There was a time when the phrase “Àgbàlàgbà ò kì í ṣe oro bí ewé,”“An elder does not worship the gods like a child” anchored how we approached power, expression, and responsibility. It is a call for measured restraint, for mature decorum in both sacred and civic engagement. Today, however, we seem to be watching that wisdom evaporate from our national conscience.
Without prejudice, and with utmost empathy, I write this not because I am aligned with any of the political players, I reference: Mr. Nyesom Wike and Chief Dele Momodu.
For some time now, I have observed and must submit without fear of contradiction that many of our political leaders and public figures have abandoned a fundamental discipline: the discipline of self-restraint. Beyond mishandling our shared resources, they pollute the civic environment with public altercations, personal insults, and televised media brawls. What once would have been edited out during the analog era is now broadcast live, raw, toxic, and unchecked, often by media houses once held in high esteem.
Are we to conclude that decorum has left our newsrooms when even the best outlets fail to uphold it as the benchmark for public discourse, discourse that our children can safely watch? The news space ought to be a protected zone, clean and respectful. It’s time we remind ourselves and those in public office that restraint and dignity matter, especially when they set the tone for the next generation.
Still fresh in our memory is the case of a senator from the South-South and an elder stateswoman engaged in a televised altercation, exchanging unprintable insults. In another instance, we witnessed a public face-off on Arise TV between Lere Olayinka, spokesperson for Mr. Wike, and respected broadcaster Mr. Rufai Oseni. Then came the Wike–Dele Momodu exchange, abusive, personal, and entirely unnecessary.
On one platform, Mr. Wike mocked Chief. Momodu’s lifestyle, even going so far as to label him a glutton. I recall seeing a caricature by a cartoonist exaggerating Chief Momodu in that light. On another, Chief Momodu fired back, describing Wike as a drunkard.
Chief Momodu’s so-called right of reply on Channels TV quickly devolved into a tirade of personal abuse, offering no meaningful engagement with the issues at hand. He even mentioned that a former Attorney General of the Federation had called earlier to caution him: “Don’t wrestle with a pig.” In my humble opinion, it is difficult to say he heeded that advice.
Some may say, “Why should children be watching this?” or “Shield your children.” And yes, as a parent raising a 3½-year-old son in my twilight years, I am fiercely committed to shielding him. But I must also assert: news is supposed to be safe. It is not pornography, it is not horror fiction. It is news. A space where truth should thrive, where dignity should be modeled, and where our children can learn about the world without inheriting our trauma or dysfunction.
We are concerned about bullying in schools, yet we watch our elders engage in televised bullying, unbothered by the eyes of the young. We lament the loss of respect in youth, yet we stream public arguments where titles, history, and even personal boundaries are torn apart.
This is not who we are. Or rather, this should not be who we are becoming.
Even in disagreement, our culture teaches decorum. We do not attack people; we address ideas. We do not descend into pettiness; we elevate the discourse. There is a Yoruba saying, “Àgbàlàgbà ò kì í ṣe oro bí ewé.” An elder does not handle sacred things like a child, and leadership is sacred.
This article is not about Mr. Wike or Chief Momodu. It is about our national tone, our civic modeling, and the public inheritance we are handing our children. My cry is for our news space to be protected for journalism to rise again as a dignified profession and for leadership to return to its place of example.
Let’s teach our children how to disagree without becoming disagreeable. Let’s rebuild the moral firewall around our public discourse. Let’s remind our political leaders that power is not only about what you say, but how you say it, and what it teaches the next generation.
We are not without culture. Let’s not be without conscience.
FINAL NOTE
I am not unaware of the argument that such conduct by these public figures, and others like them is a deliberate distraction from the real issues. Rather than addressing matters of national importance in the best interest of the people, they engage in public theatrics. That may very well be true and it is all the more reason we must reject this behavior and refuse to be taken for a ride.
Do have an INSPIRED weekend with the family.
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