THE FERTILE DESERT
It’s a rich land
Where different species of seeds are like sand.
Nature beautifies the land enough that
Lucrative palm trees flourish well
On ground and under the ground,
Timbers everywhere, all we can never sell.
The sun is not known just in theory
Nor the moon and cold in abstract;
Rocks and rivers, valleys and mountains,
Forest and creatures, resources and humans
Are uncommonly enough to prove the fertility
Beauty and blessedness of the land
But it’s a loamy soil on which the celebrated
Pests readily consume what should grow.

Now, nothingness like wickedness
Is known in the land;
Growth is encumbered, though
Equivocal is the deceptive assessment
Rating the desert as developing
Instead of diminishing.
Agents of doom and angels of destruction
Initiate the solution to congestion
So that the population decrease
And the unvictimised lions watch others die, and impenitently
Fraternize with the devils.
Everything is something for nothing;
Resources are enough but we lack.
The perfect lasting utilities are real only
In the utopia of escapism.
Lives are frustrated and poverty is
Enthroned to cause fatalism,
Desperation, crime and corruption.
Everything is something but for nothing
So saviours stop coming in yet many are rushing out.
Envisage the real land and cry for the wastage;
Reason on how the lions’ trench drains the water
That is supposed to fill and water the whole land.

Years are gone, years after years are going;
Expectations and excuses are mutually unending;
Scream, scuffle and scruple to grow are rampant as
Anxiety breeds antipathy for the unappealing acts.
National anthem, like our ancestors, we vocalize, so
Dignity drowns, but if we can act to actualise that
National anthem and the pledge with sincerity
Only then shall the giant be tall and dignified.







THE GIANT TREE IN THE STRUGGLE TO STAND

Tallest tree with many branches, flowers and fruit
Highly honoured by humans ad infinitum,
Eminent in the forest of strong farming folk,
Green and great, glorified, golden, and gifted
Orange of oregano are organized to optimize the fertility of the land,
Vaunted glory, vaunted vision, and vaunted vegetation it became.
Epicurean elders are the egocentric emerald,
Ruinous to the root and growth of the giant tree,
Nectar therefore becomes nothing but wasted honey.
“Messiah will come one day and the giant tree shall survive,
Emptiness is enthroned, development is encumbered,”
Nature cries for the suffering flowers and fruit of the tree ,
Transforming faute de mieux into thorns out of desperation.

Trumpets are blown with the crying voice of the roosters, rivers,
Hare, and the heir apparent to the honey, the hens,
Envisaging the future with expectancy;
Praying with vehemence;
Effusively daring for the day
On which their hope stand;
Panting in pantheism for the panacea for the struggle;
“Let the Messiah come,” the trumpets say but
Emergency is the case of the emperor when
Tragedy emerged like an epidemic,
Hovering round the rugged tree which was
Established before its birth in one nine one four
Breaking the bangles of the basal parts of the giant
Orphanages become homes not only for unfortunate children
Kiss of fires and bullets and volcanoes
Obtrude herself upon the victims in oblivion who
Hide in the hills and hire fear.
Astute elders are always sympathizing and
Ready to do the only best condemning of the evil
And the fires and volcanoes smile,
Making mouth of the equivocal and gratuitous threat,
Arresting the confidence of the green party.
“Now, never or soon,
Destructive branches will desegregate developmental branches,
Territorial terror will terrorize the tree,” the nature shouts
Heinous killings and bombings already placed
Embargo on investors’ love for the land and the tree
Development and growth are encumbered.
Epitaph to the victims and victims to be are the concern
Visions are vocalized not actualized
Enemies are attackable but uncrushable.
“Let the Messiah come and
Overpower the destructive branches and fruits of the tree”
Patience cries from the afflicted fruits of the tree.
Mephistophelian rugged rocks
Empowered by the ignorance and weakness of the oranges
Nullify the progress of the blessed land
Threatening with retrogression
Obtaining a defendable throne and power and
Fraternizing with the enemies.

Now, the blessings are evident yet in nothingness
Ignominy is all we can boast of
Grail is the glory of being fecund and developed
Easement is coming, though doubtful is its nearness
“Rise, reason, don’t rest until you stand
In the land,” cried the offspring, who stand in fear, sit in doubt and sleep in hope
And nothing in history is unending.



TO THE LEADER OF THE PEOPLE
Ibikunle Amosun, omo Olowu Iduru
Omo Ajila
A leader so determined
Who in time’s tossed to and fro
To face the wind like an eagle
To soar higher
Because calabash does not sink in the sea

Keep the fires of hope burning
Keep the breezes of progress blowing
From Oke-ilewo Abeokuta ilu Egba
To Remo, to Yewa, and to Ijebu.
The scepter of restoration is in your hand
Now actualize your pent-up patriotic dreams
Of beautifying the land and the lives
Never fear criticism
It makes someone strong and better
Never allow sentiment
It crushes integrity
Never operate on argumentum ad religia
It betrays and buries dignity
Consider the people’s voice- in consequentialism
That differentiate human from beast
And confirms one’s unstained reputation

Never swim in the pool of praise
It fuddles one’s capability
Never be impervious or weak to the people’s response
Never feel relax when people suffer
It makes one to be different – a leader, not just a ruler


One does not abuse the land
Because he is on top of a tree
Never put off the raiment of humility

You have started well
You are trying well
But Sophocles says
Call no man fortunate
Until he goes to his grave
Seek to end well
Continue to build existential value
On integrity and reputation
You are a leader
Never turn to a ruler
Keep the fires of hope burning
Keep the winds of progress blowing






TOPIC: NATIONAL PROBLEMS: EVENTUALITY OF OUR ALL-EMBRACING FATAL FLAWS.

The problems of this country are many but all are just as a result of bad governance. Since 1960, that we gained independence and 1963 that we become a republic, the country has never experienced good governance but power tussle, religious war, political crisis, money laundering and so on. Many people or nearly all people in the country blame the government but the truth is that everybody has his or her blame too.
The government fatal flaw is evident in the way government mismanage the nation’s fund. This is not hidden to Nigerians because the 2012 budget in which the president is to spend 1billion naira on food, usual 45 million on news paper, repeated 45 million on cutlery, 72 million on three Aso-Rock gates and so on prove their greed. And the controversial issue that 25% of the nation’s GDP is spent on the executives, like the jumbo pay issue of the national assembly also prove that the government loot the nation’s gold with impunity. They are bold to loot gold and goad us into crime and frustration. The environment is not conducive for investors, insecurity remains a threat to the nation, yet millions of students graduate every year without relative increase in demand for labour, hence, there is unemployment which indirectly frustrate many into crime and the society suffers more.
The fatal flaws of the family as the first institution in any society are one major cause of our nation’s problems. The family and the community in which a child grows have a great influence on him or her. The family produces the embezzlers. When a child is not thought through precepts and exemplary life by the parents that bribery and corruption are bad, what do we expect when such a child grows? Who are the leaders? They were embryo, zygote, foetus and then babies; later they became toddlers, boys and girls, teens and adults. They were referred to as the future leaders but now they are the present leaders. We have children now who are the future leaders what orientation do they grow with. The family’s focus is on religion and personal sustenance, often in questionable manner. Therefore, the family has its share of the blame of whatever our problems are. If we don’t want nepotism, why do family members of the leaders desire to be their cronies?
Also the youth of this country waste hours on sports, music and movie as a minatory substitute to effective reading and research. Who will blame them when these three time consumers are the best options of escapism that we have. However, their ineffective argument about politics is disgusting because many of them would say that they would embezzle if they had chance to lead yet they criticize the embezzlers.
Furthermore, the non-governmental bodies also have their great share of the grail of this country. It seems we don’t have accountants and economist in this economically stranded and drained country but I know they are part of the government. We have lawyers of integrity that should lead us to a nation of justice. We have religious bodies too sunk into fanatism. We are religious and we have morally fashioned history yet we are more corrupt. We have political pundits too like critics who are also in government to cause more fall to the ramshakling wall of the country and degenerate few that would stand out. There are numbers of bank managers, business gurus, judges and so on who should be beheaded if they criticize their replica embezzlers.
Now it is time we faced our crime, not to mistime the fight of our prime to build a great nation. The light has helped our sight so we must sit right and stand tight to do the right. Why we never improve is because we never try but cry on threatening cankerworm corruption to stop while we contribute to its rigid and rugged existence. There is a brain drain because we train in pain to gain but in vain. And the main gain is not our focus but the reign of evil, corruption, crime, poverty and effective criticism we need to re-sit, rethink , re-stand ,re-plan, adjust , and re-start; then, when everybody in Nigeria is free of selfish fatal flaws and corrupt mind, Nigeria which is yet to be great shall be great.