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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Nigeria: 'Things can only get better' | Nigeria: 'Things can only get better' |
| (about 10 hours later) | |
| Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua signing his name at his inauguration | Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua signing his name at his inauguration |
| To mark the 10th anniversary of democracy, the BBC's African Perspective has asked some of Nigeria's most talented young writers to pen short stories and poetry. | To mark the 10th anniversary of democracy, the BBC's African Perspective has asked some of Nigeria's most talented young writers to pen short stories and poetry. |
| E GO BETTA OH | E GO BETTA OH |
| Sade Adeniran was the winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa Region), for her novel Imagine This. | Sade Adeniran was the winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa Region), for her novel Imagine This. |
| Below is an extract from her specially commissioned short story E Go Betta Oh (It will be better). | Below is an extract from her specially commissioned short story E Go Betta Oh (It will be better). |
| It follows Tokunbo Obanle, the son of a wealthy state governor, as he returns to Nigeria to attend his mother's funeral, after 10 years living in London: | It follows Tokunbo Obanle, the son of a wealthy state governor, as he returns to Nigeria to attend his mother's funeral, after 10 years living in London: |
| As he disembarked from the plane, a wall of heat that immediately sapped the energy from his already weary limbs, hit Tokunbo Obanle. | As he disembarked from the plane, a wall of heat that immediately sapped the energy from his already weary limbs, hit Tokunbo Obanle. |
| The six hour flight from Heathrow had been uncomfortable and cramped, almost making him regret not taking his father up on his offer of a first class ticket back home. | The six hour flight from Heathrow had been uncomfortable and cramped, almost making him regret not taking his father up on his offer of a first class ticket back home. |
| But the idea of him as the prodigal son returning in style, with money swindled from the country's coffers, was against his conscience. | But the idea of him as the prodigal son returning in style, with money swindled from the country's coffers, was against his conscience. |
| His life would have been so much easier, had he been able to tow the family line and turn a blind eye to the injustices, that were a daily occurrence. | His life would have been so much easier, had he been able to tow the family line and turn a blind eye to the injustices, that were a daily occurrence. |
| He hoped things had changed, but he doubted it. | He hoped things had changed, but he doubted it. |
| The sad truth of Nigeria was that, despite the abundance of natural resources, the poor have always and will always, continue to suffer at the hands of the ruling elite. | The sad truth of Nigeria was that, despite the abundance of natural resources, the poor have always and will always, continue to suffer at the hands of the ruling elite. |
| Democracy had changed nothing it had only made things worse. | Democracy had changed nothing it had only made things worse. |
| Unhappy birthday | Unhappy birthday |
| Last week, he had been at a friend's birthday party and as per usual for these occasions, the talk turned into a political debate about the state of the country. | Last week, he had been at a friend's birthday party and as per usual for these occasions, the talk turned into a political debate about the state of the country. |
| I cannot afford my child's school fees and his children live abroad away from the disgrace that is our country, tell your father we are suffering oh Customs officer Is democracy a military affair? | |
| The consensus was to get rid of the current ruling elite, but as usual no one had a concrete plan on how to change the status quo. | The consensus was to get rid of the current ruling elite, but as usual no one had a concrete plan on how to change the status quo. |
| While there was a lull in the conversation, Yemi told a joke which cut too close to the bone. | While there was a lull in the conversation, Yemi told a joke which cut too close to the bone. |
| "There was a Brit and a Nigerian with their backs against a wall," he began in his sonorous voice. | "There was a Brit and a Nigerian with their backs against a wall," he began in his sonorous voice. |
| "The Brit was pushed against the wall and came back fighting with the legendary bulldog spirit. | "The Brit was pushed against the wall and came back fighting with the legendary bulldog spirit. |
| "The Nigerian was pushed too, however, rather than fight back he pushed the wall back instead. | "The Nigerian was pushed too, however, rather than fight back he pushed the wall back instead. |
| "That, my friends is the Nigerian mentality." | "That, my friends is the Nigerian mentality." |
| A weak chorus of laughs greeted the punch line as everyone recognised the truth in the joke; no one could argue with history. | A weak chorus of laughs greeted the punch line as everyone recognised the truth in the joke; no one could argue with history. |
| As if on cue, someone turned up the music and the melodic voice of Sam Cooke crooning about a "change gonna come" drifted through the speakers. | As if on cue, someone turned up the music and the melodic voice of Sam Cooke crooning about a "change gonna come" drifted through the speakers. |
| The men raised their bottles to change and said the ubiquitous Nigerian prayer with one voice. | The men raised their bottles to change and said the ubiquitous Nigerian prayer with one voice. |
| "E go betta oh." | "E go betta oh." |
| "Is this your first visit to our great country? Asked the bored customs official as he flicked through Tokunbo's passport. | "Is this your first visit to our great country? Asked the bored customs official as he flicked through Tokunbo's passport. |
| "No, it's not," he replied, slightly irritated. | "No, it's not," he replied, slightly irritated. |
| "And why are you coming to Nigeria?" | "And why are you coming to Nigeria?" |
| "My mother's funeral." | "My mother's funeral." |
| "Ah, I'm sorry for your loss oh," mumbled the officer stamping the passport. "Mr Obanle," he paused, "Hmm, you must be the son of our esteemed state governor. | "Ah, I'm sorry for your loss oh," mumbled the officer stamping the passport. "Mr Obanle," he paused, "Hmm, you must be the son of our esteemed state governor. |
| "Me, I cannot afford my child's school fees and his children live abroad away from the disgrace that is our country, tell your father we are suffering oh." | "Me, I cannot afford my child's school fees and his children live abroad away from the disgrace that is our country, tell your father we are suffering oh." |
| Outrage raised his voice as he handed back the passport. "Maybe if they spent our money on hospitals, your mother would be alive." | Outrage raised his voice as he handed back the passport. "Maybe if they spent our money on hospitals, your mother would be alive." |
| Tokunbo grabbed his passport and headed for the exit. He was seething and almost missed his half brother Chidi flanked by two gun-totting policemen, calling his name... | Tokunbo grabbed his passport and headed for the exit. He was seething and almost missed his half brother Chidi flanked by two gun-totting policemen, calling his name... |
| REQUIEM FOR RAGE | REQUIEM FOR RAGE |
| Chuma Nwokolo is a writer and lawyer whose first collection of poetry is Memories of Stone. | Chuma Nwokolo is a writer and lawyer whose first collection of poetry is Memories of Stone. |
| One More Tale for the Road and Diaries of a Dead African are his most recent novels. | One More Tale for the Road and Diaries of a Dead African are his most recent novels. |
| Requiem for Rage is a call for action, for the 'silent' people, who could help bring about change in Nigeria's failing democracy, but do not: | Requiem for Rage is a call for action, for the 'silent' people, who could help bring about change in Nigeria's failing democracy, but do not: |
| Six days the thinker thought Six ways she weighed her cross What to do with things she cannot change Does she boil in the tub of her Monday bath? At the hack of an axe she does not hear? When it swings of an alien night, at a cot not her own? On a street, in a town far away? ... | |
| What is spilled is lost, what is bent, broken Innocence is smeared, holiness smirched, remorse, futile The torture of troops keeps the dying screaming for dawn For euthanasia's war's resumption Someday for sure, the cry of night's child shall cease But not from death Someday for sure, the cry of night's child shall cease But not tonight In the meantime the pregnant maid in black serves dinner to the wealthy men in white As the ink plans for bigger war machines to eat her progeny. | What is spilled is lost, what is bent, broken Innocence is smeared, holiness smirched, remorse, futile The torture of troops keeps the dying screaming for dawn For euthanasia's war's resumption Someday for sure, the cry of night's child shall cease But not from death Someday for sure, the cry of night's child shall cease But not tonight In the meantime the pregnant maid in black serves dinner to the wealthy men in white As the ink plans for bigger war machines to eat her progeny. |
| Come Sunday the thinker bled her rage into a bigger gift for charity She made her peace with impotence, prepared her child and her cot which still lay at ease For the role of fortune's wheel and for night She polished her salaried lie until it shone And she weaved in into a shawl And she wore it She could do nothing about what she could do nothing about. | Come Sunday the thinker bled her rage into a bigger gift for charity She made her peace with impotence, prepared her child and her cot which still lay at ease For the role of fortune's wheel and for night She polished her salaried lie until it shone And she weaved in into a shawl And she wore it She could do nothing about what she could do nothing about. |
| To hear the stories and poems in full, listen to African Perspective on the BBC World Service on Saturday 30th May at 1100GMT. | To hear the stories and poems in full, listen to African Perspective on the BBC World Service on Saturday 30th May at 1100GMT. |