Tuesday, 16 January 2024 04:41

No gree for anybody - Toyin Falola

Rate this item
(0 votes)

I am writing this piece from Lagos. “No Gree” is what you now hear at every moment, every corner. I first heard it from our security folks here, then Mr. Mike, our talented gardener. I took a walk on Isaac John, “I know gree,” sounded by those walking on the streets. I, too, began to use it. If you don’t read this, “I know gree!”

In the previous years, the sociolinguistic colloquialism in Nigeria evolved with temporal progression; the New Year peeked with another set of slang, and at the cross-over services and New Year rituals in churches and mosques, it was as if the whole of Nigerians came into unison to declare that 2024’s motto would be “No Gree for anybody.” No Gree for Anybody seems to be a personal avowal to not compromise or concede and to maintain unwavering determination against factors and people that could impede one’s aspirations or thwart the pursuit of one’s desires. So, I join the sociolinguistic affirmation for the year to increase the willingness of the people to not compromise on their fundamentals.

Nigerians have faced different touches of problems transmitted from temporal intervals and systemic frameworks; the general predisposition is an expectation of institutional hindrance forming bulwarks to actualizations. They are social hurdles that an average person must face, and the proliferation of corruption and nepotism in the country has made it a tradition. Many believe that ideas are bound to be futile in attempts to enforce desires because anticipation suggests more failures than successes. Gbemisola Adeoti describes these social problems properly in his poem “The Ambush.” He states,

“The land is a giant whale,
That swallows the sinker, with hook, line, and bait
Aborting dreams of a good catch,
Fishers turn home at dusk,
Blue Peter on empty ships,
All Peters with petered out desires.”

The repercussion of this social situation is the spawning and proliferation of desperate resolves of citizens and the occasioning of a sense of competition, even where they are not necessary. It is believed that nothing comes freely, and things must be taken with heightened reaches and struggles. Hence, Nigerians are always on the move, and with almost everyone trying to outsmart others, you cannot afford to gree for anyone.

When you wake up every morning in a “face me, I face you” apartment; you probably must compete for the small single bathroom that serves like 20 others. You don’t have to believe me, but I still visit and stay overnight in such places once in a while. You cannot feel hardship if you don’t experience one. You will then join another long queue for available buses, run at your best, and struggle through the crowd to get a seat in a Danfo or to stand in a BRT Bus. My friends who know that I do this have warned me several times to stop. I have ridden on Okada and held tight to the waist of the young driver so that we both die together. When you pay, and the driver or his conductor refuses to give you your change, you shout at them, shine your eyes, and insist profusely, no dulling. I can’t even wait to collect my change! Loads of similar events continue till night. When you think you will finally get to rest, you then realize that there is no power supply, and you must still struggle with giant mosquitos that hawk over your head while you sweat profusely in the heat and dark. How can a professor endure this? I do, which is why this essay is possible.

So, this push and pull and the hustle and bustle tradition have grown to be in different dimensions. You probably would not want a No for an answer and must find a way to get things done by “fire and by force.” Well, no matter how this has spawned out, it could be a positive muse that could be built upon.

However, one thing is to retort the slang affirmatively, and another thing is to cultivate the culture thereof. To grow, one must maintain a decision and give it all to achieve set goals. It is a way to look overbearing challenges and limitations in the eye with settled convictions about aspirations. It is certain that people who have achieved different feats would have something to say about the slang and how they have lived it. The growth of my career as a teacher has showcased severally strong resolutions, and I was able to live every bit of it. One probably would expect that an average lawyer or other professionals at the time our dreams back then were germinating had made the right decision about career path. Although the prestige given to lecturers in those days and the remunerations that followed were better than what they are today, the financial projection of a teacher was still not the best compared to some other available professions. But despite these possibilities, I no gree for anybody, and that resolution has constantly defined my path and taken me to the echelons of the profession.

However, the slang could just be mere social euphoric expressions and displays of vibing with the sociolinguistic trends of the day without appropriate will and actions to substantiate them. It must mean to match every resisting energy with similar energy. In the case of denial of personal rights or extortion, it simply implies not compromising on those rights and legally protecting oneself against those opportunists. It goes into resisting corruption in the chains of command and not giving that 200 Naira note to that police officer who pulled you over for egunje. But one cannot resist infringement on fundamental human rights or extortion without arming oneself with the necessary information and compliance with all necessary due diligence.

The right perspective of No Gree for anybody speaks to Nkechi, who sells daily supplies to not just give in to her competitors that threaten her patronage. It, instead, points out that you probably need to rebrand for the year and not gree to be zeroed out by outlets that have stretched beyond your reach. It says that many thousands sell water in traffic jams but that you can beat the competition by adding a little extra. We have heard the story of Michael Iloduma, “Micheal the Corporate Pure Water Seller,” who sells water in suits and corporate outfits to draw attention and those that advertise with British English. No Gree for Anybody is giving your oppositions or alternatives a run by thinking outside the box.

The slang is to not get tired of the delay in promotions at work and career growth but restrategize to not fall into the same traps any longer. It is no surprise that an average successful man in Africa who has either grown from nothing or built on something would not have grown without an extraordinary push. Toyin Falola, the original idan man who clubs at night and writes in the morning, had climbed through the slippery slope to achieve what he has. The many popular names that have been at the apex of professional imaginations of growth have not done that with mere affirmative statements; they have pushed the ordinary.

As Nigerians decide to show some levels of individual Choko, to achieve their desires, we must not forget that there is a need for collective choko, to reform the nation to put an end to the endless ambush in the Land that the talented Gbemisola Adeoti refers to as the “saber-toothed tiger.” The history of Nigerian democracy and contemporary political issues have shown that the Nigerian populace has been interpreted to give in easily to political disrespect by the leaders. Corrupt practices and accusations against consecutive ministers of the same Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation are evidence of some assumed gullibility. The same scenario happened to the past two Accountant Generals of the Federation, with each allegedly embezzling billions they could take. The circle of corruption keeps widening and needs the no gree for anybody’s mentality to stop it.

It is high time the Nigerian population started asking questions and sustaining them with actions that bring the governments at all levels to account and their toes. This year and the years to come should be the start of non-compromising convictions to not gree for a failing state. The nation must not concede to manipulative politicking, disregard, and constant abuse and misappropriation of the nation’s resources. This cannot also be achieved without strategic resistance, vehement and steadfast demands for change, and commitment to cut the chain of corruption short from the populace.

Whether individually or collectively, it seems quite impossible to achieve much without backing the resolution with convincing will and pragmatic actions. It is then that the affirmation would not just end on social media platforms but transform into the reality of all of us.

While one resists, wisdom is also profitable to direct. At some point, one must move ground for constructive oppositions and reasonable objections. Bullheaded disposition could sometimes be the inception of stupidity as well as the heralding of failure. One must know when to fight and when not to, and, most importantly, one must know how to fight and what to fight for. It does not mean one should rudely and unreasonably confront those who feed or pay for one’s services or goods.

Gree for your boss! Falola Baba Idan has no company to give you another job o!!

June 28, 2025

Nigeria experiences sharp decline in Foreign Investment as FDI fell 19% in Q1 2025

Nigeria’s appeal to foreign investors continued to wane in the first quarter of 2025, with…
June 26, 2025

Peter Obi decries ‘coordinated lawlessness’ after brother’s property is demolished in Lagos without court order

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned what he described as a brazen act of…
June 28, 2025

7 genius responses to ‘put rude people in their place,’ according to communication experts

Kathy & Ross Petras Rude people are, sadly, all around us. We deal with them…
June 21, 2025

Man convicted of posing as flight attendant to fly for free 120 times

A 35-year-old American man has been found guilty of impersonating a flight attendant at least…
June 26, 2025

17 soldiers killed, dozens injured in fierce gun battles with terrorists in Niger, Kaduna

Seventeen soldiers have been confirmed dead and at least ten others injured following coordinated attacks…
June 29, 2025

Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 632

IDF kills key Hamas founder and mastermind of Oct 7 terror attack in Israel The…
June 25, 2025

Tesla robotaxi launch: Why getting from dozens to millions of self-driving cars won't be easy

Tesla (TSLA.O) finally has a robotaxi. Now comes the hard part. The electric-vehicle maker deployed…
May 13, 2025

Nigeria's Flying Eagles qualify for World Cup after dramatic win over Senegal

Nigeria's U-20 national football team, the Flying Eagles, have secured their place at the 2025…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.