I AM NIGERIA!!

The cup is licking,
The drops of water splash on the ground and dries in the soil,
Talents are been lost daily my children loose all with every breath I take.
People tell me I have so many children,
A river of water that cannot become empty,
But they do not know that amongst those ones that are been drained away
In them are my best, the apple of my eyes
They are my future, the ones that will give life and make my dreams a reality.

Some of my children have put it upon themselves
To drain out the milk that I fed them with,
They have decided that they would empty me inside out.
They take from me daily without given anything in return
They do not care that as they do this
They would one day deprive their on children's children the right
And benefits they they are enjoying now.
Then i wonder to myself WHY!!
In tears I write this letter to YOU!! YES EVEN YOU!!!
Why do you insist on emptying out the blood of my life?

Every day I have to take up more blood through transfusion
Because as I take you drain it away.
What value is this fight that you wage against me?
Why have you taken it upon yourself
To run after thing that take away from you without giving back?
Every time I turn around and look
I see a mass of people that is governed by a few,
I see children that have sold their birthright just for what they would eat,
I look and see my first born give unto the last
What he gained as a right of birth and I wonder to myself
"when will my children learn to be free and give their younger ones a chance to live"

It hurts me daily when I open my heart and eyes
To see another life that is cut short or drained away
I am loosing all my worth,
Ii am gradually been emptied and drained of my life worth
I am a country that has not been allowed to be a nation,
I am a land filled with milk and honey,
I am a giant that is gradually been reduced to a dwarf
I was a mighty man that fought for the less privileged
I am that land that was loved by many
A land where everyone wanted to be

Now I have been reduced to a land
Where even her children run away to places far and wide
I have become a land where the godly's voice is not heard in the field
I have become a land that cannot even feed her own people
While a few greedy one take what is left and sell it to neighboring nations
I been made a land where her children refuse to talk
I have become a land where some of her children have to sleep with one eye open
I have been made redundant and lifeless because I am no longer a full glass

I used to be a cup filled and running over,
Overflowing with love and resources
But where is everything?
Yesterday I went to see some of my children in Jos
But I was told that they are no more, their brothers killed them,
The other day I went to Benin,
On my way I saw bodies (my children dead on the streets)
Their brothers robbed them and killed them
I look around and I see vacant eyes with lost hope and lost faith
I went to visit some of my children
And they could not entertain me as they used to do before now
Because they lost their job.
Please help me!! Don’t let the source of my joy drain away completely
Call everyone together and work together to fill me back up.
Why run after all these things that have continued to bring me down into nothingness?
Why do u pursue after emptiness?
I am a great country and I want to be a nation,
I AM NIGERIA!!!

A RISING GENERATION

Generations of my people
Have neglected to give truth a chance
We have refused to believe
That what we do not want we must fight for it
Naturally, it has been bestowed upon man
To face the future
We know that challenge and risk
Is an essential part of life
However, we rather prefer to run
In opposite direction
Instead of facing our tormentors
Generations of my people
Have lived to witness the pull
Of forces dragging them down
But instead of fighting this pull
They let go of their anchor
And allow themselves to sink
Irrespective of the fact
That we cannot achieve our dreams
Without building it
We sit down and wait
For fortune to seek us out
Generations of my people
Have refused to realise that
The slipshod man will always
Be confronted with problems one after the other
Do they buckle up and wrestle this
Problem like the normal man would?
They just roll around in agony
And believe they are bearing their loss
And been strong
A strong man would stand up
And confront his problems and overcome them
Generations of my people
Are still slumbering
And wallowing in abject suffering
Of the highest degree
What do they do about this?
Nothing, they rely on fate
And allow it to take its course
What is fate?
Is it to believe that man
Cannot work
Towards his freedom and success
Generations of my people
Have allowed themselves
To be trampled upon
They have looked the other way
While their lives have been used as pawns
They insist on been complacent
And continue to compromise with the devil
Strength does not mean trouble
But helps you to straighten yourself
And follow the God made part
Generations of my people
Have continually relied on the flesh
Rather than the spirit
They have refused
To have an in-depth view of themselves and life
They have always viewed things on the surface
Why? Mainly because they fear to realise
That the majority of their sorrow is their own doing
Imagine a man who would continually
Allow himself to be used by others
Does he know that he can make life easier
For himself if he asserts his rights?
Generations of my people
Have allowed the dictations of others
To determine their future
Must they continually walk
In other peoples’ shadow?
Can they not build a shadow for themselves
And allow the rays of the sun to fall on them?
I know my people would someday learn
But then I ask myself, when?
Life would go on
Whether one likes it or not
But generations of people
Remain stagnant
While others continue to proceed
In their live long achievement
It is only the stupid man
That believes in a stagnant existence
And only the fools believe
That life would remain the same
“God’s time is the best” they say
We know this and even believe in it ourselves
But when will God’s time come for you?
God does not help those
That does not need help
Therefore God does not condone
Laziness and wasteful living
Generations of my people
Have continually closed their eyes
And refused to see the pits in front of them
Why? Do we say
They get thrills from falling into pits?
Or rather they are blind
To their rights and inheritance?
Must we continually court them
With no response to commitment
Now we are in new generation
What will they do?
Will they learn from their blunders
Than their predecessors did?
Would they turn blind eyes
Towards the misendeavors of the unjust?
Let us rise and fight for what is
Rightfully ours
We shall go to the top of the mountain
And make a heart piercing noise
A noise that would be felt
At all the corners of the universe
Then we would follow it up with the works
And laborious strength which our fathers
Have refused to make use of
We will come out of the shadow
And allow ourselves to be seen
We would work and strive hard
And continually communicate with God
And an unwavering faith through prayer
Our generation shall say with faith
“Let this be” and it shall be so
Because we are sons of our fathers
We will overcome those that continually trample
On our rights and grasp from them what is lawfully ours
“No more compromise”
This we shall tell the devil
And stand by it irrespective
Of the turbulence of the ocean
This way only can we correct the havoc which
Generations of my people have continually
And incessantly allowed to occur
But then we would be able to stand in large crowds
And not be ashamed
We would cloth ourselves in flowing royal gown
And no stain shall be found on it
And people would say,
“Oh, behold what a great people
Living in a great nation”
And pride in ourselves shall
Make us to stand firm without stumbling
We would then have learned from our mistakes
That the generations of my people
Have continually committed

BIRTHDAY PRAYER

This is a poem I wrote for my Birthday!!


Today starts a new year in my life
To those near me
Let them share in my joy
Let this day be a turning point in my life
A change for the better
Leaving behind the bad
The childish and wrong doing
Let me be more matured
In dealing with life
Let betterness shine on me
Let today being my birth date
Make me a new person
May it bring me good luck for now
And always
Also let it give to others near me
Good luck also
The light of the lord shine on me
Shine on me i say and guard me
From all my foes
Guide me in the right path
Let me not go astray
Hold me in your right hand
That i do not fall
Teach me to love more than i do now
Point the way that i shall follow
Be my beginning and end
Let the whole world know
See and believe
That in me their lives
The lord everlasting
Let me hear news of good tiding with
Respect to life
Let me continue to grow in health and in you
Let those that seek my downfall stumble
May they be removed from thy sight
Let me prosper in their presence so that they
Would see that i serve a living god
Because i have a father let me conquer
Because he liveth let me shed no more tears
Let me be able to face anything put in my way
Let my light shine
Let me be showered with thy goodness and mercies
Remove from my life sorrow, suffering and hunger
Let those that make fun of me swallow their laugher
Let me laugh, oh lord
Because he who laughs last laughs the most
Make know to me today the aim of my existence
Don’t just leave me to wonder and float
Like someone without a destination
Let me achieve all the goals
I have laid down for myself
Anything that would destroy my end
Remove and lead me on
‘my god said unto my lord,
Sit at my right hand until i make thy enemies
Thy footstool’
Let this saying apply to me
Let me live, see tomorrow and days after
Let me have sunshine in my life
And take away the winter
Let me move in the direction that leads
To life everlasting and not sorrow
Let me have peace and those around me
For my god is the king of peace
Make my day
I have chosen a career
Let me be able to move in that direction
Do not let me be deceived by men
From today let me be a good child to my parents
And also to my elders
Let me be obedient so that i do not fall along the way
Let me be able to carry my cross
O lord, don’t let it weigh me down
Let your joy, which is everlasting be my strength
Let me not strive in vain
And do not allow ill wind to blow my way
Light and darkness do not move together
Therefore light my way
That i do not hit my foot against a stone

THE CHALLENGE

It has become hard to say no
I have the right to refuse
But it looks me in the eyes
Dances round and smile
Yes I will dance!
Dance! Sing! Smile! And laugh!
It is daring me
“ I bet you can’t do it
You’ve never tried it before”
But then it is the more reason
I must do it now
To prove to myself and the whole world
That I can do it and more
I did dance to the beat
I sang my own song
I smiled and laughed at them
For then I did prove
That I could make it

THE SHADOW

My! What a day. Such a fine day for a fine lady. Her husband had traveled to get something’s done in his hometown. He has been away for about five days and Shade his wife has been watching out for her husband Femi since yesterday. She went out of her way to take Moni, their daughter, to school. Femi had taken the car and anyway if he hadn’t, Shade could not drive.
She had been sometime in getting back and was a bit tired so she got prepared to have a little nap.
But nothing more, Femi was coming back from his journey today and she wanted to welcome him properly. She cast back her mind to the past when Femi always came calling before they got married. Dad the Oba of Ikare land was a very strict man.
He made it plan that no man was allowed to visit his daughter. But Femi had a brother, they had gone to the same school and Seye, Femi’s brother was sent to her. Seye came on the pretext that he wanted to teach me mathematics and sneak note to me, which she would reply. Later after dad died she used to go and visit Femi whenever she spent her holidays in Lagos. Shade seniors all lived in the north and had married from there.
Among all the members of my family I was the only one waiting to marry her town native. I was a bit sad at times because mum died when I was young and dad was recently dead. They were not there when I got married. A few years later I gave birth to a girl, Monisola, and since then no more children. Monisola is ten now. Although I do not take any pills or preventions. I do wish that God would give me another child; I knew Femi wanted another child, preferably a boy. Nigerian men believe about sons. At times that particular subject depressed me. I know it was wicked of me but I could not help thinking that Femi found or looked for pleasure somewhere else.
I must have slept off while I was thinking because when I woke it was the sound of someone banging the door. I looked drowsily at the door.
Who in god’s name could that be. I stood up and went to answer the caller at the door. What happened afterwards forever is imprinted in my memory.
“Hello” I said to the strange woman standing outside “What can I do for you”.
She looked a bit taken aback but quickly concealed it so I thought I had mistaken the show of emotion. But then she became all smiles and looked me up and down. I could sense the resentment, I never let people’s feelings get to me so I said, “please you must be looking for someone why don’t you come in”. She looked at me up and down again before answering me. “Yes please, I’m looking for my husband Mr. Femi Brown he told me he lives here when he’s in Lagos. You must be the housekeeper or something. And I also know he has a child, a daughter’’. She sneered at me. I was dumbfounded, Femi, my darling husband whom I loved to distraction and trusted implicitly. Why?
Well, I would have to shake her just a little bit. “If it is the same Femi I know you’re asking to see, well, my husband traveled a few days ago and wouldn’t be back for sometime”, I bit back.
She was so surprised, it was as if she’d seen a ghost and looked me hard in the face. Then said, “that’s wonderful but I am his wife anyway, you did not give him any sons I gave him two”. She retorted triumphantly.
Now it was my turn to look as if the surprised one I was crying within but I would rather die than let the bitch know that. “Really”, I said smiling, “but let’s put it like this –I am the first wife, you are the second and would always be. Secondly this”, spreading her hands to encompass the whole house “this is my territory. For your peace of mind as well as mine, it’s better you keep to your place and I mine. So I don’t want to see you here again. I’m sure you have a place where he spends his time with you. This as I said before is my domain and I wouldn’t entertain any of this nonsense from you. Next time when you don’t see Femi wait till he comes to your place. If you dare put it in that brain of yours to come here again I shall very much disgrace you”. I said and was about dosing the door when I was struck dumb again by her words.
“Well I don’t blame Femi for your sins. God has made you barren after one child. And to think it isn’t a boy. He doesn’t love you anymore; if he did he wouldn’t come to me. He wouldn’t even have told me about you”. She said triumphantly when she saw me go white.
‘You bitch I wouldn’t take this from you. And if you don’t leave this minute, I’d shout thief and the neighbourhood will come out to give you the beating of your life”. I glared at her and slammed the door shut.
I heard her laugh and then “You can’t keep him away from me. I’d get him and you’d soon be dispensed with. You and your little brat” and she was gone.
I flung myself on the sofa and wept like the broken hearted lady I was. I wept till I could weep no more. Then I rinsed my face and went in search of my confidante. A lady who lived in a flat above ours any time I had problems I always went to her and she’d advice me on what to do. She wasn’t at home and I felt like crying again but she hadn’t gone far so her children went to look for her. I think they told her I had cried because she rushed into “his” flat since I don’t think of it as our’s anymore.
“Mama Moni what is it, why are you crying, what happened”. She asked looking at me and sat down. I narrated everything to her wiping my tears and she sat quietly listening.

After listening to all I had to say, she asked me to start serious prayer which I did and after a lot of neglect on my husband’s part and ridicule from both his family and his wife I was able to overcome. Now I am living happily with my husband and children with my own story to tell other and my experience to share as an advice.

BILLY

During the year 1941, March in Moscow, Billy lived in a flat on his own with his mother in the front flat.
Mother: Billy. Billy where are you? (Sitting in front of the fire)
Billy: yes mother? I’m here. (Entering into his mother’s flat and going to her)
Mother: I’m going to the concert, I’ll be back before dawn (getting up to go and prepare for her outing)
Billy: okay mother, see you tomorrow. (Leaves for his room)
Next morning Billy goes out, on his way he meets Red( the street bully) and his three lieutenants talking to another boy.
Red: (looking at the boy and sneering at him he holds out his hand and points to the boy as if he were deaf) Money.
Boy: (afraid and sniffling) I don’t have any.
Red: (looks at his lieutenants and nods his head at the boy) search him.
His lieutenants make for the boy who tries to struggle with them but he is beaten up.
Red: next time you don’t struggle with red. (He says shoving his face into him)
Boy: (almost unconscious) you thief! Someone will get back at you one day. (Fall into unconsciousness)
Red leaves him there and goes on his way, while Billy rushes to the injured boy’s side.
Billy: hello, are you alright. (Kneels on his right knee and tries to lift the boy up). Are you badly hurt?
Boy: I don’t think so. Someone will get back at him someday somehow.
Billy: I’m Billy, what’s your name?
Boy: Smith (he says sitting up)
Billy: Okay smith let’s take you home.
Billy takes the boy by the hand and helps him to get to his home handing him over to his parents.
The next day Billy pastes a poem on the street notice board.
“He that thinks he is incapable of been beaten will one day be beaten.
We have among us rogues who steal and beat those they steal from.
They think they are wise but they are fools.
They feel they are winners but they are losers.
They are dead rats that pollute the house.
And unless they are put in their place they will continue to stink.”
Billy.
The title of the poem was Red the big bully. Four boys gathered at the board reading the poem and from the looks on their faces they were enjoying it.
1st boy: (turning to face the others) what do you think?
2nd boy: (laughing) it’s going to make him mad.
4th boy: (looking puzzled) but that’s the truth about him on the board.
3rd boy: it’s the truth but Red won’t accept that. (Smiles)
2nd boy: he’s going to kill Billy. (Shakes his head) poor thing, I sure pity him.
1st boy: yes he will, and I pity him too.
By noon everybody including Red had seen the poem almost all had even memorized it and could read it by rote.
About a week later Billy was walking along the street and then suddenly Red appears out of nowhere.
Red: Ah, the poet (smiling crookedly) so you write verses, eh. Do they rhyme?
Billy: Get out of my way big bully (afraid but unwilling to show it)
Red: Oh, see he can even talk. You want me out your way ehh.
Red reaches into his pocket and brings out his knuckle-duster.
Red: Ever seen me use this before (Billy doesn’t answer him) I’m going to use it on you (he laughs).
He hits Billy on the head blood came oozing out and he loses consciousness.

Billy on his bed at home.
Billy: (wakes) how many days have I been in bed. (He asks looking at his mother)
Mother: Almost a week. I don’t want to see or hear you have gone near that boy Red again. (shakes her head) how a mother can call her child Red I simply refuse to comprehend it.
Billy: Okay mother.
The next day when Billy saw Red on the street he took to his heels and ran home.
Billy: (in his mother’s apartment) can you give me some money please.
Mother: (surprised) What for?
Billy: I want to buy some books with it.
Mother: (counts out some money) Okay, here you go (and gives it to him)
Billy buys some books on ju-jitsu. He also trains himself with parallel bars and weights. He trained non-stop for three weeks before he was sure he could face Red. Three weeks after practicing with two boys Billy is able to go out again.
Red is outside on the lawn of Billy’s yard playing card with his lieutenants and absorbed in the game when Billy shows up.
Billy: (Afraid, kicks the card away) Hello Red, remember me.
Red: (surprised, after all Billy ran the last time he saw him). So, you are not satisfied with what you’ve got. Want more?
Billy: Of course I do.
By this time a crowd had gathered.
Red: (Dipping his hand into his pocket) I’ll give you some more.
Billy: (kicks off Red’s hand) give me now.
Red: (falls down hurt) You bastard you’ve overcome your fears, ehh. I’ll kill you. (Stands up with menace in his eyes)
Billy: Your days of ruling are over.
Red: (Brings out his knuckle-duster) I’ll kill you I say.
Billy grabs his hand and squeezes until the duster drops. And they start to fight.
Crowd: Go Billy, go
3rd lieutenant: Shut up.
Billy beats Red.
Red: (crying) You wicked son-of-a-bitch (and he leaves)
Billy: Au revoir.
Crowd: (carries Billy and throwing him around) Hey, he’s beaten the bully. The bully has fallen. (And they start to sing)
Crowd: For he’s a jolly god fellow¬……….
THE END.

DECAY IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WHO IS TO BLAME?

Knowledge they say is power and education in the best legacy we can give ourselves. The most important aspect of education is to teach responsibility and impart the basic background for each individual to grow and develop him or herself.
In the twenty-first century life is moving at a faster pace than it usually did all because of advancement in technology. This is not news. However, the education of each individual starts and ends with him. We must choose to learn and educate ourselves in the way we want to grow because whether good or bad we are all responsible for our own personal lives. The decision we make and the actions we take are ours alone.
We are so used to shifting blame about the decay in education to the government, society or parents; some even blame the teachers. The blame does not rest solely here. That is a situation of a lazy worker blaming his tools. The responsibility for this should also be shared by the student because the individual input of a person in acquiring knowledge is the foundation to learning. The blame for the decay in the educational system begins at the home. Every home contributes to how each individual is shaped. A parent that lives a responsible and exemplary life lays the foundation of a good beginning for the child. This foundation begins with the head of the home, do you live by example? Most parents are not concerned with the day-day activities of their children; they have allowed work to supersede the responsibility of properly managing the home. A home like the business, which is not properly managed, would go bankrupt. The child as he / she grows needs constant managing, monitoring, mentoring and educating. The education at home would build the child into the kind of student he would be in school.
I remember while I was young, my parents made it their business to monitor my daily activities. This monitoring was in two folds. My dad was in charge of my school activities, he would call all of us (his children) to the family room and ask for our school bags and he would go through all our school books and homework. Let me tell you; if by any chance you failed to do well in any subject it was trouble. After our school and lesson homework, we had to start his own class work, so we went to three schools: the proper school in the mornings, lesson after school and an evening school with dad. He also built in us an excellent reading habit that has stayed with most of us till date. He would come home with books; initially it was short story books, then novels, mostly by African writers. On weekend mornings we took turn at reading the newspaper to him this is where things like pronunciation, reading skills, and figure of speech are put to the test. It was not all work though; we also had play!! Especially when we had done exceptionally well in school and our duties.
During the afternoons before dad got back from work, mum was already home and her own education was more basic. Moral instruction, home management and godliness were her forte. Most times she came to pick us from school or she just took time off work and came to our school. She would have a long chat with our class teachers and get the entire gist about our individual character mostly in relation to our friends and social environment, which is the school. This is usually her basis for her own kind of schooling.
However nowadays, parents seem to overlook the fact that money is not the basic factor in building a home. An absentee parent would never be able to give the child the kind of mentoring that he / she needs. Remember parents should be the first mentor in a child’s life. It is said that we now have parents that are willing to pay their child’s way through examinations. Some even encourage the children to be lazy and corrupt by approving of the child’s immoral behaviours. They pay bribes so the child can pass exams putting his / her mind at rest that all will be well. The funny thing is that all is not well because this behaviour would have a negative lasting effect in the life of the child, mostly at the level of higher learning. Each parent must be responsible enough to teach their child to be responsible.
Let us not forget the saying, “you can take the horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink”. This is a true saying about children and wards. The easiest thing about life is choosing to be irresponsible. It would have been easy for us while our parents were building characters of moral responsibility in us to choose not to abide by it. Actually I can say I tried it but at those times I remembered my mother’s words, “if you read and do well it is for your good and that of your family that you will have someday. I cannot use your certificate to work, it is yours alone”. My parents made us understand this and so we learnt to teach ourselves to be responsible at all times and to value education and learning. This helped a lot when I had to go to the university. I actually had a job I went to while I was studying full time at a university in Lagos. No it was not in the 70’s nor the 80,s, it was just a few years ago. Less than a decade in fact. I knew that been responsible is the major key to my development as an individual and to how much learning I get at school. The success of each student is tied to the amount of effort he /she puts into their studies and the involvement of that student in his / her own education. One of the reasons why we have so much decay in our educational system is the fact we have a lot of irresponsible students who through their collective efforts are able to disrupt the school calendar. For any institution or society, when the people no longer believe in taking control of their lives positively and been responsible for their education this will lead to stagnation and division. No one can make it in life without the proper knowledge required to do so. Even King Solomon, who is acclaimed to be the wisest man, could not have excelled without learning. He learnt the laws of God, the laws of the land and also learnt how to manage the position God had placed him in. Through the knowledge he acquired he was able to build a kingdom that has not existed again after his time. So also we have read about the world inventors and philosophers, they excelled only because they accepted and took up the responsibility to acquire knowledge. It is a mandatory part of life that any person(s) that cannot successfully manage his / her life cannot mange that of others.
Lastly, the society we live in also has a role to play in the education of its citizens. Building Libraries, laboratories, buying books and equipping schools with necessary tools to make learning more conducive and fun is important. However, that is not all. The decay has also been helped by the fact that the society mostly does not have good things to say about its youths. The society encourages corruption, and moral degradation in its youths. Let us also remember that the encouragement of the society for a job well done is required. The society needs to generate confidence in its citizens so that they would be willing to keep learning.
Let us conclude with this, the blame for the decay lies at the feet of the home, society and the individual. But above all the greatest blame is that of the student who has refused to be responsible enough to better improve him / herself by acquiring the knowledge required to succeed. We as Nigerians need to put in more effort to educate ourselves, if we do this the society would stand up and take notice then we would be able to correct the errors made in our homes.