Cycles of Broken Memoirs

Since naming, blaming and shaming
Has become an aberration in Nigeria,
And because holding the scepter and crown
Accountable is counted as insolences,

We must learn new ways of singing praises.
We must learn by heart
The names of the cronies
That has piloted Nigeria to such great height

Behold the catalogue of potentates
That did not misrule Nigeria at all;
They did not loot our treasury with reckless abandon.
They are our national heroes
That helped us to build our nation
Into what it is today.

Thus the inventory of broken cabinets:

Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch,
Who ruled alongside Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Sir James Robertson, the governor-general,
Who was answering to Queen Elizabeth II
And ruled alongside Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, another governor-general
Who again was answering to Queen Elizabeth II
And at the same time ruled alongside his countryman,
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe yet again
This time as president ruling yet again
With the same countryman Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

The repetition from the onset
Was glaring.
Hence the bloody coup d’état
By Major Nzeogwu.

And Major General Johnson Aguyi-Ironsi
Emerged as head of state
Under a federal military government

So did
Genreal Yakubu Gowon

And
General Murtala Mohammed

As well as
Major General Olusegun Obasanjo

And power fell on
Alhaji Shehu Shagari

And then
Major General Muhammadu Buhari

And also
General Ibrahim Babangida

And then to
Chief Ernest Shonekan


And to
General Sani Abacha

And
General Abdulsalami Abubakar

And back again to
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo again

Then
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua

Later on
Dr Goodluck Jonathan

And back again
Muhammadu Buhari again.

Like a game of soccer
Where the ball is passed around.

The players are great Nigerians
Apart from Sir James Robertson
And Queen Elizabeth II
So we must honour them in spite
Of everything.
We must salute them everyday
For all they did with our country.