"How are you?"
"Fine"
''I was told that you are the Senior Prefect of City Royal Secondary School, (CSSS), Nyanya, Abuja.”
"Yes, sir''
''No, one of the prefects''
"What is your name?'’
''My name is October Independence Abubakar’'
"Did I hear you clearly?’’
''Sir, it is October Independence Abubakar"
''This is an extraordinary name! How old are you?"
"16 years, sir"
"Do you know why I acknowledge that your name is extra-ordinary?"
"No, sir"
"Just trying to reconcile the October and Independence part of the name. Please, are you declaring that is what your parents call you?"
"Yes, sir"
''I acknowledge that Abubakar is a common name but October and Independence is rare… Did your parents explain why they christened you those names?''
''They told me that October was the month that I was born, hence my being christened October.''
''What about the Independence name?''
''My parents told me that they were born on October 1, 1960, the year Nigeria secured her Independence from Britain.''
''Did they tell you more?''
''No, only that they said that they cherished that day and decided to call me by that name since I was their first child.''
''This means that you are special in many respects.''
''Yes, sir''
''I understand that you were part of those who visited the National Assembly during the week.
''Yes, I was part of them, with our teachers.''
''How many were you?''
''We were more than 75''
''That is a large number''
''The entire school wanted to come with us''
''Why?''
''It was a life-long opportunity.''
''What did you go there to do?''
''We went to observe firsthand what our Government and Social Studies teachers have been teaching us.''
''If, I understand you correctly, are you referring to the subjects Government and Social Studies?
Yes, Sir''
''This is interesting!''
''What part of these subjects do you find most fascinating?''
''Types of Government, Law Making Process, Political Parties, Organs of Government, Operations of Government, Elections and Electoral Process, Civics, etc''
''Who mooted the idea of the visit?''
''We raised the request and pleaded with our teachers to arrange an excursion. Initially, our head teacher informed us that the process of arranging the excursion were cumbersome based on protocol and bureaucracies but promised to do his best to secure it for us.''
''Did it take long from the time it was first mooted, and when you finally visited?''
''No, it did not. Nevertheless, at a point we became agitated and had to ask questions.''
''When the date was eventually confirmed, what was your reaction and that of your colleagues?''
'' We were beside ourselves with excitement. There was celebration throughout the school. Many students who were not part of the excursion team felt bad. I remember running home after school hours to inform my parents about the development.''
''How did your parents receive the information?''
''They were very happy, very happy. They wished me well and instructed that I note every detail of our excursion. My father requested that I prepare to write an essay after our visit.''
''You mean that… Now have you written the essay?''
''What essay, sir? What will I write? Will I write that I visited the National Assembly and saw Honourable Members of the House of Representatives wrestling or fighting? What essay?''
''Did you say wrestling or fighting?''
''Both!''
''You mean you did not note whether they were fighting or wrestling.''
''Initially, it was exchange of blows but later it degenerated into wrestling.''
''How many of them were doing this?''
''The entire chambers were in an uproar. We could not count the figure. My colleagues and I saw honourable members running helter-skelter. At a point, we saw some of them carrying objects and hitting one another. We were at the gallery but were still scared.''
''Why did you and your colleagues not leave the arena?''
''We were confused. We wanted to be sure of the exit point to follow. You will not understand. We also saw a woman, who was beaten. She was shouting and crying. There was this man, whose agbada was shredded. We later found out that he was the leader of a group they called 'Progressives'.
''Progressives, you said…?''
''Some mischievous ones amongst us were chorusing Hulk Hogan, Hulk Hagan at the background.''
''Did you try to stop them from chanting?''
''I could not do anything''
''Where were your teachers?''
''They were with us''
''So, what did they do?’'
''They were confused. They tried to manage the situation.''
''How did they fare?''
''Sir, I must confess that they tried. Some of my colleagues wanted to walk down to the chambers to feed their eyes except that the teachers intervened. We even saw one of the members carrying a canister with which he sprayed another member. It was at this point that we received instruction from our teachers to leave the chambers.''
''I understand that the Speaker, Bankole Dimeji, drove personally to the school to apologize to you all''
''Yes, but do not mind him. It was mere PR charade. Why did it take him that long to do? It is too late. Do not forget that that impression had long registered.''
''So you mean all of you did not accept his apology?''
''Some of us did, but for me, it is a terrible experience to live down. It has registered!''
''Could you remember any of the members that were involved in the scuffle?''
''No, but there was this one they called ogbologbo, some were calling him area boy. He was very strong. It took about five members to restrain him. He was like a lion. They tore his shirts.''
''You saw all these?''
''Was it Honorable Patrick Obahiagbon?''
''No, I know that one very well. He is the one that speaks big English. He was actually one of the members that I had looked forward to meet. I watch him regularly on television. I am sure that he was not amongst the wrestlers. He comes across as a gentle man.''
''You mean you could not recall any name.''
''I am sorry sir; we have resolved to call them dishonorable members''
''When you say ‘we’, whom are you referring?''
''My colleagues and I''
''Please, do not say that''
''Sir, that is, what we have resolved to address them from now. I heard some of them shouting, Dino, the bulldog, Dino, the bulldog. I was wondering whether he was a member of the house.''
''How about if the police arrest you for calling them dishonourable members, what would you do?''
''I will explain to the police why I am addressing them as dishonorable members. Do not forget that I am a minor. I am 16 years old''
''You said you could not write the essay, which your father requested that you write, because there was nothing remarkable to write about''
''Yes, sir''
''All that you have told me could make a good essay''
''Yes, but, none of what I saw were taught during our classes by our teachers. At no time, did our teachers lectured us that lawmaking or legislative procedure involved fighting or wrestling.''
''Are you disappointed?''
''I am disillusioned. I am ashamed of being a Nigerian. I hope you are aware that this 'show of shame’ took place same day that Super Eagles embarrassed the nation in South Africa. I am sad that the children of these lawmakers are not in the country to witness what their fathers have turned this country to. My mother told me that most of the children of the parliamentarians are in places like Ghana, US, Britain, Saudi Arabia, schooling.''
''If given the opportunity again, would you want to visit the National Assembly?''
''For what sir, I will not''
''So, what is your impression of member of the House of Representatives?''
''They are a disgrace to their children, family, and the nation. This has clearly shown that our leaders are incapable of running this country. They did this in our presence. As leaders of tomorrow to be, what example are they bequeathing to us? If I knew that this was going to happen, I would have opted out of the trip.''
''Are you aware that the molested female members’ constituency and women liberation groups are spoiling for a fight with the leadership of the House?''
''My father told me that a female parliamentarian had in the past, slapped a male colleague of hers’, and almost blinded him in the process. So why are the women protesting now. Look, sir, my father says that fracas of this nature had been taking place in the House of Representatives since 1999. In fact, he narrated a recent episode in Edo State House of Assembly, where one of the members came into the chambers with a bomb to blow everybody up. He said it is a usually occurrence in most State Assembly.''
‘‘Will you aspire to be a legislature?''
''Tu fia kwa, God forbid bad thing, I will plead with my father to send me abroad to school next year, that is, after my studies in this school. Do not forget that next year is another election year. I am sure that that they will turn the nation into a wrestling mat.''
''Sir, please, let me ask you one question.''
''Please, go ahead.''
'' Have the 60 lawmakers that travelled to South Africa to watch the Super Eagles returned from the trip?''
''I think they should have returned by now.''
''It was better they were not around to witness the brawling circus''
''Why?''
''Because they would have joined in the fracas''
''Yes…ooooooooooooooo!''
''Thank you for your time''
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