OYIBO NIGERIA

 

I was thinking this morning...... While growing up in Warri, there were many things we became used to as native to the locality. Occasionally, we came across species or variety that are DIFFERENT FROM.... no, not Bala blu, but from the local ones and we simply prefixed the name with 'oyibo' which means white man but could also be translated to mean foreign.

That was what played in my head as I drove into Warri days ago and saw a variety of coconut (Cocos nucifera) tree different from the variety that grew every where. The tree of this variety had fruits that were softer on the inside and we called this variety of coconut, 'Oyibo coconut'.

If you grew up in the village anywhere in the south of Nigeria, then rabbit hunting would've been your game. The rabbit we knew were like giant rats but with longer tail. Suddenly, someone brought a white animal in a cage and told us it was rabbit. 'How can that be?' We wondered. Not in a position to argue, we called the white animal 'Oyibo rabbit.'

The list continues. We were used to Cabin biscuit and when we eventually tasted cookies or shortbread biscuit, we called it 'Oyibo biscuit.' Our waste bins were infested with rotten foods with nothing to scavenge for. And when some kids found broken toys and comic books in the waste bins in GRAs, they called the bins 'oyibo dirty.'

As I mused, I remembered this song from my childhood days 'Oh my home, o my home; when shall I see my home; when shall I see my native land; I will never forget my home!'

Oh God, when will our native land Nigeria become 'Oyibo Nigeria' where there is constant electricity, potable water, good roads and security? I never knew a day will come when Nigerians will queue at ATMs for Naira.

While I am not a believer of 'everything oyibo is good,' but with regards to the basic amenities of life, we have a chance to have an 'oyibo Nigeria' if only we make the right choice in the coming elections.

John 1:46 - Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Please, don't be a Nathanael. We have a chance to make Nigeria like the oyibo land people are japa'ing to today. Go out and vote wisely. Nigeria can be better than what it is today. Oyibo Nigeria is possible.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey