senator is still keeping his job! Melaye practically admitted his love of violence and lack of respect for a colleague. That is more than just an insult to the woman and her husband. Already, Nigerians with their remarkable genius for travesty have made the issue the subject of butt jokes across beer parlors and pepper soup joints. But this is no laughing matter.
Tinubu has written to the Acting IGP, Ibrahim Idris, requesting additional security against what she called possible onslaught from Melaye, who chairs the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory. Eminent Nigerians and groups have expressed concern over the incident but Melaye insists he has neither regrets nor apologies. He has even vowed that should Tinubu insult him in the future, he would return insult for insult.
From the look of things, male legislators consider women as sex objects. Some time ago, Sen. Iyabo Anisulowo, was slapped by a male colleague at the National Assembly while another female lawmaker from Delta State was battered at the Assembly Complex earlier this year. Funmi Tejuoso was also physically assaulted at the Lagos State House of Assembly. Male chauvinists in the legislature even resisted a gender equality bill; and supposedly honorable men stood up to defend marriage to the girl-child. And just recently, the US Embassy named and shamed three lawmakers who went to the US on a sponsored trip and solicited sex, with one of them almost raping a hotel maid. And now a Senator is threatening violence, rape, assault and adultery.
If the Senate leadership has found anything wrong with Melaye’s uncouth utterances, the deafening silence of Saraki does not reflect it. And it is perplexing that no other female lawmaker has spoken out against Melaye for the obscene and vulgar language. Should their silence be taken to mean they support being beaten and raped by their male colleagues? Government’s rhetoric of bringing real governance to the people will remain a mirage until the conduct of public officials is brought above board.
Whilst inaugurating Senate committees, Saraki charged members to observe high ethical standards in their behavior. “You must take care that you do not bring any ethical question upon this hallowed chamber. Any committee member found in any unethical, doubtful behavior will be sanctioned by the Eighth Senate,” he told the senators. Saraki’s promise to sanction erring members was gratifying and particularly significant because in the past years, the corridors of power have too often been traversed by men and women of questionable integrity.
Obviously, people like Melaye should not be in parliament to start with. To call another man’s wife, “Bonga fish” because of her looks and openly say you prefer another more physically endowed female Senator is the nadir of gracelessness. What did Dino smoke? If what he did happened in any civilized country, by now, there will be street protests for his resignation. Surely, the Buhari administration has been walking an ethical paradox. Whilst the ruling APC catchword, symbolized by the President’s body language, is “change”, the other arms of government seem to reflect only a change of tactics and business as usual.
The image the average Nigerian has of a Senator is that of grandstanding, self-posturing, primitive accumulation and conspicuous consumption. Many senators have been elected as ordinary men and women, but on getting to the Senate, were transformed into self-acclaimed demi-gods with obscene lifestyles of flamboyance, haughtiness and disregard for the electorate. Nigerians are familiar with many truncated high profile investigations of senators, whose involvement in mind-blowing scandals still send ripples across the country. Presently, no legislator has been brought to book over results of legislative panels investigating cases of corruption. There is a glaring accountability deficit in the conduct of public affairs and this calls to question the appropriate decorum for senators.
Owing to the absence of internal mechanism to check erring members, the standing view is that the Senate places low premium on integrity and moral probity. The magnitude and quantum of scandals around lawmakers seem like an official insignia. In the last 16 years, the quality of leadership at the National Assembly has left little to be desired. The conduct of legislators and their proclivity for power for its sake, the invidious bickering, the display of unruly, even violent behavior and use of money as instruments of statecraft, are pointers to their unethical life. Moreover, the fact that people of questionable characters, who brought moral opprobrium to their offices as governors and ministers, now pontificate in the National Assembly, is a hard lump to swallow for well-meaning Nigerians who truly seek change.
The Senate president made a bold promise to hold senators accountable. To show Nigerians his sincerity of purpose, he must ensure his words are marked by actions. The first place to begin this ethical regeneration is the Senate Ethics and Privileges Committee; the ombudsman of the Senate. This committee should be the arrow-head of efforts to enhance the Senate’s moral vanguard. The APC and PDP party whips should carry out their functions as whistle-blowers and moral checks on their members. Their positions are not mere titles to adorn their curriculum vitae for future lucrative assignments. They must ensure that senators are whipped in line for good conduct and behavior. If the Senate genuinely relishes the ethical transformation it seeks, the prima facie quality its members must possess, being public officers is integrity. It means adherence to ethical principles and sound moral character. Anything like what Sen. Dino Melaye has put on display is not acceptable.
