Dear Lagos Conductor Poem by Adetubo Lateef Segun

Ketu! Mile 12! !
Ketu! Mile 12! !
Ketu Oooo..

This sounds funny but very much important to someone,
He keeps shouting bus-stop names to everyone
but someone;
He yells at you for a reason not known to anyone.


People take them to be bad guys or touts.
Are they really bad guys?
Sometimes I think they are in pain
Sometimes they seem to be ashamed.

Yet your trip is boring without them in the bus,
Sometimes they feel rejected. so, act like what people think of them.

They call bus-stop names like they have hot yam in their mouth
They stand and jump at will - unexpectedly.
They yell at you like a mad man when you disobey their instructions
(Wole pelu change e o - Enter with your change o)
(Feti sile ki o gbo bus-stop e - Listen to your bus-stop)

Their common use of words are funny but annoying.
Its funny when you hear words like;
(O dabi wipe o ti ya were abi - It seems you are mad)
(Iyalaya ee! - Your great grand mother!)
(Fun mi lowo abi ko fe da fun e ni? - Give me money or it wont be well with you)

I sometimes get carried away watching them at the bus - stop
You cant just stop meeting them.
LAGOS BUS CONDUCTOR!