All week I was unsure whether I really wanted to post in the run up to Nigeria's Presidential Election coming up this weekend. I really could not be asked, but then I thought to myself 'Don't be a kill-joy'
From the archives of Google I dug up a patriotic image of a "Keep Calm And Love Naija" meme, all dressed up in green, white and green. I then pasted it at the top of this post. It looked ever so cute! Yes, you've read me right, the word "Naija" and "Cute" used in the same paragraph!!!!
I then started to write about my take on this 'election matter on ground', I wrote a few lines, scratched my head, then deleted. Took a break, ate 2 chocolate digestive biscuits (yeah right, who eats only 2??), drank a bottle of malt, watched TV came back to the blog started again, this time wrote 2 paragraphs, I read over it sounded fake as they come, so I deleted that as well. This vicious cycle continued for a whole day. At this point in time it's official, this blogging thingy is not by fire by force!
Next day listening to a "Fela" Playlist and a track pops up.
With 'immediate effect and automatic alacrity' I delete our Patriotic Meme and replace with an image of an Album LP Sleeve of Fela's.
"Who am I to comment on the Nigerian political situation when Fela is there?" (How many of you 'got' that quote, who said this, to whom and what occasion??)
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Abami Eda you will never carry last, YOU ARE THE TRUTH!!!
(To any Nigerian readers who don't know who Fela is, I can only scratch my head and say "Sorry!" All others kindly ask Wikipedia)
In 1990 Fela released an album called Confusion Break Bone (CBB) he sings about the many things that are wrong in Nigeria. He questions how people can say the country is ok, when all he can see is things getting worst!
"How country go dey make money
Make people of country no see money"
He sang about an area in Lagos, Nigeria called Ojuelegba, a few of us know this to be one of the most chaotic crossroad junctions in Lagos, he draws a parallel between this junction and the Governance of Nigeria. He refers to it as "one cross road in centre town". Where we have vehicles coming from East, West, North and South "and police man no dey the centre" (no traffic warden to direct the traffic!) Hope you're getting the picture? That's real confusion isn't it?
He makes the same analogy with our Hospitals, Police Force and other services.
He then refers us back to a period in time when the Nigerian Army and Police burnt his home to the ground because of his opposition of the reigning Government. He questions why were the police that should be helping people, burning houses? Likewise why the army were burning houses and seizing market goods instead of defending citizens of their country?
He pondered over why the Government did not 'face their work' (like Uche!) but rather they focused on this 'burn-burn' and bribery culture!
He sings about a Government who rather than helping people, were burning property of citizens, he taunts and dares them to come and burn property again with their 'petrol and matches'.
It's 1990 and Fela has a 30 year career in music and in opposing government, he sings that he has one 'small' problem and that the problem is that he no longer has anything to sing about as he had literally covered all areas through his music!
He says 'no food', 'no light', corruption, inflation, mismanagement, 'stealing by government' are all old news that he has sang about over the years.
Fela then starts to worry about this 'Stealing by Government' and how it's 'got such a big head'
He starts to break it down:
1st type is Leg robbery where a man goes to pick pocket 'he go take leg run' LOL
2nd type is Armed robbery where man goes to steal 'big thing' and 'take gun defend himself'
3rd type is Head robbery where 'Oga patapata' (Big boss, President, Government or whoever) goes to steal, "he go take position steal all free. Free stealing is his policy!" (Hope the picture is even more clearer now?)
Fela now asks us, which President or Head has Nigeria ever had, 'wey never steal' ie that has not been corrupt and looted government funds?? he reminds us that back in the day we accused President Shagari of stealing, forgeting that President Shagari had already said he met an empty treasury when he came into office ie "na empty treasury he meet for there" so we should not overlook the misdeeds of his predecessor (and that was....... Unku Segè!!)
In his final analysis, belting out his prophetic lyrics, Fela calls on us to 'Look, See and Hear'
If this kind of President is in control of The Police and Army then it's conclusive that they must all be thieves too (Na Fela talk am o)
He concludes:
Police are 'inside the well', 'army are in the well' (i.e. not to be reckoned with) and asks who will now come and solve ALL this confusion??? (even I'm dizzy now, I have 'eddick' and need Phensic!!!)
Deadi body geti accident, Yepa!
Deadi body get accident, Yepa!
Confusion breaki Boni, Yepa!
Confusion breaki boni, Yepa
Double Wahala for deadi body
I'm the owner of deadi body....
(It is a bad and hopeless situation that has been made even more worst!!)
Fela has analysed the story so far, we pray for a happy ending.
Uncle Jona, Daddy Buha, may the 'least worst' man win and make an attempt to solve this confusion!!
I have not even scratched the surface with Fela's delivery of this musical masterpiece, we still have his saxophone, "2nd base and the big Congo drums" playing in the background.
I bet Fela is up there somewhere, smoking his 'igbo' (hemp), watching this new political drama unfold in Nigera, shaking his head and thinking "Baba n'la nonsense, me and dem no dey for di same ca-te-go-ry"
Can you notice any familiar, recycled, political faces on Fela's Album sleeve? Or analyse what's going on in all those graphics?
Aburo Remi, 20th March @ 10:40 on my post Levels Don Change! You wrote:
"Ironically, the hustle is still pretty much the same because I can still relate to the events you described. Is that to say things do not change in Naija?? (Just wondering out loud)"
At this point in time my brother, I too 'don't know if things ever change in Naija', I'm sitting on the fence, eating popcorn as all this unfolds and like you I just dey "Wonder Wonder Wonder, till I turn to "wonderer" As Femi Kuti sang in his own 1995 hit Afro-beat track.
A big thanks to ShollyBobo and Tola for fuelling my Fela addiction.
Have a great weekend, and on that note Risi leaves the building!
Many leaders as you see dem, Na different disguise dem dey o, Animal in human skin ~ Fela (Beast Of No Nation)
30 comments:
This is a great breakdown of Felas CBBB. Fela got it. I wonder what Fela would think of the current political state of Naija. The same players still in the game I.e Obasanjo, Babangida pulling the starlings and Buhari back again. Our so-called musicians can learn a thing or two from Fela. rather than dancing Azonto or skelewu with Oga Jonna they should be speaking truth to power.
As Fela talk, what we have is not democracy but demonstration of craze and crazy demonstration
What we have in Nigeria are VIPs - Vagabonds In Power. Fela songs " N2.8 billion, oil money is missing" now it is 28 billion dollars oil money is missing. Fela is one of the greatest prophets of our time whether people agree with me or not. He saw all these things long before it really happened. We have all been suffering and smiling while alarm is blowing and 2nd tier is tearing everything to pieces.
Ola, we shall never forget those days we spent listening to 2nd base jare in Jos.
"Government announce 2 tier,
Everytin come tear to pieces
Even water become expensive"
OVERTAKE DON OVERTAKE OVERTAKE
Well done Ola, fantastic take on Nigerian politics and the wounderful Fela.Could see him running for presidency if he was still with us and who knows? ??
Dee
Nigerian politics is a big joke! More like a carnival .... Dancing presidents in waiting, twerking governors to be, hanger on celebrities , hungry thugs , broom brandishing market women and a bunch of thoroughly confused people.... Hope I haven't left any group out.... Seriously... The way we are going .. Nothing much is going to change! All I pray for is someone who will repair our airport( a real eyesore) provide steady electricity ( not just in select areas) provide running water(those boreholes are not it!) and lastly provide proper hospitals !! Not a long list! Nigerian politicians seem totally unaffected with the struggles of the masses. Bovi's skit comparing Obama's campaign speech to a Nigerian' presidential candidate' s simply says it all. May the best man win! But all we need is change. A good and visible change. Iya ibeji ( for senate)
Ola, well said but with all matters relating to nigeria, nothing changes, nothing.
When you all looking at the political situation it's like you have a basket or laundry bag full of dirty shirts or whatever, and your trying to find the cleanest out of the pile. That's my take!! And it doesn't look good as one is not going to come out feeling fresh. I doubt Fela and Buhari would have got on well though?
I doff my hat to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti because he rightly depicted the Nigerian political scene in that song "Demonstration of craze, crazy demonstration". All our politicians are crazy people. They do not have the interest of anybody except their pockets. What really baffles me is that when you look at the antecedent of our politicians they keep doing the same thing. In a saner society this cannot be. This leads me to the question of the governed We the governed, are we really better than the politicians? From the north to south, east to west, there is poverty in the land. The money that should be used for the country's development is in the hands of few politicians. Yet the politicians are now using stomach infrastructure to win the electorates to vote for them. Some people will sell their conscience for a pot of porridge, forgetting that they are mortgaging the future of their children and generations unborn. I know Nigerians are very religious people, we will leave them in God's hand for judgment. But the scripture says faith without work, is nothing. So until we speak with one voice and start demanding accountability of our resources, this country cannot move forward.
It's me again o! I forgot to mention those ghastly green Ankara aso ebi! Uniform for politics! why? This is me just thinking aloud: why can't can't the money for the aso ebi be used to fill a pot hole, one pot hole at a time! Or is it really more economical for every Timi, Dare and Halimo to drive a Range Rover or 4X4 ?? Change must happen!! I see the future is bright. I am looking into the future and dancing with my Henry( vacuum cleaner) because I do not have a broom. Iya ibeji
RBN - that would be short for Risi By Name as I would not want us to flaunt our yoruba ideologies that dictates that everyone older than you should be addressed as "aunty".
Ok so where we ? yea .... the double wahala this our rotting dead body has found itself in .Yet again , Ironically I am ardent Fela fan...something I picked up from my brothers.The unsung prophet though queer in his ways was able to aptly point out the future .
Although I am not sitting on the fence this time around I could agree with you that for one's sanity in these dire times, its best to just bother less. I am voting my conscience- I am armed with my voters card and ready.
Thanks for this !!!
Long Live this "great" Nation
My take on this, is that the ruling class(the few who are at the top) are sitting on top and dictating how things should be or how they feel things should be run. The class being governed that's me and everybody else are not using our power- we are the majority. I know that people will say that people are poor hungry. So when these VIPs start handing out bags of rice, Ankara recharge cards etc the masses have no option. I believe there is an option, take the goodies after all directly or indirectly the hand outs we have paid for or are paying for or will pay for later.
And vote for who we feel will deliver the goods- that's another topic for discussion. How many good candidates are out there. But maybe I'm a dreamer??? Nobody is going to effect the change for Nigerians- it is going to have to come from within.
Basket mouth wan start to leak again!
"Human rights na my property
So therefore, you can't dash me my property
Human rights na my property
Dey want dash us human rights"
(BONN)
Aunty Moji
Laff wan kill someone with this your post.I nominate it to the most popular post/funniest so far.
Back to matter,every man for himself in naija ,God for us all!.The way it is na chop my money for govt as Nigeria is a prey in the hands of these looters. When will we enter civilization and leave the jungle. Animal in human skins indeed,Lord av mercy on my language.
This post i can read it all over again.It is doro funny!!! Well also doro true!!
My take on this, is that the ruling class(the few who are at the top) are sitting on top and dictating how things should be or how they feel things should be run. The class being governed that's me and everybody else are not using our power- we are the majority. I know that people will say that people are poor hungry. So when these VIPs start handing out bags of rice, Ankara recharge cards etc the masses have no option. I believe there is an option, take the goodies after all directly or indirectly the hand outs we have paid for or are paying for or will pay for later.
And vote for who we feel will deliver the goods- that's another topic for discussion. How many good candidates are out there. But maybe I'm a dreamer??? Nobody is going to effect the change for Nigerians- it is going to have to come from within.
Risibyname thanks for the inside glimpse of Nigerian politics through the eyes of the enlightened Fela.
Very stimulating reading.I hope things get better at home.
Keep up the good work
Quite an interesting piece. I love it but I love the reaction and the comments it has generated thus far.
Fela was great and irrepresible, but I do not agree that he was a prophet. He was a non-conformist who sang about the problems of the country at the time "a directionless and corrupt leadership" amongst others.
Naija and her attendant problems are a recurring decimal. Nothing has changed since the 80s (when Fela became confrontational and rebellious).
Leadership has been recycled amongst the "privileged" few, majority of the masses still have the same mentality, worship wealth regardless of how it is acquired.
The unfortunate category of middle class Nigerians either at home or in diaspora who collectively may effect or drive the process of a meaningful change are selfishly engaged in charting a reasonable standard of living for themselves and their families. They cannot sacrifice anything for their country and the generality of the masses to ensure that we have a better country because they have so much to lose.
They contribute their own quota on social media by criticising oga Jona and his ilk.
For me, until this last category of Nigerians decide to get involved directly in the development of Naija, Fela will still be erroneously perceived to be a prophet in the next 20, 50 years. Chikena
COFFIN FOR HEAD OF STATE
I waka any business any where in Africa
North and west dem get dem dia policy
One Christian and the oda Muslim
Dis money making organisation......
SH*T HAPPENS
I do hope this is not to say that the Friday post won't be coming out. I will be needing a fabulous post since na sit don for house on Saturday.
Naija peeps police AIG Mbu don say no need to defend votes, vote and go back home. Maybe his advice should be taken as PDP or is it 'fidifi' is on gun rampage.
Ola, Naija politics is a bitter taste in the mouth. The rich remain better off and the poor are more or less bankrupt. Things are astronomical in prices, embezzlement is embedded in their lifestyle, poverty is the order of the day.
Fela omo anikulapokuti said it all ...
I rest my case ...Yemi ( Esther )
When I was in 9ja in December, I visited the Fela Museum at Gbemisola Street. On the ground floor were pictures of the album cover of some of his songs. The cover sleeve for Ikoyi Blindness caught my attention. There was an image of a blindfolded man with a cigar oblivious to the chaos around him.
The song Ikoyi Blindness is still relevant in today's Nigeria where a so-called emerged middle class fail to see the suffering of the masses. It is relevant where we hear the so-called middle class brag about one deal or the other when the masses have nothing to live for. If Fela were still around, I am sure he will rename the song, Lekki Deafness to highlight the failure of the so-called middle class to hear the crisis of the masses. He would have wasted no time to castigate those who will parrot, " Abeg, I no fit go mainland, after all big boys no de cross bridge." As Aje The Boy rightly points out, the so-called middle class both at home and Diaspora have failed to effect change.
Some say that a revolution will not happen in Nigeria because we are afraid to die. Well when a person has nothing to live for, there is no need to fear death. The inequality in the land is not sustainable and it is a ticking timebomb. As that sign board read during Occupy Nigeria, "One day we will have nothing to eat but the rich."
"Prophetic Lyrics"
I risk the wrath of "religious" folk when I state that you don't need a pulpit to prophesy. it is unfortunate that one so talented and ahead of his time was also a crazy fellow.
The lascivious dancing of "Fela's shrine girls" that was deemed shameful is now mainstream.
Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lady Gaga et al pls form an orderly queue behind "abami eda"
I live in hope when I think of Nigeria. David Diop's vision for Africa springs to mind.
I choose to see Nigeria as a "tree, young and strong, splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers, springing up anew, springing up patiently, obstinately, whose fruit bit by bit acquires the taste of Liberty"
NIGERIA MY NIGERIA
I imagine Nigerian leaders are like the CEOs of a company, in whom the Board have placed so much trust and are confident that the “chosen” would deliver on the agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or even exceed set targets and expectations. Now it is appraisal time, a time to set the performers and non-performers apart and the appraisal have revealed that out of the 150 agreed KPIs, the incumbent CEO was only able to deliver on 15 of them. The CEO is given a heat for his performance and it is only in the interest of fairness and overall public good that he should be relieved of his position or reassigned another role. (A case of putting a round peg in a round hole in order to achieve maximum output.) If the CEO is like a round hole in the square peg, then common sense requires that we should not strive to fit him in unless of course we are ready to re-shape the edges.
Why in heaven’s name should a “clueless” CEO who has consistently failed to steer the company in the direction of sustainable profits be allowed another chance in order to further plunge the company into a hopeless state of insolvency. Where a company is fraught with balance sheet insolvency (having negative net assets; where liabilities exceed assets) or cash-flow insolvency (where a company lacks the liquidity to pay debts as they fall due) then it is time to bid the incumbent CEO a farewell. Not like I am smart sure of the performance of the succeeding CEO, but at least we can only keep trying and firing until we get the CEO who shares our corporate dream. Now is the time to let the aspiring CEOs know that we have zero tolerance for bad governance.
Nigeria oh Nigeria my Mother and Father land. What can I say that all your people wen dey comment never talk but I think Bose's comment is what we should all stand on, it is to me more of a prayer than complain
All this complain don reach na prayer na come 28 of March
As for me my prayer get as he bi as I dey ask God say Nigeria I leave am for him hand (To be honest the kind prayer I like to pray hem nor get pair oh)
Anon. 24th March @ 21:06
Nothing goes for nothing, a little 'cash incentive' would be required for a Friday post.
RBN, Quite an interesting piece, reflective of the mood of the moment. Niger, a complex country, governed by the complex on a complex constitution. A country where every preceding government receive applause over the succeeding ones. I won't be surprised if the much desired change we all clamor for will not result in a situation where the so called clueless Jona will not later be applauded. I Pray this never happens .
We have traded our values for wealth accumulation on the name of CORRUPTION.
It is my Prayers that the generation yet unborn will see a Niger that will be value based. Patriotism examplified, ranked among the developed nation. Our generation has lost the opportunity.
Baba dey sha ganja in 'heaven' and singing suffer suffer for world, enjoy for heaven ...
The summation of my comment is that Niger could be described as a fruit sitting comfortably on top of a tree(at independence),plugged immaturely, taking a downward movement(dropping to the ground) without been caught but rather at every point been scrapped of its skin. This drop started after Oct 1st 1960. The fruit (Niger) has not been rescued but socked. The generation yet unborn is our hope in getting the fruit caught from dropping to the ground.
First time on this blog! Spent the entire evening reading ! Love this article the best ! 'Iya Ibeji's' comments are right on the cuff, funny but true! My big apology for lowering the tone, politics is usually a serious 'man dem' topic which makes every man seem intelligent and ever women think coyly and proudly "that's my man" whole really is just saying the same as every one else. All mouth no trousers!!! My imagination is working on over time, I'm just imagining that Goodluck hits bad luck on Saturday night. A very exhausted Dame in her anxiety to hit the sack, pulls one of the campaign Ankaras to use as cover cloth ... Yes .. With hubby's face grinning inanely from the green. In his pain I imagine him to say " Paa ..(his pet name for her) I beg remove that cloth " " make I no see any of them in dis house again" Her reply .... Yes you got it!! "Daris God o!
Compare and constrast
Fela: When Obasanjo and Yar'Adua
Chop belly full and go
Them put civilian friends for there
Them shout, "Second republic!"
People wey no know dey happy
People wey know them dey look
Them baptize the civilian government
Them name am federal government
Wizkid: wizzy l'oke, l'oke
Pakurumo Ko ko dada
Caro dun caro dun
Davido: emi omo baba lowo!!
Kcee: park baby ko pullover
Show me your particulars
Enough said I rest my case.
I woke up this morning and as usual turned on the tv for the news. Much to my surprise, the news article at the time was about the Nigerian Presidential Election? This was definitely news to me as I was not aware this was taking place! This shows you how removed I am from Nigerian politics! Fela was always spot on with his views and nothing has changed. I know a number of people that have recently relocated back home with the hope of partaking in the future spoils of the impending changes across the various local governments! None of these people are going home to try and make Nigeria a better place!!
Good luck to all. I will return to my blissful ignorance of the goings on around Nigerian politics. After all, it is just one continuous corrupted merry go round!!!!!
I do not see the difference between armed robbery and pen robbery. In fact armed robbery is child's play compared to what our politicians are doing. The steal our collective resources and tell us corruption is not stealing. Armed robber steal and kill, our politicians do the same even on a higher scale. Due to our politicians’ actions and inactions, by stealing our collective resources and refusing to carry out their legitimate responsibilities for electing them, people die on a daily basis. There is poverty in the land. People have invented different types of formulae to survive hunger - 0-0-1; 0-1-0. Fatal accidents are daily occurrences on our roads, yet roads contracts are awarded in billions of naira. People die from fire incident from candles, lanterns and fumes from generators because government cannot provide light. People die from ailment that should ordinarily not lead to death because hospitals are not well equipped for medical personnel to carry out their duties. I can go on and on. I think there is something wrong with the black race, particularly Nigeria. Otherwise, how do we explain Nigeria’s under-development after over fifty years of oil discovery. Some countries do not have 20% of our resources, yet they are well developed. See what UAE is doing in the desert, Dubai with their oil. Somebody suggested that unless there is revolution, the Jerry Rawling’s type, our politicians will continue to take us for granted. Another suggested we should just sell Nigeria to whites who will transform Nigeria to a developed nation within five years of maximum of ten years. These suggestions are going to the extreme. Like l said in my last comment, we also share in the blame of Nigeria under-development. We should start questioning our politicians and government officials. We need to know the source of their sudden wealth as soon as they join politics or given government appointments. We should make them accountable for our collective resources.
Post a Comment