Poet of the week: Salim Ubale

Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to…

oh, did you think I would say flag?

or did you think I’d pledge my trust to leaders with deflated egos?

Nay!

I pledge allegiance to pure justice

to the struggles of our ancestors

to the battles of the mind, body and soul that made real impact

I pledge allegiance to the truth

to the likes of Kamal Khashoggi who perished for questioning a biased status quo

to the mind liberators of our generation

to political correctness in the face of aggression

I pledge allegiance to bravery

to the likes of Gambo Sawaba who fought for the rights of her kins

to those being persecuted for voicing out against our oppressors

to artists who subtly enlighten us with persuasive paintings to address despotism

I pledge allegiance to those who remain not silent in the face of adversity

to the likes of Fela Kuti, who stirred revolutions and fought for something bigger than themselves

to those who ignite sparks of emancipation in us

to the ones who rip the ulcer that eats and decays our society

I pledge allegiance to our fallen heroes

to the likes of Lt. Col. Abu Ali the vanguards in the quest for our salvation

to the oath keepers who selflessly serve for no other reason than honour

to the chain breakers who fight to restore our peace and to enjoy the glories of freedom

O my people think!

you look blindly and swear fealty to dishonourable leaders

you support the occupation of a people and reprieve yourselves when called to answer for your crimes

you listen to the truth and call it treason because you benefit from falsehood

you walk down paths of wretchedness and call it the path to salvation

O what hypocrisy!

O my people think!

Think!

for I pledge allegiance to you

to humanity, to my people

Ubale is a banker. He wrote in from Abuja