Chinedu Ogah: Guilty of Mistaking Constituency Duty for Charity

In a nation grappling with institutional decay, collapsing infrastructure, and endemic poverty, one would think that our federal lawmakers would dedicate themselves to systemic reforms, far-reaching policies, and genuine public service.

But alas, in Nigeria, the bar for leadership is so embarrassingly low that when a legislator foots a student’s bill and donates a computer, it is treated like a divine act worthy of canonization.

The most recent addition to this tragicomic trend is Comrade Chinedu Ogah, Member Representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions.

In a widely publicized move, Mr. Chinedu Ogah paid the Nigerian Law School fees of one Mr. Vincent Okechukwu Nwekoyo to the tune of ₦470,000, provided ₦200,000 for upkeep, and donated a computer system reportedly worth ₦700,000.

What followed was a media blitz and effusive press releases singing praises of Ogah’s “heartwarming display of philanthropy,” “commitment to education,” and “empowerment of the next generation of leaders.” You’d be forgiven for thinking he had just built a university or reformed legal education nationwide. But no – he helped one student, and suddenly we must all genuflect in gratitude.

Let us not mince words: this is not philanthropy. This is political pageantry — and insulting pageantry at that. When public office holders use personal acts of kindness as instruments of political theatre, they are not lifting up the masses; they are simply polishing their own image on the suffering of the people they are supposed to serve.

In any functional society, students who demonstrate promise and need financial support should be able to rely on public education policies, scholarship schemes, and an equitable system — not the random mercy of a politician with a messiah complex.

Nigeria is a country where millions of young people are trapped by the high costs of education, with no safety net. In such an environment, what does it say about our democracy when a federal lawmaker — whose annual budgetary allocation runs into hundreds of millions — is celebrated for covering a fee barely exceeding the cost of his monthly travel allowance?

This is the equivalent of a firefighter throwing a glass of water on a raging inferno — then holding a press conference to demand applause.

Even more troubling is the clear political calculus behind the gesture. The selection of one beneficiary, the carefully crafted press statements, and the conspicuous branding of the donation under Ogah’s personal foundation all point to a transactional, self-serving motive.

In fact, it begs the question: how many others in Mr. Ogah’s constituency need this same assistance but were never chosen because their stories wouldn’t earn him political mileage?

We must also ask: what laws has Mr. Chinedu Ogah sponsored to make legal education more accessible? What efforts has he made to reduce the prohibitive costs of tuition? Has he advocated for increased government funding for the Nigerian Law School? Has his “Committee on Reformatory Institutions” done anything meaningful to reform the institutions young people must navigate to secure their futures?

Silence.

This, right here, is the core of the problem: lawmakers confusing charity for duty. Ogah’s act — while helpful to one — does nothing to address the systemic obstacles facing thousands like Vincent Nwekoyo. True leadership demands solutions that outlive you, reforms that empower entire generations, and institutions that work without needing your handout.

When a society begins to reward tokenism, it distracts from meaningful governance. It tells young people that to succeed, they must secure patronage, not merit. It discourages the demand for rights and replaces it with a culture of begging for favors. That is not democracy. That is feudalism in disguise.

And this is not an isolated case. Across Nigeria, federal and state lawmakers have mastered the art of symbolic politics — donating tricycles here, paying hospital bills there, sharing bags of rice during election season — all while ignoring the legislative responsibilities they were elected to perform. They build monuments to themselves in the form of “empowerment programs” while public institutions crumble.

The Way Forward

We must reject the idea that selective generosity is synonymous with good governance. Nigerians deserve better than glorified handouts. We deserve policies that work, institutions that serve everyone, and representatives who remember that their true role is not to play savior, but to be servant-leaders, law-makers, reformers.

If Comrade Ogah is truly committed to education, let him sponsor a bill to reform funding for the Nigerian Law School. Let him propose scholarships or bursaries for all indigent students in his constituency. Let him fight for the inclusion of digital tools and infrastructure in public universities. Anything less is just a photo-op masquerading as progress.

Until then, we must see this for what it is: not a symbol of hope, but a symptom of dysfunction.

Let us not clap for the fish that swims. Let us demand that our leaders do their jobs — all of them, for all of us.