Seeing African China’s Lyrics In “Mr. President” As Prophetic
When African China (real name: Chinagorom Onuoha), a Nigerian reggae/ragga artist, years back went to the studio to produce one of his hit songs titled “Mr. President”, produced by Globedisk Music, and released in 2006, he may not have known that the lyrics that characterized the music tract will continue to find expression, 16 years down the line. Against the foregoing backdrop, there is no other way to classify the musical track than to say the music is evergreen as it still remains relevant as it speaks to stark realities.
I must confess that I was inspired to express this view after listening to the lyrics of the popular song today, particularly as what he sings about are still happening; even up to this moment that this piece is been read. As I listened to the music, I could not help thinking of how the lyrics rhymed with the prevailing situations that Nigerians are facing.
For instance, the opening lyrical lines inexorably synchronizes with the challenges which Nigerians are facing at the moment. The lines go thus: “Food e no dey/Brother eh, water no dey/And our country no good o/Every day for thief one day for owner”.
Without doubt, not few Nigerians today are going to bed without food to eat, and waking up in the morning on empty stomachs, and head straight to their business places without food. The same goes with the challenges of having access to potable water, regular electricity, good roads, and what have you. In this age where many countries are striving to attain the objectives of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), not few Nigerians are still drinking polluted water, living in darkness and driving on dilapidated roads. Still, elections that are driven by fake or unattainable promises are being conducted by each passing political dispensation. African China warned such politicians in his lyric thus: “Every day for the thief one day for the owner”.
In the same vein, he sang, “Poor man wey thief maggi Omo, dem go show him face for crime fighter (Crime fighter)”. The foregoing is presently been witnessed as petty thieves are publicly humiliated with their faces shown to the world whereas those that steal billions of Naira are seemingly treated with kid gloves. As you read this piece, the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed just suspended the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris over an N80 billion scandal.
The suspension was contained in a letter by the minister dated 18th May 2022 in which she said the move was necessitated by the need to “allow for proper and unhindered investigation into the serious allegations in line with Public Service Rules 030406”.
According to the minister, during the suspension period, which is without pay, Mr. Idris is not “expected to attend to your place of work or contact any official in your Office except for any disciplinary hearing that may be advised”.
Despite the action taken against him, not few Nigerians are optimistic that Ahmed would soon be left off the hook unlike African China’s poor man who will be left to rot in jail.
The same musical track has the lines that say, “Rich man go dey halla prayer (Modupe)/Poor man go dey shout (Anwuola me e)/Rich man go dey halla prayer (Modupe)/Poor man go dey shout (Anwuola me e). Interpretatively put, the rich will be thanking God that they have made it in life while the poor will be lamenting that they are dying. The lyrical lines unarguably captures the stark realities that describe the chasm that divides the rich and the poor in Nigeria.
Still in the same nexus, African China in another lyrical lines urges the leaders to lead well even as he urges them not to allow Nigeria fall into the well. He sings, “Make una lead us well, nor let this nation to fall inside well”. At this juncture, it is not an exaggeration to say that the foregoing lyrical lines are proverbial in nature as they convey moral advice on how leaders should lead the people well.
Without being exaggerative, he lyrically sings that the governor, president, senators and even the police should function well in their respective offices as they are in such offices to serve the people. He sings, “Mr. President Lead us well/If you be governor, govern us well/If you be senator, senate am well/If you be police/Police well well, no dey take bribe. Chorusing the same message, he sings, “Oya lead us well (Nne me e)/govern us well/If you be senator/Senate am well/If you be police/Police well well, no dey take bribe”.
African China, through the musical track lamented about virtually all the challenges that Nigeria were facing at the time of the release of the music, and puzzlingly, Nigerians are still facing the challenges he lyricized about 17 years down the line. He sings, “Fuel e no dey/Brother eh, transportation no dey/And our road e no good o/What about the NEPA people o/We no get light.
He continued, “Everybody just dey halla/Fuel no dey, na how we wan survive/Many youth ready for work/But as work no dey/Na how dey wan survive.
Unarguably sounding like a prophet at the time, he sings, “We be giant of Africa/But to get visa enter Ghana na WAEC/My God, policeman go see white/E go tell you say, I say that thing na red/Tell me something I don’t know”.
At this juncture, it is expedient to urge the present crop of leaders, majority of whom were in previous governments as leaders but were recycled into the ongoing government, to strive towards good governance as it does not augur well for Nigerians to be witnessing the same challenges they’ve been facing since 20 years ago so much that the challenges have been sources of inspirations to several musicians besides African China.
Sandra Ijeoma Okoye (Author)