A PRAYER FOR MY COUNTRY
Let us pray for my country.
Let us say a prayer for Slessor – she stopped the killing.
Another for Opobo and Pepple, for they sold slaves.
A proper prayer for Lugard – he is every woman’s ideal husband
And for the Royal Niger Company – they know how to make deals.
Let’s ask for mercy for Ovonramen – he refused to bow
And for the Empire – pirate, pillage and procure.
We must pray for the Bishop, Crowther – he was quite fluent in Yoruba
And for Dan Fodio – he rode a horse into conquest, I heard.
Prayers to plead their case before the eternal throne.
Let us pray for our heroes.
For Macaulay – finally minted out of history books.
For Balewa that was shot down when he denied the truth.
For Azikiwe – he did try to refute.
A proper prayer for Okotie Eboh, the caped financier, the first of them all
And for Awolowo, who pillaged a broken hearth.
Let’s ask for mercy for Nzeogwu who bragged but forgot to kill all
And for the Sarduna, who bragged but forgot to love all.
We must pray for Biko, blood still spill in his name.
A minute silence for Giwa – we should mind the letters we read.
We must mourn for Wiwa and his cohort – should have stopped at poetry or fiction.
Where do we place our prayer requests?
At whose altar, do we lit the candles for our heroes?
Let us pray for our statesmen.
For Shagari, banned for life and for Shonekan – chief steward eternal.
A proper prayer for Gowon who knows how to glue broken bits and
For Ojukwu, who smoked a dream into ashes.
Let’s ask for mercy for Ironsi, for he was unsure
And for Danjuma – he is indeed richly sure.
Let’s say special intentions for Babaginda as he totters,
And bless Ya’ardua, least mud splatters his blameless kaftan.
Twice we bow our heads for Buhari – going back and forth,
And for Obasanjo – the cat has more lives than nine.
God strike us, if we forget Abubakar’s properly coiffed beard
Or Mohammed for he was vociferous.
We will say a quiet prayer for Jonathan –
Patience having done several vigils
And for Abacha… God please be merciful?
These prayer requests have filled the bowl – it totters, it falls.
Will God hear?
NOTE: I wrote this verse a while ago but did not submit it on any publication or post it on my facebook wall because people tend to be irrational when it comes to politics, ethnicity and religion in Nigeria. I still love the little bowl of air I breathe every day, so i kept this out of social media.
It is a sort of list of important personalities who have influenced the history of Nigeria in their own way and my take on their personality. Would love your comments and do upvote too.
Peace,
Photo Credit: Connect Nigeria