CONVERSATION WITH AN AFRICAN MOTHER ( NIGERIA AT 55)

Yesterday I heard a voice
Wispering to my ear
Telling me God's love towards africa
How he sent a Nazarene to africa
In other to redeem mankind
From the  shackles of sin and shame
Through the death of the cross
Oh! What a friend we have in Jesus
I was so attentive to the voice
That I couldn't move an inch
To my next place of assignment
The voice was the voice of
An african mother praising God
For what he has done
Yarning for wisdom
Craving for ideas
Seeking for justice and
Praying for a better Nigeria
What has the Lord done for you
I asked the old woman
She smiles and said to me
Son, the Lord has done
Great and mighty things for me
Starting from the day I was born
To the day I obtained freedom
From the hands of the colonial masters
I have suffered a terrible ordeal
In their hands
Imagine me working on
A sugar cane plantation with
A padlock hung on my mouth
Imagine me been beating
By the children of the white
Just because I opted for a drinking water
Imagine me been raped in the presence
Of my dear children
I was maltreated just because I was born black
I wept for freedom time without number
Until first october 1960
When the Lord turn again my captivity
As the bible says
When the Lord turned again
The captivity of Zion
We were like them that dream
Then was our mouth filled with laughter
And our tongue with singing
Then said they among the heaten
The Lord had done great things for them
The Lord had done great things for us
Where off we are glad
Turn again our captivity O  Lord
As the stream in the south
They the sow in tears shall reap in joy
As you can see am reaping in joy
Because I sowed in tears during
Those years of slavery
My son is now the president of this nation
Some of my children are senators,  some ministers,
Some engineers,  some professors,  some doctors
In fact I am completely free from
Shame and disgrace
Oh! How I which I could celebrate
This freedom with my children
That stood by me during those lean years
Talking about Sir Alhaji Tafawa Balewa
Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe
Sir Ahmadu Bello
Chief Obafemi Awolowo
General Murtala Muhammed
Alvan Ikoku, Ironsi
Major Chukuma Kaduna
As she was talking
I saw tears flowing down her cheeks
Then I joined her to weep for the past heroes
May their gentle souls rest in peace. Amen!
As she was about to leave
I held her garment and pleaded with her
To make this known to her privileged children
That some of their brothers are
Still suffering from abject poverty
And no one to help them
Some are walking on the streets of africa
With their certificates, seeking for job
But none could help them
Some have lost their love ones
In the hands of insurgents
Tell them that we need more of this freedom

Votapwa Elkanah

NUMAN FLOOD

I don't wanna hear of flooding again
That of 2012 is enough lesson for
The riverine people of Numan
It came like a wind and swept houses
Kiling kingdom  folks and destroying farm produce
Even religious leaders didn't  wait
To pray but to run for their dear lives
Ngbakowo, gamadio,opalo, imburu
And many other villages were submerged
As if it was the time of Noah in the bible
Even gursune that seems sturbon
Among the domestic animals in those villages
Did not see the ark to run into
That was how river benue declared them usless
In the presence of their butchers
After the flood, everyone went
Back to his place of abode
As though nothing happened
Then came  some hypocrites
In  government clothes and
Crocodile tears trying to show
How much they loved the victims
They wrote  thier names and
Assessed the level of damage
Caused by the flood
The fraudstars later left with the promise
Of returning soon to put a smile
On the faces of the villagers
Yes! 500 million was released for the victems
It was  heard on air but it never reached them
Instead the money was shared among
Politicians and few sinners
That rejoice when the poor are in trouble
Eventhough it was later heared that
Some of their brothers that lives
At the other side of the river
Were given a token to cool down their tension
But how could you give a household
The sum of 200 naira and say
You have helped them
Where are the remaining zeros behim 200
This is pure fraudulent on the poor people
Lagdo dam is opened again
Numan and it's environ on my mind