Senator Nwebonyi’s outbursts to Oby Ezekwesili too crude for a woman regarded as a pride to the nation – PDP women leader

• Carpets nursing students for disrespecting First Lady

By Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) women leader and former governorship aspirant, Princess Grace Iye Adejoh, has frowned at the recent public outbursts of Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi of Ebonyi North against former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, describing it as a dangerous trend that is crude and demeaning to a woman regarded as a pride of the nation.

The senator had made vile verbal attacks on Dr Oby Ezekwesili at the Senate Ethics and Privileges Committee in response to the latter’s comment of “shut up” over the lingering crisis involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate.

In a press statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja, Princess Grace Iye Adejoh, who is currently a PDP women leader in the UK, said the outbursts of the senator to a woman of such high calibre in public, with the use of unprintable words, was a deliberate attempt to ridicule her, saying, “This is un-African.”

The PDP women leader also condemned the actions of students of the Delta School of Nursing who recently treated the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, with disdain when she visited the state recently and said it was highly disrespectful and unacceptable.

The statement reads:

“A dangerous trend is creeping into our society, eroding values that once held us together. It has been growing unchecked, but now, it has reached an alarming level—one we can no longer ignore or dismiss as insignificant.”

“One of the things I’ve always been grateful for is my African heritage. Although I’ve been out of Nigeria for a while, I carry my cultural identity with pride, whether in Europe, Asia, or America. Wherever I go, I make it clear: I am a proud African child.”

“Growing up in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, instils a deep-rooted sense of respect for elders. You may disagree with them, dislike their words or actions, but you do not insult them. You do not respond to them with arrogance or contempt. Publicly humiliating an elder is considered not just disrespectful but a grave cultural misstep.”

“Dr Oby Ezekwesili may not be the conventional political figure who sugarcoats the truth, but she is a woman who has paid her dues and carried Nigeria’s burdens like a mother. Her tone may sometimes be unpalatable, but to see her dragged through the mud, insulted with vile words, and treated with such disdain in public was heartbreaking. How did we, as a society, deteriorate to the point where we throw away respect so easily?”

“Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi of Ebonyi North had a rare opportunity to set an example for the younger generation—an opportunity to demonstrate that power and humility can coexist. He had the chance to show that in Africa, elders are treated with dignity, even in disagreement. But instead, he let that opportunity slip away.”

“This incident is a stark reminder that many cherished African values are fading, caught in the friction between democracy, power, and our cultural traditions.”

“Meanwhile, as we tried to make sense of this debacle, another disturbing scene unfolded in Delta State. The First Lady was at an event of nursing students, only to be met with disdain from the students. If that does not send shivers down our spines, what will?”

“It is time for serious reflection. How much further can we go down this path of disregard for elders? We may embrace modernity, wear suits, and study abroad, but we must never forget that we are Africans, bound by values that define us. Respect is one of those values.”

“Perhaps it is time for our elders to come together and deliberate on how to restore this lost virtue. It is equally important for them to carry themselves with dignity, offering reciprocal respect to the younger generation.”

“However we choose to look at it, the actions of Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi and the nursing students in Delta are not just missteps—they are signs of a deeper societal decay. If we do not correct this course, we will only be digging a deeper grave for our nation. These are signs we can no longer ignore,” she added.