Tag: Nigeria

Poem: The Brook

Pollution to the Human Mind I do think that living in large towns for a long time can constitute pollution to the simple human mind. Each time I return to the countryside, I feel a mix of vibrant and enthusiastic energy. Living in dry cities drains me fast. I could try to live in one… Continue reading Poem: The Brook

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A Grateful African Poem

Now gather by the fireside While we wait on yams to roast, Drying our hands in the warmth This quiet evening, cold and mild We wait to dream A fluffy pillow beckoning, The day tales also waiting, A joyful evening it seems The sweet fellowship Of Nature’s trick and craft Upon the retreat fell, to… Continue reading A Grateful African Poem

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Opinion: Leadership and Hypocrisy

No change at all Nothing changes here. Even the nationwide protest that took many young lives didn’t solve much. I wonder what can change the mind of our leaders if the death of protesters won’t. Each time I travel through this blessed state – I see nothing new; it’s heartbreaking that amid plenty, we can… Continue reading Opinion: Leadership and Hypocrisy

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Opinion: Leadership Woes

Admitting imperfections are great ways to becoming a better person, people and leaders. City of Talents and Resilient people I was born and raised in Ogbor hill, a suburb of Aba, a city in Southern Nigeria. Aba is known for its industry and export of labour to many Nigerian cities and overseas. The city is… Continue reading Opinion: Leadership Woes

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Sunset in Ovim

I stand by these rocks and hills, ancient To enjoy again a beautiful moment of sunset I’ve a new song to sing each time I behold the sun set A song sang by my father and his father’s father A song that echo through the hills, Like smoke dispersing from mills, Ancient like mud where… Continue reading Sunset in Ovim

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Poetale: The Nomad

When twilight came I took a walk, for some air And down the roadside I went. There a young man stood Bearded heavily unlike myself Throwing corn seeds into his mouth And grinding them with such relish That his brown teeth showed off He stood a little close to my fence And I decided to… Continue reading Poetale: The Nomad

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Amnesty Int’l Letter: Children’s Day 2020

Dear Okechukwu, I wish a happy Children’s Day to all the children in your life. But as I write to you today, my heart goes out to all the children detained in Northeast Nigeria and caught up in endless violence at the hands of Boko Haram and the Nigerian military. They were taken away from… Continue reading Amnesty Int’l Letter: Children’s Day 2020

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Back home

Well, the morning bus was fast enough. Now, I’m here again, Ovim my beautiful home! I noticed new additions to the garden, date palms, groundnuts, turmeric, plantains, cane sugar, grapes, pawpaw, oranges, guava, coconut, sour sops, tomatoes, mangoes, yams, cocoyams and more. My aunt had turned this small garden to a demonstration farm. My fluffy… Continue reading Back home

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Worries on the relaxed Lockdown in Nigeria

Now that the government relaxed the sit-at-home order, I may travel home to see my loved ones and pick some supplies. My movement is within my state; I’ll go no further than that. Everyone has been worried and could only connect via phone. But I’m worried that this relaxed lockdown may allow for interstate traveling.… Continue reading Worries on the relaxed Lockdown in Nigeria

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Niger River

Have you seen the snake river That flow through the Savannah? The sun ray may fall on it, And her whiteness woo the eyes Hippos and crocs love it, River pythons dwell on it A beckoning waterfall up the rocks Where Mother Nature sing loudly, Always as she wash her garments On the clean waters… Continue reading Niger River

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Internet Fraud and Leadership

Short Intro: To be a Nigerian is hard enough; apart from the ravaging poverty, a lot of factors had contributed to this. I’m aware that many youth are involved in internet fraud which gives the nation and her people a bad name. I and my family members fell victim several times to them. The aim… Continue reading Internet Fraud and Leadership

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Update on Covid-19: Abia State

Just got news that there are confirmed cases of the virus in my state. People has not responded well to the call to sit at home. Businesses, parties, and social gatherings go on secretly. Starting from today, the police will be arresting anyone without a face mask in Abia State. I’m not sure if this… Continue reading Update on Covid-19: Abia State

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Update on CoronaVirus in Africa

This is heart wrenching, what began as a joke is gradually escalating. Nobody is laughing anymore. When I got the updates I knew that we still have a long way before calm. Closing state borders is not enough. African countries are finding it extremely difficult to handle the scourge with their poor economic status. Now… Continue reading Update on CoronaVirus in Africa

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Nostalgia: Traveling memories

I remember my first attempt at hunting. I was a little boy then and just arrived my hometown for holidays. It was fun and I was glad I went home. As a town boy I had little experience in hunting and general country life. Traveling home was a great way to get in touch with… Continue reading Nostalgia: Traveling memories

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Information on Covid-19 in Local Languages

This is Umukwu, Amune Ovim in Isuikwuato. An uncle sent this video to me yesterday. I’m happy to see this happen. Now that information about the virus is spread through local languages, I expect to see some change in attitude and willingness to observe social distancing. The video is in Igbo language. I think the… Continue reading Information on Covid-19 in Local Languages

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Covid-19 Update in Nigeria

The virus is still at large, and people move about freely as usual. Some news agencies reveal frightening figures. I can’t confirm these figures yet. Most public places; markets, schools and religious sites are open. Please keep us in your prayers. For those without Africa, we have you in our thoughts too. Stay safe, everyone.

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Another visit to Ovim’s Hills

If you encounter tablelands and rocks, hills and valleys, waterfalls and streams, abundant trees and virgin forests, all set in one quiet countryside, you will agree that Ovim is really blessed. Ovim is situated on ancient hills, a beautiful place for camping and outdoor fun. Each time I visit I get healed by her beautiful… Continue reading Another visit to Ovim’s Hills

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Ide Stream

We took a walk through Ovim. I decided to show my friends around. Just after Ugwu Uwaoma, we saw the table mountain. From the distance, it looked magnificent. Further ahead, we came across the stream Ide, with her tide gliding smoothly through the green forest. The stream is deep and some fish trapping go on.… Continue reading Ide Stream

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Welcome to Akara

When I was growing up I was fascinated each time we traveled to the countryside. It was fun as I could query the roads with my eyes and count palm trees as we went. Welcome to Akara, the biggest town in Isuikwuato. The name may sound familiar to Nigerians as it shares same pronunciation with… Continue reading Welcome to Akara

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In Ovim

I’m back to Ovim Isuikwuato, my hometown. It has been a long week for me, marking and grading students’ math exam. Coupled with the noisy neighbourhood, the stress nearly overwhelmed me. Thank God it’s Friday. Now far away from work and town’s hustle bustle, I can feel myself heal. The surrounding hills – notably Ugwu… Continue reading In Ovim

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Nature: Best Vacation

Nothing heals faster than Nature and this healing feeling is unexplainable. It’s something everyone should experience. Most vacations should include moving away from hustle bustle and noisy streets of familiarity and town. I can’t say what works for everyone but if you need inspiration or thinking space, I recommend travelling to the countryside, where serenity… Continue reading Nature: Best Vacation

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Why you should visit Africa 3

From Nature reserves to rivers/lakes and from beautiful valleys to exotic wildlife, Africa has a lot to offer. Welcome to this edition of Why You Should Visit Africa brought to you by Oiroegbu.com 1. Adventure: If you really love nature and adventure, then you should visit Africa. There’s so much to do and participate in.… Continue reading Why you should visit Africa 3

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Sunset in Ovim

Yesterday I trekked to the market square. During my lonely trek I met old friends and distant relatives. As noted before, in Africa we place much value on family and friends. My trek was short, because the market was just around the corner. I bought two pieces of dried meat from a vendor, one for… Continue reading Sunset in Ovim

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A poem for Ovim, Isuikwuato

Morning wakes with the sun Windy clouds, happy yawns Quiet town, down the hill Misty paths, birds sing With the forest’s inhabitantsTall palm trees stand guard From their branches, birds tweet Squirrels look down in fright or excitement Dropping oily snacks on trespassers Forest pathways are hijacked by monkeys Protesting when a group of boys… Continue reading A poem for Ovim, Isuikwuato

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Unabhangigkeit Nigeria!

Today is October 1, 2019, doubling as the beginning of October and Nigeria’s Independence Day. This day in 1960 we became self governing when the Brits left. So †Unabhangigkeit Nigeria! From the coasts of West Africa, I wish a Happy New Month to all my followers and to Nigerians I say Happy Independence Day! As… Continue reading Unabhangigkeit Nigeria!

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Celebrating Talent: Damilola Ajayi

I thought about celebrating good and talented people. Here we go, the first person in the series! Permit me to introduce this pretty, humble, enterprising young lady. She is Damilola Ajayi, from Ekiti state in Nigeria. When I first met Dami in 2017, I wasn’t so sure of what to expect from her. As I… Continue reading Celebrating Talent: Damilola Ajayi

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Lafia

Lafia when I looked up I saw you, I saw life I saw tomatoes squashed and gutted by the roadside And some tall mallams washing their legs and hands,  With their faces to the sun, preparing for the evening prayers,  I raised my eyes further, towards the East And lo, the route to home was trooping… Continue reading Lafia

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The Hamlets’ songs

Tonight I write of a beautiful countryside Nested in the forests, at the foot of hills in the East, A quiet place that taught me the songs of Nature And fed me with fruits fresh from all blooming trees! * In the morning, fine birds gather to build nests Their strong choral concert disturb the… Continue reading The Hamlets’ songs

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Ina murna (I’m excited) 

The snaky road twisted, here and there Passing pockets of forests tucked away, And when it ended at the foot of Ugwu Uwaoma I saw the palm trees lead a welcome song At the foot of the hill a banner hung Bearing Mama’s poster and details… *** Now I stand before thee, oh great hill… Continue reading Ina murna (I’m excited) 

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December Tides

1 Tasty for the spoils of the dry month, we are Dry air, dry waterhole, dry lips, dry paper Moisture lost to the heat of the traveling sun But our feet has got many options, wait or run And today the breeze drives the wind to us We savor, we enjoy, to you emissary we… Continue reading December Tides

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Sunrise in Enugu

Alas the sun rise above the clouds Without the mild weather all seem hot Above the hills, greened with vegetation And roof tops, which brown is tanned The clouds blue upon the long firmament Draw very friendly and smiling apparitions One that will definitely see the sun set Birds fly, trees swoosh, the airs sing… Continue reading Sunrise in Enugu

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The song on my lips are ones of rejoicing and dancing
Come don’t mind the sand storm that bother our gathering

My voice is not enough to sing, come join me make merry
See the green fields and fine birds have no sorrow, no worries

Smile the whole world waits to hear your tale
Do not withhold it, let it out it is surely well

The wind of stress play with us in the mornings
But, kei! We have the sunless, heatless evenings!

We can stay on the field or under the Cashew tree
Wait now, listen; you mean everything to me

Sanjuma*

Commentary.
Initially I was trying to add more Hausa to the lyrics, but I am still learning the language and so far so good though. Perhaps some day I will be able to write an all out Hausa poem as I did for the Igbo. Another boost to the pen I humbly say! Have fun…

Ina murna: ‘I am happy’ in Hausa language. The Hausa is tribe of Northern Nigeria with several unique tradition and customs.

Sanjuma*: ‘Good bye’

I am Nigeria

You have smiles on your face Reminds me of my beloved siblings No need to see you thru your race You are you; one, unique and winning Igbo kwenu! Kedu, olee, how do you do? Come in, have a sit, taste this dish You come in peace, we surely know To you, all good things… Continue reading I am Nigeria

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Note: Nature as an African

  Mother Nature is an African. I say this because I have seen why. Africa is unrivaled in wildlife species and variety. I have had an Ostrich tower over me back then in Ondo state of Nigeria and I have met the Hyena which could have passed for a demon with her red eyes and… Continue reading Note: Nature as an African

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A muse: Heavy evening rain

  And now it rains with thunder The hand of Cold had come for her asunder, Come let us see the rains fall by the window Let us dance in the rain and have fun while we can Surely, the heavy rain has come to sow And her many seeds are spread across the land… Continue reading A muse: Heavy evening rain

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She sprawled across the breadth of the land. She lay humbly
Like someone listening to the Ocarina of time
Wasting away to carefree and careless governments
Losing the charm it was once known for
And settling for lesser things and lesser people

Ogbor hills abbatoirs lay with blood of sheep, pigs and cattle
The river of the Waterside wash strange men’s nakedness
Cow dung, pig leftover feasts and human wastes
Graciously find their way into the fast flowing rivers

Ogbor hill lives peacefully, she co-exists well with others;
The mechanic, the merchandisers, the retail marketers
The manufacturers, industrialists and fabricators
The wood smith, the metal smith and the vulcanizer
The educators, the transporters and the market!

In the grim darkness of the nights
Came tiny illuminations from thousands of light bulbs
From the surrounding hills and falls of shanties and slums
Came noises of man, machine and animals
Each hussling to stay alive, each fighting to survive
Some weak, some low, some high and some strong

The Waterside, the gateway to the hills stay cool
Warming the over heating causes of the industries
And man and his numerous mad machines
Driving nature mad with unrelented determination

Roads scatter, tarred, untarred, patched, degraded
Yet men thrived and moved about their business
Some build on the small roads, some on the drainages
The great quietness of the day only comes at night
This humble city is full of queer whims and caprices

Up the hill lives another town with her own lifestyle
The tentacles of this little city spread like the war ants
Sprawling across the vales and the hills, consuming everywhere
The team of strange people conquer the lands
Spoiling, tilling, living, farming, working, building
A nice example of environmental degradation
A fine instance of industrial waste and global warming

The little town serve as a breathing space
Safe from the much hustle bustle of Enyimba city
Imagine awakening those moribund factories
Imagine more industrial and human waste
Imagine living in a city of wealth but a plenipotentiary of waste

Commentary.
Ogbor hill is a town, part of Aba in Abia state of Nigeria. It is known for her enterprise, people and industries. Many schools, crafts, factories, religious bodies, governmental agencies, private concerns and residencies call here home. I was born and brought up here. The common language if not the corrupted English is the Igbo language of the Eastern Nigeria.

There was a rush of rainfall on the window side
Accompanied by a burst of cold wind
Which ate deep into the flesh of careless people
And caught people in between the crossfire
Of the cold wind and the torrential rain
There was no ceasefire, whatsoever. No peace, no victor
Just calm disaster. One accustomed to the people

The Clouds heavy stomach rumbled and purged above
And what big stomach she has!
For the length of the Earth
Marveled with each of her rumbling
And with each purge she sent down
A squirt of rain upon the bored Earth
Followed by a burst of a very cold wind

Now the day is far spent without the sun
The bright day slip away from the gentle morn
to a shivering, cold, dark and sleepy noon
So is the days tale, so is the tale of the cloud and rain
And their dilemma with the ever cold wind

The rain fall continued, fading away quietly,
Fading away to rise again after less time
The wind seem confused, she seemed misjudged
For she came and went without a quick notice

…and
It is already late to assume that the sun will rise again today

Now the morning has come finally
After the stress of yesterdays rain
This hilly land wakes warily
Our pots are full of Heavens blessings

Sweet musings and fine sights are all about me
The bees, the green hills, the swans that fly away
The vast fields of flowers which crops the Lilies
And the blue skies where the pretty birds stray

There is mixed brown and ash dusts of the Earth
Where happy green plants and trees thrives joyfully
And the look of mother Nature which makes my heart melt,
I’m filled with abundant joy which Gods creatures give me

The undulating hills of my homeland
The clean, flowing streams of Ovim
The caves, the Palm and Cassava land
Always to me it comes to overwhelm

The rocks that stay in the bamboo forest
Overlooking a peaceful flowing stream
Once in a while a fruit plunges into the current
And little fishes scatter in queer confusion

The red mud all about makes all boring
The birds twitter and trade up the palm tree
The dews are thick in the early morning
The happy children swim on the small stream

There is silver fish in the ponds
And very brave children who hunt them
There is the grasscutter and edible toads
And green weeds on the little streams

When the hunters come home, all is alive
The hamlet comes to hear their strange tales
The dogs, the kids, the other men and their wives
Everyone has an ear for the stories they have to tell

The palmwine is healthy and very sweet
The trees on the farms swerve joyfully,
When the tapper comes cycling to the market
The flies follow his trail, as his wine drip slowly

The people are very awesome
Hardworkers, doing every little job
Women are pretty, men are handsome
They till the land and graze the sheep

Now the memories of my humble land
The fears, the faith; the stress, the strengths
A fine land dreamingly made from a wand
Such that it comes alive in my minds eyes

Commentary.
Ovim is my homeland. Located in Abia state of Nigeria, it is a quiet place but full of life. The natives are known for their exploits in both business Entreprise, academia, agriculture and military. Ovim harbors forests, hills, streams and ponds, vast farmlands of cassava and yams (staple food common in the area). It is a fine place. The wildlife here are mostly reptiles (boas, pythons, lizards, monitors, other snakes), wild pigs, rodents, monkeys and birds. But some wild animals like the Alligators, the Hyena and Civets have been reportedly sighted.