*By Akadu Ntiriwa Mensema, Ph. D.

“Jerry John Rawlings says he does not know the message of hope to deliver to the people at the next election campaign because of the inability of the NDC government to offer hope to the people and wondered why people see his criticism of President Mills as a personality clash” (Ghanaweb March 17, 2007)

Eh! Massa life don hard oh
Life hard for we trotro people

Eh! JJ talk matter for Mills
Great JJ is back again oh
You mean say for 19 years
The man dey love power
Na power sweet in Ghana
You no dey see MPs
You no dey see big man
Big woman corrupt too oh
Na so JJ leave power small
Yes, JJ comot power for NPP
Oh no be NPP wahala time
Whetin time you de talk
After he born dogs, fire
Hmm he inhale fire smoke
Na that smoke relax am paa
So JJ go back for old smoke

So you say JJ for leave Mills
Yes oh! JJ for leave Mills alone
But JJ be NDC & NDC be JJ
Na true oh NDC people fear
Hmm support JJ & get office
You see incest man hmm
Hmm he get Minister post
Oh! Eternal Thief ET too oh

Whetin JJ want for Mills
Whetin JJ want from Ghana
JJ attack great Nkrumah
Na so Busia, Kutu, Akuffo
He no leave Limann alone
Na so Kufour be Atta Ayi
Na dat be funny funny oh
Mills laugh proper proper
Now JJ dey attack Mills
JJ think he say he be god
Yes, JJ be god for some
No JJ be god for all Ghana
Why you dey say that thing
For 30 years de man enjoy
JJ enjoy everything for free
JJ de enjoy for our expense
Na him dey make an god
No Ghanaman be coward
No be coward but chop chop
Yes chop make I chop oh

JJ has everything anything
No he burn all him things
No JJ valuables no burn
Cars, dogs, photos no burn
Me I mean JJ for leave Mills
Oh! Na dat you dey talk
Well fire matter cool down
So whetin happen for fire
Our Pratt journalists be useless
Why you dey insult Oga Pratt
They no fit infest it koraa
Haba you mean investigate it
Na him be that oh Massa oh

I think say Mills for talk now
Hmm Mills cough Mills cough
If Mills dey cough he for spit
Yes, Mills for speak now oh
I agree Mills dey lose respect
Everyday JJ dey insult Mills
Whetin Mills for do now
They say silence mean concert
Oh you mean consent like agree
No Mills dey do Fante concert
No no you for no say that oh
But JJ don say that already oh

Hmm! I no understand all
JJ rule for 19 years, 19 years
Yes oh 19 bad years bad oh
Whetin de man do for us
He do things for himself
He kill us like rat for fire
He make us sleep 6 PM
Petrol shortage, food too
Articulator transport
Legon people close down
No essential commodity
Ghana money all finish
We dey buy raw kenkey
Yes, buy for queue & cook
Na we buy raw bread too
Infested yellow corn food
Eh! gari for morning
Hmm! gari for afternoon
Wow you get afternoon too
Rawlings’ hunger chain
Na that be Frorence chain
Na Ghana people suffer oh
Hmm we suffer under JJ
JJ give us hunger, death
JJ give us wee-smoking
JJ give us thief people
JJ give us probity thief
But na him we all de love
Yes, na dat we love oh

Eh! In Ghana, lie, steal
Women dey love you
Men dey love you oh
Police no go catch you
Soldiers go guard you
You get fanfu worship
You get rich state burial
You get good Osu burial
Eh! where we de go now
We no get direction oh
We dey go like wind
Reckless JJ don be road-map
Mills still de learn how to drive

Eh! Massa life don hard oh
Life hard for we trotro people

*Akadu N. Mensema, Ph. D., is a nationalist Denkyira beauty. She is a trained oral historian cum sociologist and Professor in the USA. She lives in Pennsylvania with her great mentor and teaches Africa-area studies at a college in Maryland. In her pastime, she writes what critics have called “populist hyperbolic, satirical” poetry. She can be reached at akadumensema@yahoo.com