Book Title: I Want to Join Them
Author: Halima Amali
Pages: 84
Publisher: Kraftgriots
Year: 2016
Genre: Poetry
Reviewer: Iorwuese Gogo
Ever since Nigeria gained her political independence in 1960, her political and military administrators have fallen short of expectations of the citizens in the areas of human and physical developments. This has led to the patriotic citizens speaking out against the ineptitude of the government through various channels like poetry. According to Mathias Iroro Orhero, Rome Aboh engages the poetry of the 21st century poetry, which he refers to as “new Nigerian poets”, and posits that they are regarded as “lamentation poets” whose poetry thematise the seemingly irresolvable Niger Delta oil crisis, political betrayal, the widening gap between the extremely rich and the extremely poor, religious bigotry and political assassinations (m.guardian.ng). This view shows that Nigerian poets in the 21st century are also politically conscious challenging the government for it to be more impactful and conscientising the masses about the failure of the government urging them to revolt against it for critical change. This is what is found in Halima Amali’s collection of poetry, I Want to Join Them, a title that is ironical.
The collection of poetry contains forty (40) poems grouped into five parts. The poetry is majorly a lamentation and expression of anger at the failed state of things in Nigeria. Its themes revolve around treacherous oppressive government, social injustice, insecurity, political betrayal, corruption, bad leadership and unethical public behaviour. These themes are unveiled in an angry and revolutionary tone. The poet is inspired by hope and justice for the oppressed.
Part one of the poetry has ten poems and it is entitled, “We Shall Pull Them Down.” The poems in this part show anger at the corrupt government and expose the deceit, immorality, greed and corruption of the ruling class including the social injustice meted at the masses. They unveil the socio-political ills in the country and present certain revolutionary measures such as protests and strikes as means of breaking the long chain of oppression and corruption against the masses by the ruling elites while taking sides with the working class. In the poem, “We Shall Pull Them Down”, the oppression of the working class and looting of public funds by the ruling elites which leaves the common man with no hope of prosperity is captured. This is seen in these lines:
These men of deceit
Disguised in robes of democracy
Haunting our well-being
Tormenting our souls
And offering us no hope (10)
Also, in the poem, the poet persona gives the masses hope that one day they will overthrow the corrupt ruling class and have a successful and fulfilled life. This is reflected thus:
We Shall pull them down
Giving them pain
For us to have joy
We shall pull them down
From the intimidating towers of oppression
These men that deserve no life (11)
The poem, “Strike”, upholds the ideals of industrial action as the weapon of fighting the corrupt government for better remuneration and working conditions for the working class and hope for success in an oppressive state. This is captured thus:
Strike
A fighting tool
For hitting and heating
Fat bellies of these d-s-h-o-n-o-u-r-a-b-l-e-s
Oppressive to mankind”
Strike
A cry from the professor
A cry from the teacher
For his due in peanuts
Trickling from loots of our wealth
Stocked in bloated stomachs of these men”
“Strike
Our pride
Our weapon to success (16-17).
In the poem, “Salute to ASUU”, the poet persona hails and identifies with ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities), an umbrella body of Nigerian universities lecturers, for her resolute, indefatigable and patriotic stance to educate the Nigerian populace and develop knowledge for the elimination of illiteracy and development of humanity against the unfair treatment and oppression of the government. This can be seen in such lines as: “ASUU/ I salute you/ A sacrificial lamb/ Undaunted in your struggle/ Forcing government to reason/ For a better Nigeria” “ASUU/ Focused on truth/ Armed with poverty and knowledge” (18).
The part two of the poetry contains nine poems and is entitled, “I want to Join Them”. The poems in this part are a lamentation and mockery of the various arms of government, especially the executive and the legislative in charge of the economy and security of the nation for overtly and covertly pursuing their selfish interests using the government’s structures, neglecting the needs of the masses and trampling on their rights, looting the national wealth and investing in trivialities; engaging in physical bouts during house plenary over allocation of juicy posts and condoning insecurity at the expense of the masses. In the poem, “Who Can Fight my Country?”, such lines read:
Who can fight my country
Where no joy thrives
In the heart of the peasant
Grazing lands turn to golf lands
And animals wallow in hunger
Into a land of no return. (30)
This portrays the mischievous situation where political leaders in Nigeria seize lands from poor farmers to build tourist resorts for personal use leaving the peasants with little or no means of survival. The poem further reveals that: “Young girls have turned life spinsters/ As able-bodied men no longer live/ With flying bullets hovering over their heads/ Striking down the living/ For bullets to sell/ And terrorism reigns” (30). These are the breakdowns of fruitful social life and the vulnerability of life as a consequence of the government’s indifference to security details.
The poem, “I Want to Join Them”, the title poem, is an irony where the poet persona zealously wishes to stay away from the circle of corrupt leaders. This is captured in these lines:
I want to join them
In this dance of no shame
Twists of irregular hips
Tucked in elephant dresses
And naira notes tailored in overalls
Hung over their glittering frames (32)
The poem, “Unholy Pilgrimages” mocks the frivolousness of the political elites as they fancy things that are less important to the nation over very important ones such as workers’ welfares. This is reflected in these lines: “They troop in/ In large numbers/…/ North and South, East and West/…/ In another opportunity/ For an unholy pilgrimage/ A condolence to Mr. President/ His pet dog is dead” “The nation shakes/ As radio stations pronounce/ And print media stands overflow/ With free readers of the news:/ “the first Lady’s kitten has breath its last” (36).
The part five of the poetry entitled “Where is the Era?” decries the fall of the city of Maiduguri; a once peaceful and harmonious city, to the ravaging activities of the Boko Haram terrorists. Now, a place where life and properties have lost value. The poem, “City of Peace” reveals thus: “Standing tall in its huge frame/ This city of peace/ Stretches out arms wide/ Open to all/ Leaving bare its large chest/ With milky nipples dangling/ And steady dropping of its milk of kindness/ For all suckling mouths/ Maiduguri” (76). “But/ Today/ Maiduguri/…/ Your streets have turned graves/ “Fara” no longer flies for a harvest by man/ Days have become nights/ Nights have become hell/ Oh! Maiduguri” (77).
The Form of the Poetry
As the poetry is rich in content, so it is in form. The language of the poetry is clear and easy to understand. It is built in stanzas that flow rhythmically. It has provoking imagery with hyperbole and metaphor as its dominant figurative devices. Examples of the imagery are: “Swollen stomachs” (10), “Fat bellies” (15), “bloated stomachs” (16) “Ballooned buttocks” (31) “Ballooned bodies” (31). These imageries are distinctive and expose the obsessed physiology of political leaders gained from overfeeding from looted national wealth. Examples of the hyperbole in the poetry include: “Eating into our bones” (10) “Stealing into the intestines of people” (12), “pulling food out of the living” (12), “Castrating womanhood”(13), “Dissect our brains for service” (16) “Yet he derives immunity in the filth” (20), “elephant dresses” (32) “naira notes tailored in overalls” (32). These hyperbolic statements show the emotions of the poet persona and exaggerate the extremities of the corrupt political leaders.
In conclusion, Amali’s poetry is rooted in the Marxist and socialist realists’ ideologies as it identifies with the oppressed and unveils revolution as the means of overthrowing the corrupt ruling elites for the rise of the downtrodden. It is another powerful contribution to the revolutionary voices in the 21st century Nigerian poetry. And presently its message is invaluable as it gives hope and direction to the common man to rise against the oppressive government and dismantle it for a better society.
Works Cited
Orhero, Mathias Iroro. “History and Politics in 21st Century Nigerian Poetry – Part 1”.
Retrieved. April 02, 2017. m.guardian.ng/art/ history-and-politics-in- 21st- century-
nigerian-poetry-part-1
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Iorwuese Gogo is a graduate student of Benue State University, Makurdi-Nigeria. He has attended and participated in three national conferences and one international conference. He has published a number of articles in reputable journals and contributed chapters in books. He is the joint winner of the Ace Booksquare Book Review Competition for the month of November, 2020.
