The Indiscriminate Use Of Honourable: An Abuse Of Legislators Honourary Title

EYITAYO IJAORIBE

Being the highest and most powerful organ of three tiers of government with powers to check the Executive, the Legislature, is a chamber with members who are endowed with knowledge on the best ways on how bills that will promote the standard of living of the people should pass through for assent.

Members elected into the chambers are expected to have gone through series of scrutiny and test of intellectual wealth of knowledge before being presented by the party for contest and final support from the constituents.

The emergence of a winner for the State House of Assembly or Federal House of Representatives, is a confirmation of support which has positioned the candidate as the most respected among the equals thus confer on him the title “HONOURABLE”

This title is only for those who have been given designated seats in the chambers as representatives of their constituencies not for the “common man” on the streets who only aspired or contested for such positions.

We advocated for CHANGE and we are gradually effecting such but the most vital and prestigious is the Transformation of Character which reflects in our ways of doing things that people can see as TRUE CHANGE.

In fact, the abuse of honorary titles should not be condoned by leaders and such should affect our practice at the grassroots level.

Some people even go as far as including such title before their names during introduction at public fora and during registration of names on party registers and forms for other programmes.

It is ridiculous to note that some people even go as far as using Hon as signatures to documents and identity cards for self actualisation and esteem promotion as ego booster.

Funny enough, the praise singers who are known for the tagging of this title on their preys, only end up when such person dashes out his pocket to them after his psyche has been elevated in fantasy, forgetting that it is just a temporary tag of honour for the money spent at that moment not a permanent title.

What is bad is bad! Let’s begin to modulate our political characters in manners that will make people know that politics is not a dirty game and should not be played dirty. Our characters will pave way for the younger generations to have a positive view and develop interest in efforts to join in making our society grow both physically and psychologically.

Aristotle has described all man as a political animal thus, positioning every human being as a potential agent for political transformation.

Change begins with me!

Eyitayo Ijaoribe, rpa, anipr