By Kassim Sekinat
Christiana Akanbi?
Aisha Oguntowo?
Joshua Adeleke?
Ahh anh!
Hannah Ojo?
Hanna Ojo?!
Hmmm…
Nigeria, we hail thee!
We hail thee, protectors of the people!
A source of comfort; your words truly have been
As we learn to sleep without our children,
As we now learn to sleep with one eye open.
Victims in the bush?
Families put in suspense?
Gallivanting like a headless chicken
Trampling what comes your path.
We hail thee, “protectors” of the roads!
So safe and welcoming
that every journey has
to be accompanied by prayers and endless calls
You need not travel
to be taken on a fully funded trip
The only price to pay is your life…
And maybe millions from… twenty?
A call will be put through.
We hail thee, prayer warriors!
Casting and binding humans
Masqueraded as demons
Yeah, let’s keep praying.
We hail thee, Nigerians.
We salute us!
Clinging desperately onto “ko ni ṣẹlẹ̀ sí wa”
No one saw it coming, trust me.
Funny how these lyrics are so familiar
Yet, years down the line, we still find
ourselves swaying puppet-like
towards a future we clearly can picture.
Youths, We hail thee!
We hail thee as we struggle
like a spider caught in unfamiliar webs
lost, finding its way out.
Yes, we hail us all
From those who are conflicted
to those who bask in apathy
down to those making expensive jokes…
…The only luxury we truly can afford!
Everyone wants a taste of luxury, you know na
it’s sweeter when it’s at someone else’s expense.
We need not judge you!
Where is Lydia?
Baraka?
IS THERE ANYONE IN SCHOOL?!
Unknown victims?
Mr President? Present!
Nigerians? P-pre-present
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Sekinat Kassim is a 300-level English Language student, part-time tutor and part-time writer who loves reading novels at her leisure time.
