This is Not The Flag
written by: George Tee Forpoh III
This is not the 1959 flag that was designed and coloured by native Ibandan- born Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi;
This is not the Nigerian flag that was flagged when she triumphantly gained her Independence;
This is not the flag that was hung in Addis Ababa home of the Headquarters of the AU (Africa Unity);
No, this is not the flag she waved when her Super Eagles won her first African cup of Nations;
Today, the flag is stained;
Stained with the blood of innocent and well meaning youthful generation of Nigeria;
Stains that all the waters of the world can never wash away;
Brutality has wrapped her cold arms around mama Nigeria;
Today, our own brothers and sisters have enslaved us, not the white man,
Crawling down my eyes are tears of regret, as I write this poem,
Why has African leaders turned away from the objectives, vision and mission of the AU (Africa Unity);
This is not the Africa that Nelson Mandela fought for.
What will happen if Kwame Nkrumah was to wake up today;
Where is unity that once embodied us when we fought against imperialist powers?
Howbeit, we are going to fight with blood and tears,
We are tired of the oppression we’ve suffered for years.
Until we see a change,
A change that will stop us from wallowing in penury,
A change that will see us United as one big family;
We want that change now!
Not tomorrow, the day after nor next week or next month. We want Change and we want it now!
- This is Not The Flag - January 28, 2021
