Akeem Lasisi
The goat never forgets the benevolent hand
The ram is ever grateful
To the one that blesses its cheek with eeri ogi
Then, how can we forget you, Epe?
Reliable source of akokoniko,
Cheerful giver of ẹja osan
The fish basket of our salivating land.
Everywhere I go,
Your aroma follows me
The world attests to the richness of your fish
Antidote to rascally calories,
Immunity to evils of chicken and meat:
At every hospital or medical school
Doctors confer honours on your nutritious fish.
From Lascofis to Amala Shitta
To Amala Canada to White House and Iya Ola
I have been to more than a hundred joints,
Where your fish is served in multiple styles –
Some boiled, some roasted, some titilatingly sauced with onion fresh
Some pampered with ugwu, some flirted with sọkọyọkọtọ
Some so loved after a fiery treat,
They are posthumously honoured with a tomato crown.
From ‘Phenomenal Lagos: 50 Iconic Monuments from the Centre of Excellence’, by Akeem Lasisi and Kabir Alabi)
