Alapadupe, a new word I just learnt
leaves me ire. Not that I am oblivious to the existence of the word in itself,
but the true meaning of the word revealed to me by a wise man makes it too
worrying. Since I now understand the true meaning of the word, a clearer
picture of my society and our origin for cruelty and disregard for our people
by our leaders seemed to appear to me. The origin of the word fills me with
unquantifiable rage but thankfully, my heart has the capacity to accommodate
the rage. However, it is devastating more to know that our people have imbibed
this trait.
Well, I know some of you are
conversant with the meaning of this word, but for the benefit of those who do
not, let me take my time to explain it in details. The word alapadupe emanated during the colonial
days when our people were subjected to indirect slavery. It means literally
thanking the one who kills! By this, it meant most times when the white man
rode in his jeep recklessly with utter negligence and disregard for human life,
running into Nigerians and killing them, thereby committing manslaughter, the
family of the deceased not only run to carry their dead for burial but thanked
the white man for killing their dead. Otherwise, they arrested and jailed the
family member(s) for staging protest by blaming the deceased for being unaware
while plying the path to the farm. What despicable latitude!
It is horrifying enough to think
of the ridiculous benefits the white men enjoyed during their time; turning our
people into hunting games. However, to think that our big bellied, big for
nothing, power drunk, confused and venal, empty headed, direction lacking,
repulsive, pretentious, infuriating politicians have nurtured and cultivated
the same habits over the years is not just heartrending, tormenting, terrifying
but alarming, shameful looking more premeditated. It is unimaginable that our
own people, the ones we fought for the freedom of our lands and independence of
our people together from oppression will turn against us and adopt the same
contemptible styles of the white men that we revolted against and chased from
our lands.
Our brazen politicians, supposed
leaders, who are entrusted with the responsibility of directing the affairs of
the land, to deliver a peaceful environment by enforcing law and order through
collective contributions for a viable society and security of lives and
properties have now turned into the enemies within. Consuming the riches of the
land has intoxicated them that they no longer remember the labours of the past.
They have forgotten the labours of our heroes past, sinking the common wealth
and tearing apart the history we fought to have. They have become a liability unto
us, the ones that absolute power has corrupted absolutely and can no longer connect
with the pains of the people.
In our leaders, we have a crueller
alapadupe as they knew what we
suffered from in the days of old yet they inflict on us more viciously than the
colonial days. They dare us, steal our common wealth; destroy the foundations
our past leaders founded. They have refused to fund the educational sector so
that our children can waste at home so that there is no one to challenge their
inane policies while theirs travel abroad to acquire the best education.
They live
in immense affluence and lavish luxury while the people live in squalor and unsavoury
penury. They chase us off the roads like animals with sirens blaring from the convoy
of their cars and go to the length of killing innocent citizens who fail to
leave the road in time. They take our means of livelihood and take our
resources to foreign lands for us to buy at exorbitant prices that leave a hole
in our pockets. They make life unbearable by handicapping us - taking away electricity,
water supply, and security.
They are worse than the cold-blooded
monsters of slavery with their ruthlessness by bringing us the modern slavery
and false imprisonment. We exist in our lands like strangers. We are not free
to express our pains. They take away from us our fundamental human rights stripping
us of the purpose of liberty. These politicians set the soldiers loose on us
like we were the enemy, they ask them to disperse any peaceful protest with the
barrels of the gun and horrifying assault. They condone their excesses even
when they destroy innocent lives and properties but incarcerate the poor for flimsy
offences, switching their lives with those of the offending sons of the rich
men.
Our modern alapadupe enjoy greater advantages than those of old. They are the
lions that scare the people; they take the police who are supposed to be
friends of the people as slaves to follow their children to school and wives to
the markets. They roar and we scram into our fear caves. They have become
overlords because we thank them for sparing us our lives, we whine like babies,
we bark with no teeth to bite, we condemn those in the seat of power from our
sitting room but praise them to their faces. We now aid and abate the alapadupes and they have become
cancerous. Rather than stand against oppression, we say rankadede to our unrepentant alapadupe.
ADEKANE ADEINKA .O.
Another nice piece but the truth is thinking deep on this should definitely bring one to tears and if not very close. What late Fela said " SUFFERING & SMILING" during his time was child's play but at this particular time it has grown into an untamed Dragon burning down anyone on its path.
ReplyDeleteThe so called human right is long dead and buried over 20 years ago. We are just like chickens they feed just to kill when they please. The guilty is walking free and the innocent is rotting in jail. A country where an ex convict is contesting for a political position, where a leader stole 32 billion naira and went to prison for less than a year without returning any penny, celebrated with drums and different attire when released, had thanksgiving in a church and the president of the country sent him a congratulatory message. We know they are oppressing us and only feed us when election is approaching but we still stupidly hail and praise them.
I bleed within everytime I think about this and I hope one day we will be free most likely by revolution but who will bell the cat
Wale nice to finally have you here. Welcome on board. Well, you've said it all. Now that question you asked is one I am still finding answers too. I really don't think anyone is capable of belling the cat in this country.
ReplyDeleteThe youths in the country are asleep. We have forgotten that the future of the country is in our hands. All we can do is pray and hope it doesn't get worst than it is presently. I believe We all have a role to play in making this country whole again.
ReplyDelete#Deep. I weep for our country because hope is lost as their is no one to wake the youths from their slumber
ReplyDeleteI refuse to comment on this one. *straight face*.......DSJ!
ReplyDeletethe word Alapadupe should not be linked with race bias or discrimination and instead with life and death linked to the Yorumba generation and beliefs in thanking Babalu Aye for taking a life (due to smapox, ebola, aids etc).
ReplyDelete