Do you know who I am?

An oyibo friend of mine who worked as a diplomat in Naija gifted me my all-time favourite “Do you know who I am” stories. Some top-shot Nigerian, incensed that a “small” oyibo man dared ask him to provide more supporting documents for his visa application, asked my friend if he knew who he was. Feigning not to understand that it was a rhetorical question meant to underscore Mister VIP’s importance, my friend responded, “No, but I’m the man who will reject your application if you don’t get the documents.” Mister VIP turned humble immediately.

My second favourite “Do you know who I am” story is the one of the person who, on being asked the question, said “No,” but then announced that there was a gentleman who seemed not to know who he was and asked if anybody could help him. This second story is probably apocryphal, but I love it all the same for how it reveals the stupidity and absurdity of the whole “Do you know who I am” mentality.

Often, those afflicted with this mentality have over-inflated egos and believe that not only are they special, but that others are so beneath them as to be undeserving of basic courtesies or respect. The trending video on social media of (Dis) Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, Member, Federal House of Representatives, representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency, is a perfect example of this mindset in action.

The relatively young and self-important politician, Ikwechegh, allegedly slapped a delivery driver several times, refused to pay the driver, tore the man’s shirt, threatened to make him disappear “and nothing will happen,” and threatened to lock him up in his generator room, saying nobody would intervene—all because the delivery driver had the temerity to ask him to come to the car to collect his order of snail.

• APC, IPAC pass vote of confidence in Ondo REC after PDP protests
• SEC to infuse cyber security, AI in curriculum review

He called the vendor who’d used the driver to courier the package to complain of the driver’s “poor” service, saying, “How can this stupid idiot come to my house and tell me that I’m supposed to come and meet him in his car and pick up the things that I’m buying from you?”  “Do you know who I am?” he asked the driver. When he realized he was being filmed, rather than be embarrassed, he doubled down and dared the driver to call the Inspector General of Police for him.

Why an able-bodied grown man finds it insulting to walk from his house to his driveway to collect a package is beyond me. Yet he made that walk to deliver his assault and insults. The irony is that going through Ikwechegh’s social media page, he not only has motivational and religious quotes about leadership, service, and God (to wit: “Happy Sunday my good people. Remember to love thy neighbour as thyself,” “Success is determined by service, identify the uniqueness in you and capitalize on it to bring forth positivity to this our world,” “Lfe [sic] is too short for one to be little,” “So many of us are rich but a few have CLASS”).

He also has several photos of himself abroad (including at least one photo of him on a bus or tube somewhere in Europe, holding on to his suitcase without any aide in sight), and I can assure you that in none of those countries would he dare to slap a delivery driver for asking him to come out to collect his package. I am certain that he controls his madness and anger once he sets foot outside Naija. Nonsense man.

Anyway, if Mr. Ikwechegh had no idea who he was, Nigerians have let him know on his social media page: a bullying, small man with an over-inflated sense of self. A man with no self-awareness, posting about humility and service on the one hand, and then boasting about how two state governors wished him a happy birthday. Perhaps, it isn’t surprising that he would be afflicted with the “Do You Know Who I Am” sickness. Ndi Aba North/South Federal Constituency, is this the person you want representing you?

I hope, with everything in me, that he is held accountable. Many have said they don’t believe that he will be even though he’s allegedly been arrested. If he isn’t, then I hope that karma catches him and bites him hard.