Mind Control

Whereas
They say government is of the people
By the people and for the people.

Whereas
They claim to be for the people to serve.
They claim ownership of our oil reserves.

Whereas
Our resources and taxes they claim
Our welfare is not at all their aim.

Whereas
They took the Local Content Act
And edited it with crafty tact
To become the Nigerian Content Act
So the Act now is majorly only over
The Niger Delta oil
So that for oil wealth, we get a ruined soil
While they top up their personal reserves of dollars.

Whereas
This was to be just another simple poem,
Just somehow it is gathering some chrome.

We do hereby declare that
So much for the political abracadabra
Because we know from etymology
What government is ultimately.

So we declare still that
So much for the political verbosity, euphonious lingoes
And economic conjurors with GDP mumbo jumbos.
Which no iota of value to the people can add.

Because we know what they mean
When they say:
Subsidy
Kerosene scarcity
Cabal
Probe panel
House committee
Missing ballot boxes
Two bullet proof cars
The stench of corruption is reaching the stars.

We know what they mean by:
Missing twenty billion dollars
Missing pension fund
Impunity
Corruption
Misappropriation
Maladministration.

We know them
Parastatals
Agencies
Governor
Federal Executive Council
Irresponsibility
We know the polity
In this country
All the open secrets
They stink to high heavens

Let it be known
That we know of their emptiness
They are the worst in the world.
Because they know no sacrifice
They make public funds disappear
They care not for the generations coming.
They call Nigerians
“The common man on the street.”

No Nigerian would be called ‘ordinary’
Given the kind of leadership enjoyed
In China
Singapore
Japan
Malaysia
Et cetera

No Nigerian would be
A common man on the street
Because we would all be walking on streets of gold
Thanks to our gift of black gold.