In his latest song, “Emi Lokan,” Nigerian musician and rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem has criticized some national leaders including Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the popular Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigeria (RCCG).
He called out the famous pastor for not speaking out during this time of grave economic crisis in the land, unlike his vocal stance during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
“Where is our daddy, Pastor Adeboye? During Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, your voice was so loud. You even vowed to stage a 1 million-man march. Under Tinubu’s government, you say Nigeria has a spiritual problem. Baba, we need your 1 million disciples to protest against the Tinubu government just like you protested against Jonathan. Daddy, are your disciples’ legs hurting? This is a very big hypocrisy. It is time for you to speak the truth to power because hunger is killing Nigerians”, he sang.
Presidents Not Spared
The ferocious musician did not spare President Bola Tinubu himself, nor his predecessors in office, Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, and even the former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele.
In the song, Eedris criticizes Tinubu’s “Emi Lokan” (a Yoruba term for “It is my turn“) campaign slogan, claiming that the nation’s suffering has caused it to change to “Ebi Lokan” (meaning “It is hunger’s turn“).
“Emi Lokan has turned to ebi lokan, Yorubas are screaming ‘ebi panwao ooo,’ Hausas are shouting, Igbo brothers are saying ‘Hin no concern us.’ Food has turned to gold, and kidnapping is now the order of the day. When fathers, mothers, and children are kidnapped, how can they afford ransom? It will resort to killing. Food has turned to gold in Nigeria, kidnapping is a lucrative business. How can the common man get money for ransom when his wife and children are kidnapped? After everything, they will be killed.”
Eedris wondered why large sums of resources are being allocated for upkeep, trip reimbursements, dog food, and repairs of government buildings of government fat cats, while the mass of the population is wallowing in extreme poverty.
“7 billion to renovate your residence, 15 billion for your travel allowance for you and the vice president, 40 billion for Aso Rock maintenance, 5 billion for food and refreshments, hundreds of millions for dogs, meanwhile hunger is killing Nigerians”, he said according to the lyrics of the song.
A Tradition Of Music Activism
But Eedris is among Nigerian artists who use their music for political activism. This was the domain of Fela Anikulakpo Kuti, of blessed memory. The Afro-beat king had the misfortune of making his music during the heydays of military rule and often paid with arrests and incarceration.
It is unlikely that Mr. Abdulkareem will pay such a high price as Kuti over Emi Lokan.
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