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OPINION: ‘They Chop Their Own, They Chop Our Own’

Published

10 months ago

July 14, 2025

Editor

By Lasisi Olagunju

She spoke with so much authority on the sleaze and dirt that make our lawmakers so fat like the well-fed pigs in Animal Farm. The headline above is from a trending, obviously leaked, video of a committee clerk at the National Assembly levelling unimaginable allegations against politicians in both chambers.

I have received that video more than ten times from social media users who keep forwarding it with unceasing interest. The clerk in the video is a woman who identified herself as Ifeoma (Ofili). I have also learnt that she is an about-to-retire Level 17 director in the service of the National Assembly.

I asked and was told that she dropped her trending bomb at a staff forum meeting at the National Assembly. She said our legislators talk about oversight of government agencies but “how do you account for the fact that the flight ticket to go and oversight somebody was paid for by that somebody? What are you coming to write?” Madam Ifeoma asked, and added, sensationally: “You go there, they tell you what to write. They give you money, they quarter you, they give you flight, and the (National Assembly) members will come (back) to fight over the money that was given to them.”

U.S. Senator Carl Levin (1934-2021) once said that “you can’t get good government without good oversight.” Political scientist and 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, in his classic doctoral thesis, ‘Congressional Government’ published in 1885 wrote that the legislature should “look diligently into every affair of government and to talk much about what it sees. It is meant to be the eyes and the voice, and to embody the wisdom and will of its constituents.” Our legislators in Nigeria do not think their constituents have wisdom, but they do oversight, they also “look diligently into every affair of government”. The problem is what they look for and why. The more the oversight, the brighter the sight of their purse. Now you should understand why federal roads, particularly my Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa road, are difficult to fix. The supervising ministry is in full charge of legislators who should oversight it.

Director Ifeoma also spoke about the threats regularly issued against ministries and agencies of the Federal Government by our lawmakers. “We are talking about punishing MDAs. They would come on TV and say this MDA did this and that…(but) all the atrocities that are being committed in the National Assembly, who punishes them?”

I have read ‘A Legislator Looks at Legislation’ published in October 1937 by T. V. Smith and Garland C. Routt. The authors propose that “lawmakers themselves must be governed by law” and that “rules of etiquette should always be observed.” That was in the last century and in the authors’ far away country. Here, the legislature is the Baba, clearly empowered to sit atop the law. Our angry director was being naive and, even rude, in asking who punishes “atrocities being committed in the National Assembly”. I should tell her that legislators are creators of the law and so they are naturally above their creation, the law. Just like their senior colleagues in the executive, Nigerian legislators have the right to use and misuse the powers conferred on them by INEC, their elector.

Then I heard the word ‘collapse’ from Madam Ifeoma: “They will budget money for staff training, money for clinic, money for books…they then collapse everything. It is in the National Assembly that I started hearing about ‘collapse’. What is collapse? Collapse is…Allowances that are budgeted for National Assembly staff are collapsed…And then, we don’t have the power to go and hold a press conference because we are sworn to oath of silence.” I like this ‘oath of silence’ coinage; it is more ghastly appropriate than the ‘oath of secrecy’ which we inherited from the British.

I am not done with Madam Ifeoma; or I should say she is not done with our husbands who make laws for us. The woman spoke about her director-colleagues who retired into want and suffering and death because their retirement benefits have been “collapsed” by politicians whose throats are the only routes to Oyo.

“Go and see them (retired directors). They look like scarecrows…they beg for money to fuel their cars… So, apart from what the constitution says (about oversight), who is looking at what they (legislators) are collapsing and chopping? They chop their own; they chop our own and (even) put excesses there.”

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:OPINION: For Ganduje And Kabiyesi

Put simply, the question she asked above is: who oversights the oversighter? She ought not to have asked that question because, as we say in Yorubaland, if one’s father has married a new wife and she is older than your mother, you call her mother. The legislators are the boss; you don’t question or query them.

Now, let me quickly say my own and withdraw into my shell: Oversight, appropriation and representation through law making are the three reasons the legislature exists all over the world. This Nigerian democracy is 26 years old. I will laugh very loudly if anyone says our National Assembly has scored above 30 percent in each of those categories. Yet, we keep pumping money into that opaque system. This year alone, almost half a trillion naira is their budget. Do not complain. They need even more than that. Remember in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, only the pigs take milk and apples because it is for the good of all that the pigs’ brainpower and leadership’s health remain topnotch. It is for the farm’s success. If our pigs are not healthy, Mr. Jones will return, and that will be a tragedy for this democracy.

But then, if politicians fail us, their constituents, without consequences because we are collectively stupid, should they fail their staff also? Politicians, if they ever leave, leave government solidly made for life; retired civil servants leave service to be bedridden; they die waiting for their benefits. What a democracy!

An Ilorin musician sings in an album that God is the adjudicator and judge between cat and rat. That is the relationship between those who have kidnapped this democracy, and we the people. As Madam Ifeoma said: They chop their own; they chop our own. They even put jara.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

3 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

News

IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police

Published

3 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.

Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.

Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.

News

Court Orders SERAP To Pay DSS Operatives N100m For Defamation

Published

8 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has ordered a non-governmental organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, to pay N100 million as damaged to two operatives of the Department of the State Services, DSS, for unjustly defaming them in some publications.

The court also ordered SERAP to tender public apologies to the defamed officers,
Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, in two national newspapers, two television stations and its website.

Besides, the organization was also ordered to pay the two operatives N1 million as cost of litigation and 10 percent post-judgment interest annually on the judgment sum until it’s fully liquidated.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory gave the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against SERAP by the DSS operatives.

The judge found SERAP liable for unjustly defaming the two DSS operatives with allegations that they unlawfully invaded its Abuja office, harassed and intimidated its staff, in September 2024.

In the offending publication on its website and Twitter handle, SERAP alleged that the two operatives unlawfully invaded and occupied its office with sinister motives.

The judge held that the publication was in bad taste especially from an organization established to promote transparency and accountability, as nothing in the publication was found to be truthful.

The DSS staff had listed SERAP as 1st defendant in the suit marked CV/4547/2024. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, was listed as the 2nd defendant.

In the suit, the claimants – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – accused the two defendants of making false claims that they invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on September 9, 2024..

Counsel to the DSS, Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde, had while adopting his final address in the mater urged the judge to grant all the reliefs sought by his client in the interest of justice.

He admitted that although the names of the two claimants were not mentioned in the defamation materials, they had however established substantial circumstances that they are the ones referred to in the published defamation article by SERAP on its website.

The counsel submitted that all ingredients of defamation have been clearly established and the offending publication referred to the two officials of the secret police.

However, SERAP, through its counsel, Victoria Bassey from Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, law firm, asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the two claimants did not establish that they were the ones referred to in the alleged defamation materials.

She said that SERAP used “DSS officials” in the alleged offending publication, adding that the two claimants must establish that they are the ones referred to before their case can succeed.

Similar arguments were canvassed by Oluwatosin Adefioye who stood for the second defendant, adding that there was no dispute in the September 9, 2024 operation of DSS in SERAP’s office.

He said that since SERAP in the publication did not name any particular person, the claimants must plead special circumstances that they were the ones referred to as the DSS officials.

Besides, he said that there is no organization by name Department of State Services in law, hence, DSS cannot claim being defamed adding that the only entity known to law is National Security Agency.

The claimants had in the suit stated that the alleged false claim by SERAP has negatively impacted on their reputation.

The DSS also stated, in the statement of claim, that, in line with the agency’s practice of engaging with officials of non-governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials – John and Ogunleye – to visit SERAP’s office and invite them for a familiarization meeting.

The claimants added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9 and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by the DSS.

John and Ogundele, who claimed that their interactions with Ruth were recorded, said before they immediately exited SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number – 08160537202.

They said it was surprising that, shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X (Twitter) handle – @SERAPNigeria – that officers of the DSS are presently unlawfully occupying its office.

The claimant added, “On the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outfits, falsely alleging that some officers from the DSS, described as “a tall, large, dark-skinned woman” and “a slim, dark skinned man,” invaded their Abuja office and interrogated the staff of the first defendant (SERAP).

John and Ogundele stated that “due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS has been ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as the Amnesty International and prominent members of the Nigerian society, such as Femi Falana (SAN)”.

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, members of the public and the international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government is using the DSS to harass the defendants.”

They added that the defendants’ statements caused harm to their reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation and are therefore, incompetent and unprofessional.

The claimants therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs: “An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via the first defendant’s (SERAP’s) website, X (twitter) handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard) and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the first defendant’s office and interrogating the first defendant’s staff.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the libellous statements published about the claimants.

“Interest on the sum of N5b at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is realised or liquidated.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50 million as costs of this action.”