PENMIND MEDIA & CREATIVITY

The major albatross of the country that is being claimed to be the giant of Africa and the largest black populated country in the world is corruption. Corruption is a parasite with venom of greed and selfishness, sucking Nigeria length and breadth. It must be killed by the ‘soldier-mind’ that is ready to unclad the cloak of personal gains. Corruption which is the sole enemy of this country exists fully or partially in the minds of every Nigerian. Why? It is the only desire that almost every citizen in Nigeria abhors in the mind knowingly or unknowingly. It is that desire they regard as the ladder to success in life. The corruption—either large or small—runs in our minds not because we are Nigerians, not because we have wealth, not because we have power and population but because our culture often echoes greed and selfishness into our hearts. Before the foundation of the world, corruption has been resident in the heart of man and it has been activated in the heart of every Nigerian

Many youths have always been the victims of one challenge or the other in the society. In Nigeria, they are being shortchanged along their ways to the future which dream they have in mind. In fact, if they are referred to as ‘the future of the country,’ the response to such nomenclature would generate different doubts in their minds. It has been from one problem to the other right from the birth of the country, Nigeria. The hope, sometime, looks bright but the realities of things in the country often confused many Nigerian youths into believing that their efforts are like pouring water in the basket. Many are graduates but no jobs. Many are intelligent but no right link to exhibit the same. Why? Many youths in Nigeria today have one or two things to offer the society but the problem lies in how and when to start. Some think that Nigeria is not a good place for them to nurture their dream while some still believe that they can soar in the country far better than others while

Title: WORDS FROM THE LITERARY CHAMBER (A CHAPBOOK) Author: Akinlabi Ololade Ige Genre : Poetry Publication: pdf online Number of poems: 20 Reviewer: Abdulwaheed Olaniyi For years, Nigeria as well as other African countries has been suffering from one problem to the other. The story keeps repeating itself years after years. The causes of the problems are palpable but those who seem to proffer solutions to the societal menace are the major culprits of the hazard masquerading in the countries. Yet, writers, poets as well as human right activists cannot relent in their evangelism for a better society. They speak through the heart of their pens without any personal gain. Their words travel across different minds. So as an advocate of change in the society, Akinlabi Ololade Ige, in his chapbook, WORDS FROM THE LITERARY CHAMBER, speaks about the menace ravaging the country. Akinlabi Ololade’s WORDS FROM THE LITERARY CHAMBER, a chapbook marking one year anniversary of his

Some squeaky grisly thiny fourlegged things Found some sofa stew. Saw some wooden okra Just to make the soup draw. Got some AU communique Just to garnish the fun. No cat goes away for 100 days And the mice won't play. You can't blame the rat If the rat rats out the cat. Aso Rock is a stage And the rat must play his part. Who would blame a landlord who Abhors rats? The rat is the concisest tenant: Doesn't pay rent, And the Londoners don't joke with that. White rats are lab rats. In London, they are good For experiment in hospitals. Black rats are house rats. In Aso Rock, they chase A landlord back to the hospital. Like in a yellow bus, change is asked for In a house where rats don't pay taxes. Maybe rats ate tax returns While the cat was away. Maybe rats went in turns Just to loot bags of cash away. Maybe cat is back laying a Trap for the rats. Maybe cat returns to row dents To shame... Maybe, maybe, This is childhood aga