A-RICE, oh compatriots
Your stomach’s call obey
Say, A-RICE, oh compatriots
Your stomach’s call obey
Hold out your bowls for the golden grains
Pawn your pride without delay

Grab your bribe and dance in the street
To the Riceman’s drum and venal command
Yes, grab your bribe and dance in the streets
To the Riceman’s drum and venal command
Bend your back for his heavy ride
Your golden rice is your sole demand

The Riceman is here, your lord and saviour
Pawn your vote for his golden gift
Say, the Riceman is here, your lord and saviour
Pawn your vote for his golden gift
Eat your rice and belch like a bull
And give your guts the forgetful lift


The passage down the gullet
Is the fastest road to heaven
Yes, the passage down the gullet
Is the fastest road to heaven
To those held hostage by their shameless guts
There is no nirvana like the seething toilet

The people voted their stomach
And the dunghill usurped their future
Alas, the people voted their stomach
The dunghill embraced their future
The wounds from this blind affair
Defy the magic of the cleverest suture

II

The people voted their stomach
And the dunghill usurped their future
Alas, the people voted their stomach
The dunghill embraced their future
The wounds from this blind affair
Defy the magic of the cleverest suture

Cunning Riceman with bags
Full of tricks and daggers
Say, cunning Riceman with bags
Full of tricks and daggers
His first coming left us all
In ashes and fluttering rags

Brazen murders, strange disappearances:
His hands drip with unexpiated crimes
Yes, brazen murders, strange disappearances
His hands drip with unexpiated crimes
But he has an arsenal of cash and rice
Both so vital in these degenerate times


Rabble-rousing, clowning, scheming
Frightful intimations of Idi Amin’s pedigree
Yes, rabble-rousing, clowning, scheming
Frightful intimations of Idi Amin’s pedigree
Yesterday’s fruits still stir the leaves
On History’s bewildering tree


Here, once again,
The wild histrionics of a deadly actor
Say, here, once, again,
The wild histrionics of a deadly actor
Mindless applause from a captive audience
Chloroformed puppets of a wily victor

III

They sold their birth right
For a kongo* of rice
Alas, they sold their birth right
For a kongo of rice
This mindless commerce
Will come at a heavy price

Erstwhile Knowledge Fountain
Overgrown with Ignorance’s malignant weeds
Alas, erstwhile Knowledge Fountain
Overgrown with Ignorance’s malignant weeds
The Book, once robust, resurgent,
Has been voted out of our daily needs

They sold us a lemon; we emptied
Our bank of virtues to pay the price
Alas, they sold us a lemon; we emptied
Our bank of virtues to pay the price
The will powerful guns could not subdue
Now lies suborned by a spoonful of rice

Poverty so desperate, so demeaning,
It consumed our pride, our primal worth
Yes, Poverty, so desperate, so demeaning,
It consumed our pride, our primal worth
The pride we once extolled is vanishing fast
From the face of our stunned, corrupted earth

The people voted their stomach
And the dunghill usurped their future
Alas, the people voted their stomach
The dunghill embraced their future
The wounds from this blind affair
Defy the magic of the cleverest suture

*Kongo: a small tin, plastic, or calabash container used for measuring peas and grains in market sales.

IV

Too good for us, far too advanced
The reigning King is too high above our rot
Say, too good for us, far too advanced
The reigning King is too high above our rot
Too much bound to Excellence and Honour
And a public garment without a blot

He expends state funds on the road to the Future
He never paves the way to our bottomless stomach
Yes, he expends state funds on the road to the Future
He never paves the way to our bottomless stomach
Whoever doesn’t know in the eating world
That the gut is a grand, demanding monarch

We asked for rice, he gave us Reason
We asked for booty, he gave us the Book
Say, we asked for rice, he gave Reason
We asked for booty, he gave us a book
So we trooped all out to cast our lot
For the side of the dark and loaded crook

The Damaged Good has riced its way
To the top of the brand
Alas, the Damaged Good has riced its way
Right to the top of the brand
Our feet stand askew
On our dark and traitored land

Come again soon, oh brief Renaissance
This interlude forebodes a trembling twilight
I say, come again, brief Renaissance
This interlude forebodes a trembling twilight
Sow rainbow stars in our darkening sky
Divine another Dawn, new and bright



Prof. Niyi Osundare

So? What's dis epistle all about?

Hope this has nothing to do with Ekiti people?

moyinoluwabun: So? What's dis epistle all about?

That people didnt consider dia future but the immediate gratifications of unnecessary lucre

busuyem: Hope this has nothing to do with Ekiti people?

U did guess right... Its all abt them. Prof made a great write up abt d pple who prioritise stomach infrastructure than basic amenities

oluwakorrect:
U did guess right... Its all abt them. Prof made a great write up abt d pple who prioritise stomach imfrastructure than basic amenities

Was it Fayose that was giving voters 5k and 2k @ the polling booths? Abeg make I hear word joor

BS. Fayemi is a bad governor. Tinubu is a despot the people are tired of. All this long epistle na for nothing.

moyinoluwabun: So? What's dis epistle all about?

the Ekiti people are a disappointment to democracy

To be honest, and impartial. I'll say Fayemi/APC lost in Ekiti state because they are bound to lose. My brother, forget the media propaganda and unskilled journalism out on the internet. I live in Ekiti and its disappointing though not surprising that some folks would abuse the intelligence of ekitis.

The winner, Fayose/PDP may not be the best but they are right. We voted for you because we believed in you than the masquerades. You meant development and there is fair play. This life is just toooo short for a crook in the name of change to deceive us.

I hope and pray such plays out in Osun state.

I believe its for our good. Trust me.

No to APC. NO! Not in this world. Change your name 81 times, it won't change anything.

All we want is true democracy and only for the people.

God Bless Ekiti State
God Bless Osun State
God Bless Nigeria


---Olastep

Rice is now the most popular food commodity in Naija thanks to Ekiti state election......

MisterLongman: Rice is now the most popular food commodity in Naija thanks to Ekiti state election......

Looooooool

Olastep: To be honest, and impartial. I'll say Fayemi/APC lost in Ekiti state because they are bound to lose. My brother, forget the media propaganda and unskilled journalism out on the internet. I live in Ekiti and its disappointing though not surprising that some folks would abuse the intelligence of ekitis.

The winner, Fayose/PDP may not be the best but they are right. We voted for you because we believed in you than the masquerades. You meant development and there is fair play. This life is just toooo short for a crook in the name of change to deceive us.

I hope and pray such plays out in Osun state.

I believe its for our good. Trust me.

No to APC. NO! Not in this world. Change your name 81 times, it won't change anything.

All we want is true democracy and only for the people.

God Bless Ekiti State
God Bless Osun State
God Bless Nigeria


---Olastep

the landslide victory was so shockin... Cant wait to see d drama that wil unfold durin d forth comin Osun's guber election. Senator Omisore a.k.a Senetor Alagbado has been paradin himself as d grassroot man. Just wonderin d length our fake politicians cud go to satisfy dia greed n desires.

chukwudi44:
Was it Fayose that was giving voters 5k and 2k @ the polling booths? Abeg make I hear word joor

Bros, were u paid to vote too?

jerseyboy: BS. Fayemi is a bad governor. Tinubu is a despot the people are tired of. All this long epistle na for nothing.

I wont dispute ur view but Fayemi's contribution to the development of Ekiti is evident... Nobody is holy. Corruption runs in d blood stream of every Nigerian as long as u breathe n eat. We are all kettle n sudnt call the pot black!

gsaint trinity:

the Ekiti people are a disappointment to democracy

Its really an eyesore...

Good governance should be aimed to improve the populace living condition.

But any so-called good governance that failed to positively impact the lifes of the populace is faulty.

juman: Good governance should be aimed to improve the populace living condition.

But any so-called good governance that failed to positively impact the lifes of the populace is faulty.

U really on point bro