Mandela Come Reach Leah 

Naija languej

Eriata Oribhabor

‘No’ e say, ‘Freedom no get condition’

Na so dem suffer the veteran of Robben Island.

‘No’ e say, ‘Knowledge no prevent any body from am’ –

E dey fear, but e no dey fear, face of the Maid of Pakistan.

‘No’ e say, ‘Faith no be do or die’ –

Im voice na like person wey dem capture, but e stand gidigba for Dapchi, 

Im fire bright well well for inside the den of zealots. 

So, from time to time, na voice of testimony we dey hear –

Mandela, Malala, Leah Sharibu – the torch of

‘No, Prometheus say’, fire and the anthem, 

E dey find pain, fire wey go burn well well through 

Chibok and Dapchi, to put light back to the world.

—

Read the English translation – Mandela Comes to Leah by Prof. Wole Soyinka 

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Eriata Oribhabor is a poet and frontline promoter of Naija languej. He started off writing poetry in the indigenous Nigerian Pidgin currently being standardized as Naija languej. Writing in the languej, he authored; “Abuja na kpangba and Oda puem-dem (2011), edited, “IF YU HIE SE A DE PRIZIN” (poems) and “AMEBO YAD” (collection of plays). A former chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Abuja Branch, Eriata Oribhabor is the author of two poetry collections; “Beautiful Poisons” and “CROSSROADS & THE RUBICON”. He is the Editor, WUSHAPA – Beating the Drums of Peace, Who Shall I Make My Wife (collection of Food related poems), and a passionate lover of the streets where he once hawked various items in Warri, Nigeria; his place of birth.