NATIONAL HONOURS ARE NOT ENOUGH (For Aliko Dangote)
By Akeem Lasisi
How does a child reward the bosom mum
Who nurtured him with her sacred milk,
How does a country reward a diligent man
Who has saved a million from its labour glut?
Tonnes of sugar, trailers of salt
Aliko Dangote, you marvel the market with your mega drive
Cementing the continent with pride and zeal,
You serve your juice with dimpled smiles.
Then, national honours are not enough,
You deserve a monument of ballad and brass
Where fright blurs other people’s visions
You see the need for a freighting fleet
Yours is a conglomerate sun,
It shines in the hearts of a billion homes.
Where others grow cold, cold feet
You march with candour on the business turf
When many imprison their fortunes in distant shores
You invest with fervour on your father’s soil.
Grand Commandership is not enough,
You deserve a monument of ballad and brass
Your addiction to trading has roots
But it defies the logic of the silver spoon.
Before the cock learnt the art of crowing,
You weaned yourself from your father’s fame:
When from a tender seven
You tendered your naira and gathered your coins:
Child of an industrial destiny,
You hawked your sweets on Kano streets.
Clinton Global Citizenship is not enough,
You deserve a monument of ballad and brass
I want to try my hands on business
But policy epilepsy unsettles me,
I am threatened by the Taxman’s antics
And the dark piety of the NEPAman.
So, how do I make uncommon gains
When I lack the courage to trade in the rain?
How do I worm my way into Forbes’ soul
When I want to eat and keep my cake?
Forbes anointing is not enough,
You deserve a monument of ballad and brass
They say the environment is not investment-friendly
But you know the product that wins the heart of the harshest clime
You do not profess to be a sage
But you understand the multiple languages that climate speaks.
And because money answer-reth all things
It intoxicates its owner like a liquor wild
But where others are losing their heads
You have kept your own in a humble bank
Business of the Year is not enough,
You deserve a monument of ballad and brass
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