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When Criticism Becomes Contempt: The David Ogewu Debate and the Decay of Respect in Public Discourse

By Genesis Ogiri, Public Affairs Analyst & Concerned Citizen for Constructive Civic Engagement

Abuja — The recent outburst by a self-styled social media critic against Hon. David Ogewu, the distinguished Member representing Oju/Obi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has once again exposed the widening gulf between constructive civic engagement and the reckless culture of contempt now plaguing Nigeria’s political conversation.

The critic’s post — drenched more in provocation than perspective — read:

“Dear David Ogewu, TV praises for Tinubu and Tajudeen Abbas aren’t constituency projects. Dear Lord, never again allow an illiterate represent me for a cause requiring intellectual soundness.”

Those words, widely circulated across social media platforms, did not project insight; they revealed intolerance. They were not born of patriotism but of petulance — a symptom of the shallow sensationalism that often masquerades as activism in the digital age.

Criticism or Contempt? A Distinction Lost on Many

In journalism and governance alike, criticism is a sacred tool — it refines policy, awakens conscience, and strengthens democracy. But when criticism degenerates into personal contempt, it ceases to educate and begins to erode.

Hon. Ogewu, a legislator known for his calm intellect and measured diplomacy, became the latest victim of this trend — condemned not for wrongdoing, but for showing respect to national leadership. His words of acknowledgment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas were not flattery, but statesmanship — the mark of a man who understands that development demands collaboration, not confrontation.

To dismiss such diplomacy as “illiteracy” exposes a gross misunderstanding of governance. Nigeria’s legislative process is not a street duel of noise and name-calling; it is a delicate art of negotiation, of aligning constituency needs with national priorities.

A legislator achieves far more through strategic partnership than through empty defiance. A representative who quarrels with everyone at the center may win fleeting applause from online mobs, but he will lose long-term dividends for his people.

Calling Hon. Ogewu “illiterate” therefore says less about his intellect and more about the critic’s emotional and civic illiteracy. It takes more than grammar to govern — it takes grace, grounding, and genuine understanding of power dynamics.

Ogewu’s approach reflects maturity — a blend of humility and strategic foresight. He represents the non-kinetic model of engagement: calm, persuasive, and intelligent. Where others shout, he studies; where others provoke, he partners.

The kinetic critic thrives on noise, eager to trend rather than transform. But the non-kinetic leader builds quietly, understanding that influence is earned through respect, not rebellion. Ogewu belongs to that rare category — the steady builders who prefer results to recognition.

His belief is simple yet profound: to attract development, one must align with development drivers. His commendation of national leadership is not subservience but strategy — a recognition that influence flows where understanding reigns.

The tragedy of today’s civic space is that too many youths equate rudeness with radicalism. Yet, a democracy built on mockery cannot mature; it will only multiply mediocrity.

Insults do not build institutions. Governance does not flourish in an atmosphere of derision. The pen — or the post — that seeks to humiliate leaders diminishes the very idea of democracy it claims to defend.

While online critics perform for applause, Hon. Ogewu remains focused on performance for progress — lobbying for federal projects, championing educational inclusion, and facilitating infrastructure in Oju and Obi. These are not acts of television praise; they are acts of tangible representation.

Constituency projects are not designed in hashtags; they are negotiated in committee rooms, drafted in budgetary corridors, and delivered through federal partnerships. To conflate public diplomacy with idleness is to reveal ignorance of governance itself.

The Very Best Are Not Always the Loudest

The truth remains: the very best are not always those occupying the most visible seats in the National Assembly, but those who carry their mandate with sincerity and vision. For now, among such steady hands, Hon. David Ogewu stands as the best — not because he shouts the loudest, but because he works the hardest.

He personifies a leadership philosophy rooted in restraint, results, and respect. In a system drowning in noise, his calmness is clarity.

A Call for Civic Maturity

It is time to restore civility to our civic life. Freedom of expression must walk hand in hand with discipline of expression.

Democracy thrives where disagreement is seasoned with decorum and where dissent seeks reform, not ridicule.

Before one calls a leader “illiterate,” let one first learn the literacy of empathy, evidence, and emotional intelligence.

The critic’s tone was not the language of change but the lament of confusion. True reformers speak to enlighten, not to embarrass.

Conclusion: Wisdom Before Words

Defending Hon. Ogewu is not about defending one man; it is about defending the principle that respectful engagement is not weakness but wisdom.

Nigeria needs leaders who listen — and citizens who speak with sense. The maturity of any democracy is measured not by the noise of its critics but by the nobility of its conversations.

So let the critics rage; history will remember the builders, not the brawlers.

And in Oju/Obi, for now, the builder is David Ogewu — steady, strategic, and steadfast in service.

Genesis Ogiri

Public Affairs Analyst & Concerned Citizen for Constructive Civic Engagement