Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, Pidgin Stew & One Literary Bowl of Thoughts

Despite being a language spoken nationwide, Pidgin seems to have gained little attention from both established writers and the new writers who are fronting the online Nigerian literary experience.

Written by Olajide Salawu

Jul 13, 2020

WILLIAM MUZI/FLICKR

You don’ read poem before wey ’e be like say na jollof you dey chop? The thing go just dey sweet you dey go. ’e go come be like say, you no want make ’im finish. Na this kind poem Frank Aig-Imoukhuede dey write. ’im poem na confam one wey dey blow mind. ’im words sweet die. Correct metaphor and imagery wey fine. You fit call ’im poem sef correct fufu with Pidgin stew since na Pidgin ’im dey use write. The one wey sweet pass, wey I enjoy pass for inside that im book get the title, ‘Wetin You Chop’. ’e come start like this:

Abeg you sah,
go stop yer yanga/wetin you chop wey yer head dey swell
like football wey dem dey ball/softly o, make e no bust

Until I jam Frank work, I no know say person fit use Pidgin write poetry. But how me and Frank work take jam each other get tori o. Make I tell you? Oya now. I dey 100 level for uni; na so one night we get lecture for Ajose Lecture Theatre, inside Obafemi Awolowo University. Everybody just jampack for inside the class because space no dey at all. For inside that building too much heat dey and if pesin mess na kasala be that cos the smell go take time commot. Plus, the noise wey dey inside that class ehn, no be here. As I enter class, our professor follow enter; ’im name na Dr. Mosobalaje. I rush go front, find one place where I manage stand before the class begin proper. Prof come commot book say na one man, Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, na im poem we go study as per say the course sef na ‘intro to poetry’.

As Prof start to dey read, I just dey listen. Each line just dey make me laugh because the poem funny die. See ehn, my head scatter on top the poem power. Poem wey get social and political konji well. The poem warn person sef say shakara no good. If person look well, ’im go see for inside the poem say this world na vanity sef. As per say, nothing dey last forever. The poem remind us say na where one person money finish na where another person money start. The poem yarn say for this country proud people too much wey dey oppress others. But all na vanity sef. As we go all peme one day. And if we die, wetin we fit proud of again? Dead body no dey do shakara. Abi no be so? Na how the poem end be that. You sef see finishing! Correct hit! But no vex abeg. I wan’ go blow grammar small for people wey no too sabi Pidgin now:

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About the Author

Olajide Salawu

is the author of Preface for Leaving Homeland published under the African Poetry Book Fund Box Set (Sita) in 2019.

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Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, Pidgin Stew & One Literary Bowl of Thoughts