A Silent Conpiracy

It is a silent conspiracy!

You used to shout and scream,

In those days

When hope was still at touching distance,

Words used

To flow and flow

When you were

Shouting and screaming

About those who burn our pottage.

But now your silence deadens

Our expectant eardrums

It is a silent conspiracy!


Who has kidnapped the tongue of the growling lion?

What has shut the gates of your mouth?

It is a silent conspiracy!


You used to teach and preach

 In those days

When hope was still at touching distance,

We listened to sermons and lectures,

Teaching and preaching,

About  the power of words and ideas.

But have we been fed by con-men?

Your tastes have changed

It is a silent conspiracy!


Dining and wining

On the highest tables,

And now you join the Pirates of silence

Who seek to entangle us

In their world of empty words

It is a silent conspiracy!


I have questions

For all Pirates of silence,

Con-men who hide under the umbrella of silence,

All who conspire with their silence

To keep us in chains

Do your noses still detect

The odour of burnt pottage?

Or does the fat pay slip

Now imprison your conscience?

It is a silent conspiracy!

Allow me Rest

I run go north

East and west no where I no enta

And man scatter go south

Eferibodi dey ask say

wetin I dey fain.


I climb Kilimanjaro

I waka waka for Sahara

I enta ocean like fish

People thin say man

Wan run mental.


Wetin I dey fain?

I fain am for sleep

I fain am for chop

I fain am for work

Wetin I dey fain?


I no fit challenge Tyson

I no be Maradona

But dem nefer born de person

Wey go stop me from

De thin I dey fain.


Na immediate I see you

Na immediate I see you

My mind jus coole

like ocean breeze:


Make you allow me rest

I don see wetin I dey fain

Make you allow me rest

Becos na you I dey fain.

Too much Grammar

Oyinbo grammar na im dey cause palava,

Na grammar trouble we dey o,

Grammar don take-over;

Bifor you talk small thin for mouth,

Na so you go dey hear:

Rationalization, development plan,

Commercialization, conditionalities,

Na soso grammar, oyinbo too much.

Anytime we get big problem,

Na so dem dey scatter de grammar,

Make you lef de grammar o,

Whosai, dem no go gree:

Mobilization, Trade liberalization,

Restructuring nko?

Kai! Dem jus dey pepper de grammar,

But, e dey sweet dem for mouth sha,

Dis grammar sef, see how dem dey twist am:

Promissory notes, Privatisation, Debt rescheduling.

Na so dem dey run from de problem,

Problem come borku, grammar borku.

Dis grammar sef don dey block my ear o,

But man never belleful sha,

Grammar no fit belleful us o,

E blow all de grammar wey dey for dico finis,

Chineke! Dem just dey pieces de grammar,

Food too dey cost, grammar borku:

Dat one na consumer’s Resistance,

Abi na Buyer’s market?

Ba turanchi, na chop I wan chop.

pickins nefer go school

Oyinbo grammar don dey too much o!

Make we siddon tackle de problem,

Comot hand for de yeye grammar,

My broda, all de one wey you talk so

Nefer reach us o;

Remember say man must wack,

Grammar without action na one kain wahala.

Salute the Cloth

Salute! – salute the power-breeding cloth,

Purchased in any city market;

Government tailors provide buttons and collars,

Salute the cloth

Bought with funds from our public till,

Salute! – salute the power-generating garment.

SALUTE!

Attention! – pay attention to the uniform men,

Carrying the almighty – the almighty gun;

Pay attention, when in their consistent manner

They inform you about how they police the nation,

How they police your future.

PAY ATTENTION!

Obey! – obey all orders,

Because sometimes while policing there is

Little need to be civil,

As stubborn civilians learn

After they have been bloodied.

Obey! – obey, stop and search later for your rights

On the pages of imaginative tabloids,

Obey! when the uniform polices the state.

OBEY!

March! – march with the starched khaki

When they eject ruling rogues

From our public castles,

March! – march with them as they play

Their game of musical chairs

With the looters in Agbada.

MARCH!

Still the fruit of Eden has touched their lips,

And in spite of numerous handovers

The power-breeding cloth intends to stay!

Make Dem Checkout

Dem dey speak through dem nose,

Dey talk like oyinbo,

Like person wey no dey shit :

“Hey men, how’re you doing”,

American slang dem sabi well well,

But wetin concern dem with de

Language of dem Papa?

Invite dem for parti,

Dem no dey chop African food,

If you no get spaghetti, salad,

Abi chicken and chips,

Dem no go chop.

Na only oyinbo sound dem go dance,

No play Fela, Sunny or Warrior o!

Just give dem de latest sound from US of A.

Even dem hair must resemble oyinbo own,

See dem as dem dey pose:

E dey wear dress wey im buy for London,

Shoe wey im get from Rome,

Shirt wey dem buy from Rome,

Shirt wey dem buy from Washington,

E don tay since we don independent,

Still some people dey, wey get

Oyinbo-made mentality,

De only advice wey I get for

Dose kain people be say :

Make dem checkout!

Building

Sometimes when you are building

I am also building,

We go without food because we are building,

Because this building requires sweat,

It needs money,

It feeds on people,

And so some die, others starve.

Meanwhile, we are still building;

I build to shield myself from your rocks and stones,

You build  to shelter yourself from my imminent ambush,

And so we build and the building consumes more

Because this building requires sweat,

It needs on money,

It feeds on people ,

And some die, others starve.

When we build we carry the tools of our trade,

We carry swords and machetes

And knives and axes,

Then we scream: “PEACE”,

We cry: “No MORE WAR !”

But still we build

Like we are building to the skies,

But will there be fire-extinguishers?

Will we hear the screams of fire?

Will we smell the deadly fumes?

Will we smell the deadly fume?

Still the force of building has taken control

And the building continues,

Because this building requires sweat,

It needs money,

It feeds on people,

And some die and others starve.

LISTEN: ONLY COCKROACHES WILL SURVIVE A NUCLEAR WAR !”

Bring your Candle

E be like say I dey for darkroom

Without window

Without door

Eferiwhere jus dark patapata.

E be like say I get one hungiry

Wey chop no fit quench

De hungiry dey wire me

From morning reach night.

I sabi say darkness go quench

Wen you bring your candle

I sabi say hungiry go pafuka

Wen you bring your chop.

Bring your candle make we see together

Bring your chop make we chop bellewise.

Na only you fit killi de darkness

Na only you fit quench my hungiry.

Come now:

Na only you ! ! !

Azania Calls

Take me !

Take me to rivers and oceans,

Take me to the Nile,

So I may fill my belly

and rinse my body in African waters.

Lead me!

Lead me to mountains and hills,

Lead me to Kilimanjaro,

So I may feed my eyes

On the vast riches of Africa.

Take me!

Take me to deserts,

Take me to Sahara,

So, that my feet may dance to the beat of the burning African soil.

Lead me!

Lead me to Soweto and Alexandria,

Lead me to Azania,

Lead me to where our captured land and stolen gold and enslaved brethren wait for me,

Lead me!

For I have swam in whale-eating oceans,

I have climbed sky-kissing mountains,

I have walked on fire-burning deserts,

Take me ! lead me !

Azania calls

Brain Wetin?

Weder na pain or na gain

Abi na drain or train

Dem say na only person

Wey get brain

Go gain

But answer me!

Before I give you pain:

You don see somebody

Wey no get brain?

Wen you put leg

For de train

Dem go talk say you no patriotic

You no love your contri.

But wetin man pickin go do

Afta oga saboteur

Don spoil contri finis?

Dem call am brain drain

Becos you tire for chain of

Waka waka unemploy.

Brain wetin?

Dat one na foul!

Make you lef de people

Wey get chance

Make dem go service dem brain

For place where

respect dey for brain.

An Injury to One

I have sighted the branch,

And I see another,

Many branches – all fathered by the same tree.

Scattered branches,

But do not doubt their strength,

Don’t laugh at the unique  branches,

Who fuse and become one,

Instead pity their common enemy.

The steam-roller churns out messages,

Puffing and puffing,

Steam-rollers threaten,

But, a broken arm helps a maimed leg,

How many loud barks can chain the spirit

Of common purpose?

Puffing, but do you see the dungeons

Decent men are forced to work in?

Puffing, what about the weightless wages

You dole out from your profit mountain?

Still the steam-roller puffs,

And we tighten our bond,

For we must resist the wheel

Of ravenous masters.

Halt the machine !

We will stop the wheels

Of those who

Mix our sweat and blood

To form granite for

The foundation of their country homes.

We will not beg

For what is ours

Which has been taken by force

By the giants of business.

But now,

We will charge ourselves,

Wear our battle fatigue,

March forward

And sing our song:

Together we must come,

Together we must be one.

Bloody Civilian

For de rest of my life e get one night I no go forget,

In Ilorin after our band play finis,

We jus wan drop band members for house o,

Na so soja stop us for Muritala junction,

Dem say our moto no wan stop for dem,

See me trouble!

Bifor I talk one, two, three,

Dey don show say na khaki dey wear

Dem no wan hear any explain,

Kai! Wetin we do?

We dey look oursef like unknown mumu wey don miss road,

Na so we dey hear: “Who dey talk grammar with you?”,

Oga captain dey hala: “Give me my bulala, give me de belt,

Na today you frog jump to Port-Harcourt with immediate effect!”

Fela na you talk say "Uniform na cloth, na tailor dey sew am"

But

Dem point gun at us, gun  wey dey take our moni buy,

Dem dey kick us like football with de boot

Wey dey take our moni buy,

For dat night my eye clear well, well,

For dat night my human right dey sleep

Whereas man pickin dey suffer,

Dem carri gun so uniform dey talk,

Na for dat night I come sabi

De meaning of BLOODY CIVILIAN!

Inside Singing

Nigeria is not where it should be

Development is a stranger

Growth moves in reverse gear

The environment stinks

Of dashed hopes.

We see pockets of comfort and wealth

Unfulfilled dreams have taken over the landscape

Joblessness roams the land

Poverty is an ever present, unwanted guest striping us bare.

And the desire for understanding is chased out of town.

Troubled youths look for direction.

Elders pray for wisdom.

Most search for answers.

The outside appears bleak.

 

But there is singing inside.

On the inside there are deep, vast oceans

Of immense love, anger, passion and hope for the country.

Let's talk, sing

about these contrdaictions

affecting our lives

holding the country down.

Nigerians must take their country back

Read more on: Inside Singing Nigeria Poetiri and Poems

Allow me Rest

I run go north

East and west no where I no enta

And man scatter go south

Eferibodi dey ask say wetin I dey fain.

I climb Kilimanjaro

I don waka  waka for Sahara

I enta ocean like fish

People think say man

Wan run mental.

Wetin I dey fain?

I fain am for sleep

I fain am for chop

I fain am for work

Wetin I dey fain?

I no fit challenge Tyson

I no be Maradona

But dem nefer born de person

Wey go stop me from

De thin I dey fain.

Na immediate I see you

Na immediate I see you

My mind jus coole like ocean breeze:

Make you allow me rest

Becos na you I dey fain.

Power Show

The show is on all day,

Power  show, everyday

When the powers flex their muscles.

On busy  Awolowo road,

Or on congested Western avenue,

Sirens signal the presence of the powers,

Road close in the suffocating traffic;

Under the sun that burns.

We watch by-force the convoy-show,

Under the rain that weeps,

We watch by-force the convoy-show,

Unwilling spectators,

We watch free-of-charge the power show.

When we get checked at gun-point,

We watch by-force,

“Too much grammar ‘ will earn you slaps,

And from the mouths of the uniform

Missiles of abuse are sent.

We watch and watch

And watch out for stray bullets,

As we watch by-force,

We watch free-of-charge.

In the elephant-government offices,

In hot rooms

Where air-coolers started their strike

The day after the big office was opened,

Engines are stopped,

As clerks and officers

“Cannot trace crucial files”,

Until Naira is used to power starving engines.

At the ports,

You must go with powerful tradition

And obey ancient customs,

Listen to powers passed down from your fathers,

And you  learn it is bribe-before-service

In their own power show.

The show has power:

“ I will show you who I am,

Don’t you know me ? “

The show is on all day,

Power to the show!

Alarm don Blow

Eferi plan don scatter

Katakata jam yamayama

Moto dey boil like

Firewood soup

Molue people dey baff for sweat.

Alarm don blow

For Lagos go slow.

I-go-drive-mysef kiss

De yansh of Eko taxi

Grammar jus fly comot

From eferi corner:

“Gaddem! Nonsense!

I drive in London

Ten years no problem.”

Dem park for road

Dey block eferibodi:

My people, alarm don blow

For Lagos go slow.

Gofment oga wan go airport

Na so alarm come blow

Becos all road don close.

I sweat reach bucket for Eko molue

Still oga nefer pass

But sha, after two hour

Siren come blow

And oga fain im way.

Alreadi, alarm don blow

For Lagos go slow.

Hit-and-run driver jam

Person for Eko bridge

Eferibodi dey hala

Some dey do kiss of life

Oders bicom emergency dokita:

Ojuelegba na casualty ward

Eko bridge don bicom moto park.

Alarm don blow

Inside Lagos go slow.

Morning go slow

For Carter bridge

Night go slow

For Mile two

Ikorodu road

Na all weather.

You comot from work:

Go slow

You dey go work:

Go slow

You dey fain job:

Go slow

You dey fain business:

Go slow.

Go slow, go slow

You don go nuclear

Your alarm wan

Blow my ear comot.

Go slow, go slow

Your wahala tire me.

Independence Day

Celebrations rule the air,
This is a period for rejoicing,
Celebrations rent the air,
We have hoisted our flag
Throughout the tortuous road.

Celebrate !
Let us celebrate our flag freedom,
Celebrate !
Let us celebrate our economic bondage.
Beat those drums !
Murder the drums !
Dance the independence dance,
Yes, feast and dance:
No cause for alarm in
This land of the absurd
Where a few green patches thrive
In the scorching desert.
Every year we hire an orchestra
And a choir,
So as to celebrate our hunger:
We have become wealthy beggars,
We have become farmers who starve
In the midst of bountiful harvests,
We have become cowardly generals !
How we are running round in a daze,
Searching for all-cure potions
From foreign witchdoctors:

Our pretty maiden has gone barren,
Our rich soil is consuming all crops,
And hoe was buried with many dreams,
Seasons ago.
But, can the sick cure the sick?
Can the river dam back the ocean?

But must dreams midwife nightmares?
We seek for truth buried in freedom,
We seek to uproot chains masquerading as liberty,
Will happy hopes live again?

The war front calls,
The noise of battle is loud,
And weak hearts must stay by the fireside:
Surgical knives must not miss
The cancerous heart,
The axe must not miss the roots
Of the dying tree.

So let drums beat,
Let flutes play,
Let trumpets blast,
Let cocks crow,
This time,
To herald the new dawn.

Africa get Belle

For our place na good thin

Wen somebody get belle

But dis Africa belle

But dis Africa belle

Don overmature

Na real bad belle

Na wen e go deliver?


Soso famine and kwarshiokor borku

And beggar, beggar contri eferiwhere.

Long, long time after slavery

And efensef colonial master don comot

Still Africa no wan deliver.


Bifor, bifor wen Oyinbo come

Na some Africa man sell dem broda

Again, again dem dey hala for IMF and
Im cousin World Bank.

Dis time dem go blow grammar for UN and OAU

Becos dem be independent contri abi?

But my sista, na all of us sabi say

Na only flag we get:

Our maiguard dey combine with armu robber!


Africa get belle

E don overdue

Belle no wan comot

Na so Africa dey roll for ground

Becos de pain don pass mental:


Africa get belle

Na wen e go deliver?

Cacophony in the Dark

All day

all night

I hear the sound

and I try to

block my ears

close my eardrums

from the boom and blare

of the drums and trumpets

hounding my every move

questioning my will to beak free

from the seemingly endless chains.


One-two

listen to the strident, halting beat

of merciless drums

churning out the harsh melody

that smashes our calabash

our gourd of peace

housing the fruits and water

That cement our existence.

But the cacophony in us all

hears no voices

but its own.



The loud noise drowns us all

so I must spare my eardrums

from the furious beat of confused sounds;

The naira beats the drum,

the tempting beat tries to cajole me:

one-two

move your feet

three– four

shake you waist

five-six

to the empty beat.



The assault flows on

like the endless stream

so I try to tune off

from the ruler-merchants

from the soil-traders

from the arms-carriers

even from the book-masters

and the mirror-holders.



One-two

we go to school

three-four

not to become fools.


Cacophony in the dark

why do you disturb my sleep

with your worn-out tune?

The deafening noise is always so empty..

The Warrior

My friends is a brave and courageous warrior,

A seasoned warrior,

In the wars he fought with all his heart

And all his might;

Along comes a time for reconstruction,

A time to recover from the turmoils of war,

From the harsh, brutal duels;

Incomplete recovery due to haphazard treatments,

Malaria syrups cannot touch yellow fever;

Still the warrior fights on,

Reconstruction is not easy when it is only on paper;

But the warlords are laughing and feasting.

Wining and dining,

Chatting and jiving,

Singing and dancing,

And my friend is

Still fighting.

As We dey watch de News

Na coole for evening so,

We jus dey watch de news,

De thing come happin

Abi you no watch de news?


Kai ! De thing wey dem do no be better o!

Wetin? ! A whole six months?

Come see wahala as we dey watch de news.

No be de news all of us dey watch

Dem show us?

Nat wa o!

We fit see road wen den jus dey off all de light?


Tori change small, tori come dey one kain,

Dem begin beg,

Yeye dey smell,

Dem dey carri apology

Yeye don rotten finis,

Upon all de beg wetin comot?

Apology nko? How far?


I beg comot yeye for my front,

How person go beg

E go come say e no guilty?

Na so we see propa wahala

As we dey watch de news.