USA Africa Dialogue Series - Dis Richest People Na Naija People?

(Nigerian Pidgin English Poem By: Chidi Anthony Opara)

 

As I hear for teevee say

One Naija woman like dat

Na she be di woman

Wey get money pass woman dem,

I wan happy,

But electric people come take light.

 

I waka go buy petrol for petrol station.

Dem say petrol no dey,

I come go for one roadside

Where one woman like dat

Dey sell petrol for bottle,

Dem dey call dat place black market.

Di woman come say

One bottle na three hundred naira.

 

I buy two bottle,

Come go house.

For house,

My "I pass my neighbor" generator

No gree start.

I wan call generator man to check am,

My phone come dey show "network busy".

I send message,

Dem take my money,

Still di message no go.

 

I come carry vex go lie down,

But sleep no gree come.

Di chop wey I chop no bellefull me,

Na so my belle dey turn turn,

Heat dey flog me,

Na di same for di whole family.

 

For midnight

Gun come dey hala,

Shoot shoot everywhere.

I come dey hear

Police dey challenge militant dem,

Militant dem dey challenge police back.

Dat na dem usual.

 

After di shoot shoot,

Siren come dey hala,

Dat one too na usual.

Governor,

Commissioner dem,

Dem friend dem

Dey go chop pepper soup

For one joint like dat.

 

As we comot for morning

Di whole family begin feel fever

Becos of mosquito dem

Wey been dey bite us.

 

As government clinic no dey,

As money to go private clinic no dey,

I come waka go medicine store

Make I buy cheap medicine dem,

But all di medicine don expire.

 

I come dey wonder

Whether dis richest people

Na Naija people?

 

 

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