JENNIE IFEATU

Aluta Continua is one chant that resonates with everyone who has passed through a Public University in Nigeria and allowed school to equally pass through them.  Aluta Continua  is a Portuguese saying, meaning "The struggle continues". It is highly believed that it was discovered as an inscription on Kunta Kinte's commemorate. The correct wording of the phrase is actually " A luta continua , vitória é certa" meaning, "The struggle continues, victory is certain". It is the motto of the all- Nigerian  Students Union across all academic institutions of higher education. Coincidentally, anytime I am opportune to leave Lagos for a couple of days, weeks or months. On return, it's impossible not to observe the yellow striped buses and what comes to my mind is, "Aluta Continua, Drama é certa. I t is impossible for me to guarantee you that there will not be drama on a yellow bus.  This morning, our bus is riding at a slow pace with some passe...

They say what you value, you protect. I may not have understood this a couple of years ago but in recent times, I have learnt to understand the intricacies of protecting my mind as a human and as a creative.  I have learnt the act of using and conserving my mental energy. Don't yawn yet. I am not on the route of schooling you on psychology.  This morning, I am on my way to work. My soul has a yearning to flip through few pages of 'Born a Crime by Trevor Noah '. Man's a genius! I am wondering why it took me this long to read his book. No, I don't read instead I binge watch a TV series on my phone. That's what my head says. My actions are often based on concession between my mind and my head. Few minutes later, my eyes are getting tired. I steal a power nap just to avoid being feeling cheated in the building traffic ahead. Don't school me about theft in Lagos buses, I should be called upon to facilitate a masterclass on how to avoid being a vict...

What comes to your mind when you hear about individualism and communal? Probably something related to an individual or a community. You are not far away from the truth. You are in fact sitting on the truth. But spare me a few minutes, I will take you somewhere. I don't bite, so you won't be harmed. I am taking you to Lagos. In this sphere, the moment you board a commercial bus. You share everything, your phone and privacy (there is always a nosy co-passenger snooping to see why you are giving your phone attention), seating space in case you have a 'big co-passenger (on days, like that I low-key wish I was bigger) - Getting squeezed by another human is intimidating honestly. But like you may have heard. This is Lagos. Once the bus conductor yells, "Yes, your money?" The guy next to you stretches his neck and strains his eyes to peep if you have 'change' in your wallet. On those days, even the meanest looking guy next to you will turn with a smil...

Lagos. Have you ever had to drive in the early hours of the morning through Lagos? Behind the facade of the skyscraper buildings in Lagos Island and the fancy restaurants in Lekki and Victoria Island, there are real people with real blood flowing through their veins that yawn and stretch at dawn then creep out of abandoned cars or even under bridges. One of the unseen parts of this tale is that cities with more homeless people practise open defecation the most. This is why you can walk on the porch of the Lagos State University Campus, Ojo and stumble on faeces tied in cellophane nylon. Today, I am disturbed as I spot a man pulling up his trousers and creeping out of a nearby bush. It was not the first time I will see such a sight. Perhaps, It was the number of people who have complained about diarrhoea and food poisoning recently that has made me apprehensive. I plug in my earphones and allow the music filtering in diffuse into my soul. This is a ritual I am committed to da...

One of the places that you should never judge people by the way they look is in Lagos and Onitsha. In the former, a stray looking guy might be a military officer and in the latter, a guy looking like a pauper might just be your unknown landlord. Fridays are my happiest. I just let myself get lost in my daydreaming and indulge myself in the luxury of waiting for the long-expected weekend. Today, the road is free. We ride in calmness except for the sound from the engine that depicts acceleration in our pace. A man dressed in Ankara is seated by my right and a lady holding her umbrella and looking lost is seated by my left. We approach Costain and just as the bus tends to swerve a careless bike rider attempts a rough overtaking. Our infuriated driver is yelling at him as well as the passengers. In Nigeria, some questions don't pose as questions. "Are you mad? Are you crazy?" Our driver is hurling at the indeed crazy biker. The bike rider is obviously the obstin...

What's that one street lingo that you grew up hearing about Lagos? "Shine your eyes" resonates in my head like the large bell from the catholic church that was located few poles from my home as a teenager. As hilarious as that may sound, not all who look, see. Shine your eyes in Lagos is a street lingo to remind you to be ever vigilant about your immediate surrounding but some people just never play by the rules. Mondays are crazy. Infact, I have been feeling crazy for a while. Being an adult is enough to make you go crazy, there are always responsibilities; at home, at work, circle of friends, social groups; but what can a woman born of a man do? Nothing! You signed up for this voluntarily or involuntarily when you stuck out your pink head from that contracting fetal path screaming out your lungs out to a group of nurses urging your mother to 'push.' Today, I am standing at the bus stop waiting for a bus heading to Victoria Island. There are many ot...