I Am My Own Goverment Poem by Ayotokunbo Ajewole

I am my own government
I am my own government,
I live in my own country,
My country is Nigeria
The world begins right here,
anything can happen right here,
and the world ends right here,
I say I am my own government.

I live in my own country
I love my country
but my country’s government doesn’t love me.
I wanted to work for, and serve my country,
but my government had no job for me,
so I decided first to employ myself,
perhaps I might soon find someone to employ me,
self employed, I began my own government.

Water to drink or bath myself?
My government cannot provide for me
so I get me some Mallams to dig me a well,
got a welder to construct an overhead tank,
went to the city, bought a pumping machine,
now I have my own water to drink and bath with,
National Water board what? forget them,
I am my own government.

Food to eat for those working for my government,
It can’t even regularly provide,
how much less those of us on the other side?
bought a piece of land and employed two farmers,
built for them a little shelter,
provided all the tools they needed,
farm in the morning, farm in the night,
now, I have food crops, grains and vegetables,
and fruits, all for me, myself and I,
I am my own government.

My government said I should
Never Expect electric Power Always
so I have never really expected it
recently, the story changed
Power Holding Committee of Nonsense,
Never mind sir, thanks, but no thanks.
My friend from Onitsha bought me a generator set,
its noise disturbs my whole neighborhood,
but who among them can complain,
to whom will they even complain,
Po-what? Po-lice? Which one? Where?
an electrician has wired my whole house,
and out of sheer darkness, I am now the light,
I am my own Power Holding Committee,
I’m kind enough to provide my neighbors with some ‘current’
I said, I am my own government.

My country; s government can’t secure himself,
why should they have time for me?
not that I expected them to,
since I have God above to secure me.
So rather than jumping from frying pan into fire,
a trip to Kano, and I employed three Mallam’s,
built them another little shelter,
gave them luxuries they don’t have where they came from,
to complain? Would they? about what?
I gave them a baton and a cutlass,
Now with God and my Mallams, I’m safe and secure,
Safe and secure, in my own government.

Ministry of Housing what?
they are even renting their own office space,
quickly I look me out another plot of land,
Fenced it high and round about,
built myself a decent abode,
Now I live in my own house,
have my own electricity, my own food,
I am my own water board,
and my Mallams, are my security,
I am my own government.

I have my own business,
I have my own customers
I have my own clients,
I have my own farm and farmers,
I don’t keep my money in the bank
I make laws for myself,
Coz my country’s laws cost only 20-Naira to break,
So I do what I want and leave them to themselves,
each man to his own, I am my own government.

Copyright 2009, Tokunbo Ajewole