Port Harcourt Road Poem by Okoemu Okoemu Okoemu

Road to a city
Lock with tight security
Of pure road cruelty
Mark in pole to pole
All in uniforms,
Stay put by over 21 poles
As each motor zoom near
Each pole gets his chicken fee
And then the driver passes
If no fee to give, then:

'Park! Wey your papers?
Wey your driving license?
Make I see your fire extinguisher.
Your tire nkor?
Come open your boot.
Wey your spear tire?
You no get one side mirror,
In fact na expired papers you dey use, your license na fordge
In short your extinguisher don expire
Your tires don expire...
In fact, na book we dey book you so!
Pay 30,000!
And some?
Oya settle sharp sharp...
But when either 100 or 200
Is squized through the window
With officer shun sir or Weldon sir
Even though the passengers lives are in danger
It doesn't matter; it is 'carry go! Or 'dey go! '

Road to a city
With tight security
To free flow of insecurity
For a 100 or 200 squized out
Anything can fallout
On the dangerous road
Exhibit can be in the car, with 100 or 200
Driver zoomed on,
Safety of passengers matters not,
Just the 'settlement '

Port Harcourt road
Full of security
But mostly unsecured
Kidnappers can pass if they pay the pass.

Checked mark at pole to pole
Over 30 checkes from warri to Harcourt city
Civil defense on one pole,
Police on one, army on another,
Air force too on one and navy on one
Road 'safety' on one
Boys scout on one, rangers too, and man o' war,
Boys brigade on pole, girls guide on yet one
Even red cross on still another... Etc etc

All for only but to extort,
Let robbers pass or kidnapers pass
So long each 'settled' no alerm for control.

Shame on our securities to the point that they
give balance for bribery given
A road to a city
Of tight security
Stamped with pure calamity
Road to port Harcourt!

-Okoemu Okoemu Okoemu; son of man_ S.O.M