My Oloibiri! Poem by LIGHTCHEERFUL BRIGGS

THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN IN 2007 WHEN THE IJAW{NIGER DELTA} STRUGGLE WAS AT IT PEAK. OLOIBIRI IS NAME OF A COMMUNITY IN BAYALSA STATE OF NIGERIA WHERE GOODLUCK JONATHAN-THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA HAIL FROM. THE FIRST OIL-WELL OF NIGERIA WAS DISCOVERED IN THIS COMMUNITY, BAYALSA STATE. AND IT FED THE NATION NIGERIA FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS AND MADE SO MANY EAST, WEST AND NORTHERN NIGERIANS AFFLUENT WHILE THE NATIVES WERE AND STILL IN ABJECT POVERTY. THEY AGITATED BUT THEIR VOICE WAS NOT HEARD AND WHEN THEY PICKED UP ARMS TO FIGHT FOR WHAT BELONGS TO THEM, THEY WERE LABELLED 'MILITANTS' BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND BEGAN KILLING THEM. 'OLOIBIRI IN THIS POEM IS PERSONIFIED AS A WOMAN. I AM A TRUE NIGER DELTAN-BORN OF NIGER, SON OF DELTA.