The archive This Lagos! Poem by Isaac Umunna · 1991 I’ve never been to a place like thisbeforeA place where pleasure and painAre evenly yokedGlamorous people with glamorouslifestylesDowntrodden masses with pitiablelifestylesScheming and struggling for sur-vivalI’ve never been to a place like thisbeforeA place where houses are buriedIn a maze of iron protectorsAnd streets have gates […]
The archive Capital market Poem by Ibrahim Isa Abbas · 1992 The market for stock and shareFor those having some change tospareOne buys from a JobberBut, only through a brokerThe agent of the investorTheir language is straight andclearThose who come for divvyShould come with equityThose who come for (interest) theprice of moneyShould come with loan […]
The archive New Nigeria Poem by Victor Offiong · 1993 Let those who seekFor the new waysNot weary of the beginningWhen the past is forsakenBut only the present is takenWith all pomps and paradeThen to hatch that self-relianceLies in the womb of the futureIs bound in shallows.The contents of our Daily TimesAre mixed with import […]
The archive On money Poem by Umaru Garba · 1992 Why humanity ever create thisLittle coins and worthless paperscalled moneyThat enslave all their effortsBecoming the most blinding of pas-sionTranscending all honest virtuesBlinding the heart of majorityinto dubiousness and criminalityImmorality and decadenceIn both polity, and culturesDestroying communality and com-mercialising relations,Turning some to parasites, specula-torsThat live in […]
The archive Politics Poem by Emma Ohanele · 1993 The great old game of politicsThat makes nonsense of mathemat-icsI do hope we are ripe for youOr else again, at you we’ll boo.You divide a home that’s oneAnd set a father against his sonIn fact you permeate religion. You’re meant to be a game that’scleanBut not […]
The archive Politics is a game Poem by Adamu Moh’d Nababa · 1993 If politics is a gameLet’s choose our playersThose who can shootAnd won’t make us shout. If politics is a gameLet’s choose our playersThose who don’t foulAnd won’t make us fall. If politics is a gameLet’s choose our playersThose who can ranAnd won’t […]
The archive The system Poem by A.S. Sanusi · 1991 Here we are stillResolute in our standWritten on diamond bannersWith blood of our martyrsUnbending, unyielding thoughyoungNew, isolated and misunderstoodPresent in flesh and gestures.Our places in historyThe history of our time and continentWaxes with fruiting newnessUnrepentant, typical with timeBulging like a tuber of hopeUnseen yet saturated […]
The archive Protest of October 1991 Poem by Kabir U. Muhammad · 1991 Typhoons have less furyThan storms of thoughtsCrossing my mindThe society devouringLiver of its youngMy ignorant society of ragsPassivity and squalorA million stars flashbefore my eyesReceiving the slap of betrayalLet me love IslamLet me love you in IslamLet me work Islam with youBe […]
The archive Letter to the economy (To Nigerian workers) Poem by Abba Gana Shettima · 1993 My alkalam has been tinglingto write and let you know mythoughtson your body which was torninto useless shreds of boneand became chained to forlorn hopeeven as your eyes were drainedby a visual fallacy of greatness. Your body has been […]
The archive Virtues Poem by Lao Tzu · 1992 Whoever cultivates virtues in hishouse his virtue is overflowingWhoever cultivates it in his town hisvirtue is lastingWhoever cultivates it in his ‘coun-try’ his virtue is abundantWhoever cultivates it in the worldhis virtue is universalThus by one own personal trials oneknows other peopleBy one’s town one knows […]