SATIRE: "1ST OCTOBER" BY PEN GUN

In deed a day to remember,

That we are in fact a nation still in sober,

Paying the huge cost of dependence on fallowed pastures with pseudo claims of Independence.

1st October,

Is for real a time to remember,

That a nation rich in glowing embers of minerals and bunkers,

From East-Western January to North-Southern December, 

Is still a giant with a mirage of signs and wonders, 

Begging a dwarf for manual to climb her own ladder.

1st of October,

A day to dry our tears and pretend all is well,

Celebrate the lack of water inside the well,

Consoling the harsh reality of our troubled soul,

As our leaders feast on the masses woe.

1st October,

What's even there to remember (celebrate)?

The reigns of amnesia?

A State of phantasma?

Or the bites on Biafra?

1st October,

To the Nigerian grasses (masses), what are your shouts?

Happy Independence to green leaves that are dry?

Happy Independence to zobo (blood) and sprite (minerals)?

Or happy Independence to poverty and strife?

© PEN GUN.

The poem “1st October” by Pen Gun is a critical reflection on Nigeria’s Independence Day and the realities that have characterised the nation since independence. Rather than presenting October 1 as an occasion for celebration, the poet uses it as an opportunity to question the meaning of Nigeria’s independence in the face of poverty, poor leadership, underdevelopment, and continued dependence. The poet draws attention to Nigeria’s abundant mineral and natural resources, contrasting the country’s enormous potential with its inability to effectively utilise its wealth for the benefit of its citizens.

The poem also condemns the suffering of the masses while political leaders are portrayed as enjoying the benefits of the nation’s resources. Through irony, satire, rhetorical questions, and wordplay, the poet challenges the conventional celebration of Independence Day. References to Biafra, poverty, bloodshed, and national hardship further evoke Nigeria’s troubled history and continuing struggles. The concluding questions deliberately replace conventional Independence greetings with bitter alternatives that reflect the realities of poverty and strife. Overall, the poem presents Independence Day as a moment for national reflection rather than mere celebration, urging Nigerians to confront the gap between the promise of independence and the realities of their society.