Twenty Naira

"The police is not your friend" ~ Anonymous

Image courtesy of hrw.org

Now, I am well aware that police road blocks have been banned in Nigeria, however, this poem was written a long time ago. I got the inspiration to do a poem in pidgin English after coming across one by Wole Soyinka on the back page of either Tell or Newswatch.

I thought about this poem earlier today and decided to share it here.

TWENTY NAIRA

Stop! Stop!
Oga wetin na?
Wetin ai do?
Ai no de speed
Ai no de wrong lane
my seat belt sef, i tie am

Your papers nko?
Oga ai sabi dem
Driver's licence
Ai get am hia
All my particulars de kampe
Even sef, ai get insurance

Correct Sah! we see everything
What about kola for awon boys?
We sef sabi chop
Make you give us N20
Make we take hold our side
Abeg wet awie hand

Twenty naira wetin?
You sabi say ai de share money?
Na because of N20
Naim make una kill dat school pikin last week
N20 send tuke-tuke driver go grave

Oga wetin be your own sef?
Na N20 make you de preach like this?
Una like this wey go school
Na so una dey give us wahala
Na because say na you oo
Or else....

Anyway sef
You sure say this your car
Dey road worthy so?
I don see am sef
This your motor pass the 7 years limit
wey we president give

Oga ( with a very big smile)
You go follow us go station
You must come see we oga
This your car
Na menace for we roads
Na people like u dey cause accident with your akpangiri motor

Wetin you mean?
Ai no fit go station
Ai don de late for my meeting
Oya take the N20 make ai de go
My boss go fire me
If ai no de office in the next 20 minutes

Oga, na my turn now
N20 too small
If you go give me N100
I fit let you comot
Nothing more
Nothing less

Bros abeg, my oga
Ai no get N100
Make ai give you N40
Abeg, manage this N40
Make you remember say
Tomorrow na another day

Oya, bring am na
Na because na you sha
Hurry oo
Remember say you get meeting
But no too speed oo
My brothers de front