Category: Hannatu Musawa

I awoke late last night in my bed,

With a grandiose scheme in my head.

To mark our independence

With a rhyme in attendance

So please read on to see what I said.

Said myself while composing this limerick

‘Finding rhymes gives me quite a big kick’

And I know that my verse

Is sarcastic and terse

Or silly and scant- take your pick!

My poem presenting this rhyme,

Which follows the scheme in my time

Need not be what we call

A true Limerick at all

Like a lemon, the cousin of lime.

Yet my limerick a lemon can be,

You could use a small slice for your tea.

Do not take it too serious

Please don’t get delirious,

They’re just jumbled up words from Hanney!

This piece is just right for my show

It’s of random events we all know

Please don’t launch an Appeal,

I’m just keeping it real

On the good and the bad; here we go…!

There is a great land named Nigeria

Whose chaos level was superior.

Strife and trouble there reigned,

Greed, corruption sustained

So much so this land became inferior!

As this nation marks its independence

With governor’s and Kings in attendance.

They’ll pretend all is fine,

And ignore our decline

Notwithstanding our near non-existence

Now onto our President Goodluck,

Whose luck seems to have come unstuck.

Once did not have a shoe

Now he aint got a clue

How to undo the troubles running amok.

When fate picked our Johnny to rule,

It seemed cool; at least he’d been to school.

But it soon became apparent

That his actions were errant

Now he looks like a cruel April fool!

Diezani is the Queen of our land,

She’s in command of the grand oil gland.

But with all of her wheeling,

And dealing, the feeling

Is she’ll one day be in EFCC’s hand

Abati, that wonderful fella,

In the past he produced a top sella.

As a genius, he’s hailed,

Yet he’s frequently failed

Now his speeches are pitched arcapella.

Farqouq Lawan I really admired,

Until he fell for that bribe and got fired.

Even if it was a set up,

His let up and get up

May stop him in future getting hired.

Edwin Clark’s old enough to be Granddad,

But my word, he is such a big fad.

He talks all this rubbish

Of conspiracy skirmish,

‘Zip it Sir, your case really is sad!’

One can’t bypass A.G Adoke,

Not my favourite man I must say.

He’s a lawyer like me,

So with legal espirt

I’ll delay to display his dossier.

Mark’s assent as Senate President,

Does ferment that scent of dissent.

A successful Legislator,

And a peace regulator.

It must be because he is a Gent.

Asari Dokubo aired his contention,

to peers at a recent convention.

He warned all opposing Johnny,

(Mujahedeen’s’ way of making money),

He’s a Moron out to cause more tension.

A lady named Obi Ezekwesili

Is the epitome of an African Lilly,

We need her likes in our throngs,

To correct some of our wrongs.

She’s a person with values sincerely.

The best officer has got to be Fashola,

He channels the popularity of Abiola.

One wishes he’d compete

For the President’s seat

And you can shout that from a high Gondola.

The slayers named Boko Haram,

Just kill without giving a damn,

Their demands are outrageous

Uncourageous and disadvantageous

One can’t wait till they’re caught in a jam.

Those who bomb people’s houses and churches,

Are hell-bound, this is from the researches.

Why should you declare war

On one’s worshiping door

When you take no insult on your perches?

The leak in our force is amazing,

Now top secret info is appraising,

Yes I heard from a Sarge,

That it’s thought by and large

In the SS some spies are hell raising.

NEPA’s well on its way to restore?

But it just seems as dark as before!

A few hours of light

Is no cause for delight.

We need constant electricity galore!

We don’t have a national airline to fly.

Most of our planes are not fit for the sky.

It’s bad that a nation

With a high population

Have passengers always on standby

Going to market makes one feel apprehensive

Because everything there’s so expensive

How can Nigerians survive

In this state of deprive?

It’s no wonder the nation’s so pensive.

See our roads with their craters so large,

So big they resemble a barge.

But our maintenance habit

Is not fit for a rabbit

And you can bet that it’s not free of charge.

Some entrepreneurs in debt far too deep

Were living a life that’s not cheap.

Now the banks in all zones

Stopped from giving them loans

They thought they will not sow but just reap.

A talented young Nigerian named Bob,

Had a Masters Degree but no job.

Cause the unemployment figure

Had grown bigger and bigger

So to make ends meet, he would rob.

The opposition is being so lame,

One must think, what’s the point of their aim?

If they cant all unite

For the 2015 fight

They must know they have lost in that game!

From subsidy to five hundred naira notes,

To ‘don’t give a damn’ and similar quotes,

Government’s not done so well,

In a minute they fell

A sinking ship like with Titanic’s boats!

The insecurity and lack of fuel,

Is a mark of incessant misrule.

Our life is absurd

and from this I’ve inferred

There’s a need for government renewal.

Those that are Northern are so lazy,

Now some Hausas are religion crazy.

How can the region progress

With so much distress?

Get it together or your future is hazy!

The snag of Arewa is the leaders,

Where octogenarians are still the main feeders.

Instead of educating their fleet,

Take their kids from the street,

They are bent on remaining the breeders.

There is nothing amiss in the East,

Igbo’s are hard working and creative at least.

But their thirst to get rich,

Is their hitch and main glitch

And they must get their unity increased.

Our most sophisticated come from the West,

Maybe because they are education obsessed.

But it’s hard to give trust,

When their word they adjust

Still Yoruba’s have impressed in their test.

‘THE OIL IS OURS!’ –‘Yes we’ve heard!’

The South-South proclaim- ‘How absurd!’

But the truth of the story,

An example’s Ibori

Are their poor have no benefit conferred.

Our nation is a federation of tribes,

This transcribes variant opposite vibes.

They dislike one another,

Reject their brother

And reduce each other with jibes.

It’s a custom in these our parts,

To draw ethnic dichotomy charts.

Those that hate with such ease,

Harbour a grave disease;

One that eats up the good in their hearts.

I hope Nigeria as one will pull through.

But it’s just not by force -that’s my view.

So let’s waiver the raver.

‘No one’s doing me a favour!’

Each can survive on their own; and that’s true!

For Nigerians to explain their desire

we must know just what word we require.

When we become objective,

Think as one collective

it’s from bad governance that we really ‘don tire!’

North, South, West, East must stand up together,

To overcome this most turbulent weather.

Treat all with respect,

Drop abuse and suspect.

Let disdain reach the end of its tether.

Im told that much hate I have spawned

But I only read views where I can respond

So if you’ve something to say

Twitter and  mail is the way

To engage me…And I give pound for pound!

Peace and unity, that is the key,

our forefathers on this did agree.

Now they’ve gone to their grave,

Look how we misbehave.

If they knew, broken hearted they’d be.

See the labour of our heroes thus past,

Feel the ‘call and obey’ that is asked;

Turn and give me your hand,

Let us stand as once planned;

Give Nigeria a peace that will last!

I know my words often causes despair.

But I’ve no notion to tear out your hair.

I just speak for the mass

Who have no voice Alas!

Those I mentioned, I hope you’re aware.

When we celebrate on the 1st of October,

Let’s all pray for peace, but moreover

Let us thank God for all,

Our fortune’s not small.

Let’s be fair, let’s be just, LET’S GET SOBER!

(OK, I’ll Stop there….Happy Independence Day to every Nigerian!)

In a despairingly tragic turn of events, the world woke up

last Tuesday to the devastating news that Christopher

Stevens, the American ambassador in Libya was senselessly killed. It was reported that Islamist gunmen attacked the US consulate as well as a safe house refuge in Benghazi, Libya. The act was supposedly for revenge against a film that directly insulted their beliefs. The violence in the eastern part of the city of Benghazi had been culminating amidst the 10thanniversary of the September 11 attack of the US by al-Qaeda. Indeed, the violence in the Middle East as a whole has reached a fever frenzy in Egypt, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Syria and Tunisia.

The fact that terrorists use religion to instigate bloodshed and mayhem is intolerable. A fundamental trait in a reasonably objective person would be to respect another’s personal belief, but violent actions should be unanimously condemned. A majority of the world cheered and supported the unity and stance taken by patriotic nationals in the uprising of what the history books will remember as the “Arab Spring”, amidst mostly non-violent campaigns, Arab nationals rose against the darkening tide of dictatorship and corruption. The protests that took place were strategically planned and, interesting to note, they took place for the purpose of the betterment of the struggling working class.

Egypt was a primary example of a non-violent type of protest. The marches that took place in Tahrir Square, Cairo, were so successful because the strategy was not only non-violent but meticulously organized. The inflammatory anti-Muslim film that has been blamed in the upsurge called “The Innocence of Muslims” was allegedly filmed by Blue Cloud Studious in Santa Clarita. It is disturbing on investigation to learn that the film negatively portrays the Prophet Mohammed as sexually promiscuous in several graphic films of a pseudo-pornographic nature. The maker of the movie, Sam Bacile, who identifies himself as an Israeli Jew, claimed that “Islam is a cancer, period”. The film has now sparked many parts of the Middle East to rioting and Egypt is no exception. Last week, after a particular violent demonstration, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsey on his official face book page addressed the crises thus: “The presidency condemns in the strongest terms the attempt of a group to insult the place of the Messenger, the Prophet Mohammed…and condemns the people who have produced this radical work. The Egyptian people, both Muslims and Christians, refuse such insults on sanctities.”

But after a discourse with President Barack Obama in what the White House describes as a review of the “strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt”, Morsey criticized the attacks that took place in Libya. While visiting the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, Morsey said, “Those who are attacking the embassies do not represent any of us.”

Following the fall of several dictatorship regimes in the Middle East, it is disturbing to note that moderate- Muslim governments seemed to have unwittingly paved the path for more extremists and terror unto their communities and international borders. Last Tuesday’s attack was indeed a dire setback to international peace, and is bound to put a strain in relations not only with the US but other countries too. While dictatorships and absolute monarchies have stifled and oppressed the Arab people for decades, several factors have pointed to the reasoning that these dictators were able to maintain an uneasy peace in their countries. Six years after the capture and execution of Saddam Hussein, the state of affairs in the ruined shattered streets of Iraq has left many Iraqis questioning the future of their country. The “Arab Spring” that was the series of revolutionary protests and demonstrations in the Arab world has somehow paved a path for several embattled countries with fatal security challenges, suicide bombings and mounting terrorism. Many sectarian clashes in the region have been described as spillovers of uprising resulting in the culmination of regional protests. Similarities have been drawn by observers comparing the Arab Spring movement and the pro- democratic, anti- Communist Revolutions of 1989 (known as the Autumn of Nations) that swept through Eastern Europe and the Communist world, in terms of scale, gravity and significance. But it is important to note that several differentiating factors – for example, the use of internet or social media to highlight struggles— were an advantage for protesters in the Arab Spring.

Over a year after the fall and death of the former Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Ghaddafi, Tripoli and other parts of Libya stand in ruin amidst constant bombings and sectarian crisis. Libya witnessed a popular uprising against the former dictator that lasted from February to October 2011. Libyans voted on July 7, 2012, in elections that observers called free and fair. The Libyan General National Congress replaced the Transitional National Council in August; they are to govern the country until elections are held on the basis of the new constitution. The US Embassy in Libya only resumed operations on September 11, 2011; and the consular services for US citizens resumed August 27, 2012. After the general rejoicing of the downfall of Ghaddafi though, crime levels in Tripoli have significantly increased. There are increased reports of car theft, armed robbery, burglary and other even more serious crimes. Since the revolution, it would seem that the Libyan police and internal security institutions have not fully reconstituted themselves and, shockingly, 16,000 criminals released from prison by the former regime are still roaming the streets of Libya. Another contributing factor to the volatile environment are the thousands of firearms that were looted during the riots from government buildings and storage facilities.

After last Tuesday’s siege in the eastern part of the country, Libya’s new prime minister, Mustafa Abu Shagour, said he would strive to improve security by boosting the national police force and army as well as collecting weapons.

Even prior to the discovery of oil, the Middle East has been a region of religious conflict and wars over other rich resources and land. The fall of the Ottoman Empire paved the way for rising European imperial and colonial powers interested in securing various territories and controlling access to Asia. Edward Said, in his highly acclaimed book Orientalism, claims that for centuries Western populations have been acclimatized to a type of propaganda and vilification of Arabs and the Middle East, and this has provided an excuse for involvement to ensure “stability” for the “national interests” of powers that want to be involved in the region. The cultural stereotyping and apparent racism were magnified in the 1980s war films, always depicting Arabs as the bad guys. As a result on the terrorist attacks against the US on September 11, and the resulting “War on terror”, that imagery still exists.

The Middle East is the most militarized region in the world and most arm sales take place there. Arabs are a suppressed people that generally see Western influence as a major root cause of the current problems in the region; this has led to a rise in acts of terrorism and anti-Western sentiment. The Iraq War/ invasion, conflict between Israel and Palestine, the crises in Lebanon, strikes against Afghanistan and Sudan, invasion of Libya and now the crises in Syria has culminated into a chaotic state of affairs.

While the invasions and strikes may have been methodically planned, the aftermath of such actions may not have been fully considered by the invading countries. The West appears to have responded with what looks like a genuine humanitarian intervention attempt; but more amplified measures need to be taken to curb the escalating violence and bloodshed. On reflection, the concept of overthrowing merciless dictators may have seemed an initially wise one. But after years of brutal war and the spilled innocent blood of thousands of victims, we cannot help but be perplexed at the folly behind the wisdom.