Nigeria Is Doomed! | Emmanuel Inya Otu-Nwachi

I'm no prophet
My old man wasn't one
Neither do I belong
To any prophetic school
But from what I see
I've got to speak out
That we live in a nation
That loves its neighbours
More than itself
Sacrifices its people
To benefit others;

What's this that I hear?
For Nigeria to sign an MoU
With Niger is the biggest embarrassment
Why? Niger has no crude,
Nigeria has
Nigeria sends crude to Niger
Niger refines and sends products to Nigeria!

Shame on them all!
Shame on me for it's the worst time
To be a Nigerian
They have sold us off
Like fake commodities,
The holy book said it long ago
Those who utilize not their talents
Would have them taken
And given to those who have
This is Nigeria, their Nigeria!

Poet's note: Nigeria is among the highest crude oil producers in the world. But apart from being pauperized, Nigeria has no functional refineries and keeps importing refined oil at very exorbitant prices. Recently, Nigeria singed an MoU with Niger Republic to be importing refined oil from Niger which has just built a refinery. Niger has no crude and depends on Nigeria for crude. Not only that Niger hasn't the capacity that Nigeria has. Yet Nigeria is willing to import from Niger thereby enriching the country. The poem decries the attitude of Nigerian leaders who prefer to please her neighbours to the detriment of her own people.