Suffering And Not Smiling

MORACK AKIN-DAVID

Leadership mix-ups across various spheres of human life, politics, religion, business and cultures, has not ceased from getting one worried in the recent time. One even gets worrier when one attempts to make possible prediction on what lies ahead of the sub-Saharan Africa in the nearest future. I’m afraid the picture might be scary. In the midst of her tussle for survival, confrontations from external marauders and resistances from unpatriotic and anti-progressive enemies within, Nigeria turned sixty few days ago.

To join in the commemoration and celebration in my own little way, I composed a poem. The poem, which I captioned “Bouquet for Motherland, goes in part:

Come all who know her worth

Bring here strings, harps and cymbals

Make melody with yelling tambourine

Sixty hearty cheers for the land of our birth

Let echo of popping champagnes

Create engulfing cloud…

Of sweet memories of triumph

Out of trials and tribulations…

On and on the poetic encomiums goes, but it was vehemently greeted with unapologetic distaste and venomous reactions. “What is there to celebrate in a nation that has nearly turned to a caricature of her past glory?” someone seemed to holler, “What are we celebrating when the colorful future that we all pictured and eagerly anticipated, has already been enshrouded in the frigid bowel of yesteryears?”, another respondent appeared to quip. Then I turned to myself and asked a rhetoric question. Could these be true? I recall with nostalgia the evergreen lyrics of Veno Marioghae ‘s hit album, titled “Nigeria go Survive”. Here are first few lines of the insightful song:

If dem thief our oil ooo

Even if dem burn the oil ooo (Nigeria go survive)

I say if dem drink the oil ooo

No matter how dem try ooo (Nigeria go survive)

Our roots dem strong for groud ooo

Ancestors no go gree ooo (Nigeria go survive)

The god of thunder and lightning, united shield Nigeria (Nigeria go survive)

Let it suffice that Veno made this prophetic outcry over thirty years ago and thirty years after; the song is still as fresh as the wound of he who just survived a fatal crash. Thirty years ahead of now, “Which way Nigeria, which way to go…which way Nigeria is heading to?” apology to the Ozidi king, Sunny Okosun.

Morack Akin-David (Author, “Rich Brag Poor Beg”)