Not My Business by Niyi Osundare
Summary of Not My Business by Niyi Osundare
"Not My Business" by Niyi Osundare is a poem that exposes injustice, fear, oppression, as well as selfishness in Nigerian society.
Set during the military regime in Nigeria, the poem highlights the cruelty, injustice, and oppression perpetrated by the Nigerian military government.
The poem also uses three people, Akanni, Danladi, and Chinwe, to symbolize the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria and how their different role facilitates ethnic bigotry and discrimination, oppression, injustice, and starvation in Nigeria.
Analysis of Not My Business by Niyi Osundare
The poem begins with the tragic story of Akanni, who was wrongly arrested by the Nigerian military government.
The crime committed by Akanni was clearly not disclosed, but he was brutally beaten and forcefully put in a jeep.
Niyi Osundare carefully and poetically uses the word "jeep" to demonstrate that the vehicle brought to pick Akanni up in the morning is an expensive one.
The poor cannot purchase it; thereby linking suspiciously the arrest of Akanni to those who have political and military power. They are the ones who have such money to buy expensive cars.
Niyi Osundare reacts to Akanni’s unconstitutional arrest, saying: "What business of mine is it/ So long they don’t take the yam/ From my savouring mouth?"
From Niyi Osundare’s expression, it can be clearly deduced that he is extremely unbothered, thereby showcasing how selfish he is.
But beyond his indifference and selfishness lie an essential thing which Niyi Osundare thoroughly observes about Nigerians: the Nigerians’ partisan ethnic bigotry and discrimination.
They are pleased, especially when someone from their ethnic group becomes a political leader.
In spite of the person bad leadership role, they will encourage the person to continue in piloting the affairs of the nation, even when the economy is crumbling and starvation and unemployment becomes the citizen’s next-door neighbor.
The other two ethnic groups will groan in pain, subjugation, suppression, injustice, and discrimination.
The same political and military individual who cruelly attacked Akanni suddenly spread their dangerous wings to Danladi.
They gave Danladi a surprise attack in the night while Danladi was sleeping in his own house with his family, wife, and children.
The men arrive, and without any warrant of arrest and no iota of explanatory detail of his crime, they drag Danladi out of the house and detain him in prison.
Niyi Osundare states expressly that Danladi’s apprehension, that seems descriptively like an abduction, is factually not his concern as long as they "don’t take the yam/ From my severing mouth."
Chinwe suffers a miserable injustice from her workplace. Her job has become a daily routine; something that contributes positively to her life and had been her source of livelihood.
To Chinwe's consternation one day, she realizes that her job "is gone" amidst a piece of paper called letter, confirming her termination of work and service.
Unfortunately, the small paper does not render any reasonable explanation why her job "was gone."
Before terminating her job, her political boss does not query her service, and no warning was issued to her to desist from any form of deed that may lead to sack.
In disbelief, she protests and demands investigation thoroughly. But what followed next was a deadly threat which states that "no probe" will be conducted.
Again, Niyi Osundare is unbothered about the sack of Chinwe as long as they "don't take the yam/ From my severing mouth."
"...Then one evening," something happened to the unbothered Niyi Osundare who "sat down to eat" his yam.
The cruel people who have been brutally attacking others arrive suddenly. They have come purposely for him, and with a deafening knock on the door, Niyi Osundare knows immediately that his time has come.
His hand, which has stretched towards a plate to pick a yam, suddenly freezes. Looking through the window, he notices the infamous jeep is silently waiting for him on his lawn.
Themes in Not My Business by Niyi Osundare
1. Injustice and oppression: The themes of injustice and oppressions are the major themes that dominate the poem Not My Business by Niyi Osundare.
The poem shows how both male and female are affected by injustice and oppression in the society. Chinwe is a woman who suffers unjustly at her workplace.
She is sacked without any iota of explanation that trigger off the termination of her work. Akanni is beaten severely for no reason and then forced into a jeep.
Danaladi, a family man, is "picked up" by the same people who beat Akanni. Throughout the poem, Niyi Osundare portrays how bad leadership can oppress the society and subject them to painful suffering.
2. Selfishness and indifference: The poem also explores the themes of selfishness and indifference through the character of Niyi Osundare, who is more interested in his yam and totally does not bother about other people's injustice and oppression.
Literary devices in Not My Business by Niyi Osundare
1. Symbolism: The three poetic characters mentioned in the poem symbolize the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria:
1. Akanni, Yoruba,
2. Danladi, Hausa,
3. Chinwe, Igbo.
They all symbolize the comfort and selfishness of these three ethnic groups. When a Yoruba man becomes a tyrant leader, the Yoruba ethnic group sees nothing wrong with it.
In fact, they will exclaim in Yoruba language, Emi ló kan (It is our turn). This is also applicable to other ethnic groups.
"Not My Business" was written during Sani Abacha military regime to shows how tyrant he was. The waiting jeep symbolizes prison, or cell where the tyrant government put the people they arrested.
2. Imagery: The poem is full with copious imageries. The image of Akanni being beaten, Niyi Osundare eating his yam, unbothered by the incident happening around him, and the image of a waiting jeep.
3. Simile: There is a use of simile in the poem. Simile is found in the line of the poem that states, Beat him soft like clay.
4. Repetition: Words are repeated in the poem to indicate emphasis. Repeated words in the poem are "they," "jeep," "waiting," "one", etc.
5. Rhetorical question: Rhetorical question is in some stanzas in the poem. What business of mine is it, so long they don't take the yam from my severing mouth?
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