(Day-to-day experiences of a Lagos taxi driver, with Grandmaster Sunny Okim)
I no know wetin dis our union chairman, Jimoh, tink say im be sef. Imagine di likeness!
Since wen me and all our union member dem begin use dat our garage wey dey for Ikeja under bridge, long time ago, every time we wan do election, Jimoh go say na im wan be chairman. And we dey always allow am becos why, Jimoh sabi spend money for election. Na only Eledumare know for wia e dey see all dat kind money every election year.
Na im make di rest of us dey maintain our office from year to year: Me Akowe(secretary), Idowu treasurer, Akpan social organiser, Mutiu provost, Emeka assistant secretary. Jimoh continue to be chairman from year to year.
Now, our garage union election wan come again. Na after our garage union election dem go do local gofmen, state and national union election.
Yesterday we hold our union meeting for garage to talk about di election wey go hold for January.
All of us siddon for di meeting, plus including all our new member dem. We reach like 25 member. Nobody put taxi for road dat yesterday afternoon.
Jimoh wey be chairman come announce say make all di member wey wan contest for any post come forward and write am down for paper wey dey for high table.
Na me be di last person wey go to write.
I see say Jimoh still write chairman, me sef write chairman. Na im Jimoh ask me why I write chairman instead of Akowe wey I be. Tori Olorun!
My head come scatter. I ask Jimoh who give am di power to ask me dat kind stupid question. I tell am say na demo-crazy we dey, and anybody get di right to want to be anyting wey e wan be for dis contry, plus including dis our taxi driver union. I say all of us get equal right.
All our union member dem support me, na im Jimoh come talk say meeting don close till Monday.
I come talk am for my mind say, weda or wedan’t Jimoh like am, na my turn to be chairman. Emilokan. And I ready to take di matter to any court, even Supreme Cult, sorry, Supreme Court.
Make we jam again on Saturday.
Tank you
Tank you very much
And tank you very, very much indeed.
*Created by Sunny Okim, Oga MAT is the longest running Pidgin column in Nigerian media, since 1994.
