Waiting For The Next Home Movie

By  Isaac Asabor

Since movie makers draw inspiration for their stories from things that happen around them, then one would not be surprised to find in future a home movie that is titled ‘Lawmakers or Law breakers?’ on the shelves of video shops on Pounds Road in Aba in Abia State, Iweka Road in Onitsha in Anambra State and Ebinpejo Lane in Idumota in Lagos State.

Given the fact that the title of the awaited movie, ‘Lawmakers or Law Breakers?’ would be self-explanatory, there is no denying the fact that anyone that would decide to relax in his sitting room, either alone or with members of his family, to watch the movie would gain a lot. This is because he would be able to judge for himself whether lawmakers are lawmakers in the real sense of the word or whether they are law breakers given, the recurrent show of shame they regularly exhibit during legislative sessions in some state Houses of Assembly across the 36 states of the federation. Perhaps this is the lawmakers’ own way of entertaining the electorate that voted them into power.

Rivers State recently notched up the show of shame that has seemingly become an ignominious trademark of these politicians in this part of the world. It seems legislative business is considered not well transacted if punches are not thrown and if a mace is not broken or desecrated.  In fact, the Rivers State House of Assembly fracas is similar to the kind of fight that usually ensues between factional motor park touts.

As a dyed-in-the-wool fan of  Nollywood stars, I would be highly delighted to see a movie that captures the undemocratic acts exhibited by lawmakers that have become synonymous with most Houses of Assembly in the country and the National Assembly. Suffice it to say that the prologue of the awaited movie in this context should be able to mirror the political undercurrents that preceded the past crises in various Houses of Assembly in such a way that viewers would be adequately informed, educated and entertained on the causes of the incessant crises.

On a lighter note, the belligerent lawmakers I watched whilst listening to network news on a private television station the other day reminded me of a fracas I watched at Lawanson Bus stop sometime ago between members of two factional unions of road transport workers. In fact,  the movie should be shot and produced in such a way that the collective conscience of the lawmakers would be pricked in order to compel them to begin to apply moral restraint in their legislative conduct and become cautious while carrying out their legislative duties without engaging in acts that are detrimental to the nation’s  democratic system.

It is imperative to urge interested producers and marketers to cast actors and actresses that can re-enact the brawling lawmakers’ roles with dexterity. Simply put, actors and actresses that would be featured as cast in the awaited movie should be able to mimic the lawmakers that were literarily soaked in the mud of this show of shame. To call a spade a spade, belligerency is never an element of lawmaking across the world.

Without mincing words, the movie should be impressive enough to make the viewers understand that frequent rowdy and violent sessions in the hallowed chambers of the Houses of Assembly and National Assembly is not doing any good to the nation’s image and the growth of democracy.

It is necessary for the activities of lawmakers to be mirrored through a movie so that the people that voted them into power would have adequate insight into the undercurrents that prevailed before the fracas ensued. It is important for Nigerians to get to the root of incessant fracas  right in the hallowed chambers of most Houses of Assembly. This is because there is more to the rowdy sessions which Nigerians have so far witnessed than meets the eye. Most times the mace that is highly regarded as sacrosanct in other climes is usually converted into a weapon by the warring lawmakers.

Education is supposed to instil both knowledge, character and discipline in anyone that acquires it.  But it seems the education the Rivers lawmakers acquired is a waste as it did not reflect in their conduct on the day fighting broke out between them. What a shame!

•Asabor wrote from Lagos. E-mail: [email protected]