the egba women’s revolt: protests, hymns and caskets by
TRANSCRIPT
the egba women’s revolt:
protests, hymns and caskets
by
lanaire aderemi
author’s note
This play is inspired by true events that occurred in 1947 when the Egba women successfully
overthrew colonial taxation in Nigeria. Where I use lowercase for proper nouns, it is
intentional. All poetry is intentionally written in lowercase. I refer to the characters from
2020 Nigeria as ‘CONTEMPORARIES’ in the play. I refer to the Egba women as ‘ALL
WOMEN’ in the play.
Characters
All Nigerian characters:
YEJIDE, female, 40, tie-dye cloth trader
MADAME JOJOLOLA, female, her deceased mother, tie-dye cloth producer
BOLANLE, female, 23, her daughter, tie-dye artist
IYA EWEDU, female, 43, trader
BABA ABENI, male, her husband, 45, police officer
ABENI, female, her daughter, 23, trader
IFELAYO, female, 47, teacher
IYA ELELUBO, female, 45, trader
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, male, 50
POLICE OFFICER, male, 40
ENITAN, female, 23, student from 2020 Nigeria
ODENI, male, 38, bus conductor from 2020 Nigeria
NNEKA, female,61, retired civil servant from 2020 Nigeria
ACT I, SCENE I
Projector reveals date: October 20, 2020, against the Nigerian flag. The stage is dark.
Nigerian anthem is sung in the background.
CONTEMPORARIES: One nation bound in freedom, peace and uni…
Shooting begins. Stage is filled with smoke. Nigerian flag with blood is projected in the
background.
NNEKA: /Everyone sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down!!!
The stage is even darker. Contemporaries sit down and scream and shout. Shooting grows
louder.
ODENI: The soldier just killed someone, they just shot someone now!
ENITAN: Where should we go?
NNEKA: (points to the left) This way!
ODENI: (points to the right) No, this way!
Shooting grows even louder. Contemporaries run in different directions and exit the stage.
Projector reveals date: January 1, 1947. On a table are the following items: a large map of
Nigeria cut into two pieces, photographs, a signed official document in an envelope, a folder,
and pens.
Drums play in the background. IFELAYO, IYA ELELUBO AND IYA EWEDU run onto the
stage dancing the bata1. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE and BABA ABENI join the stage
dancing the bata. The drum speaks and they repeat what they hear the drum is saying:
Furajiga Furajiga Ke pa Ke pa ghen ghen ti ghen tifa tifa tifa ti ti fa fa fa ti fa gbam!
Drum sounds are paused, and the men lie halfway on the stage while the women chant.
IFELAYO, IYA ELELUBO AND IYA EWEDU smile as they dance off the stage. YEJIDE
enters the stage. She chants a song of victory in Yoruba. Drums play in the background.
YEJIDE dances around the stage but appears confused as she searches frantically for her
folder. When she finds the folder located on a table, she smiles. YEJIDE walks to the centre
of the stage and lifts the folder into the air. The drums playing in the background immediately
stop. She pulls out a photo from the folder and calls names. As soon as she calls each name,
the photo of the named person is projected on the screen. Each person named enters the
stage and dances the bata, but they do not respond to her call. When YEJIDE calls their
name a second time, they respond.
YEJIDE: Ifelayo!
IFELAYO: Teacher and founder of the Abeokuta Ladies Club.
1 The bata is a traditional Yoruba dance usually accompanied by music and chants.
IFELAYO walks to the table of objects while her photograph is projected on the walls. She
writes on the paper on the desk.
IFELAYO: Iya Elelubo!
IYA ELELUBO: Future member of the Abeokuta Ladies Club.
IYA ELELUBO walks on stage while her photograph is projected on the walls.
IYA ELELUBO: Iya Ewedu!
IYA EWEDU: Mother of Abeni and wife of Baba Abeni, a policeman.
IYA EWEDU walks to the table of objects while her photograph is projected on the walls. She
stares at the map and holds it.
IYA EWEDU: Yejide!
The photograph of YEJIDE’s mother is projected on the walls. When YEJIDE sees this photo,
she freezes momentarily and then walks to the table of objects. Drums play in the
background.
IYA EWEDU grabs two halves of the map and brings them together.
IYA EWEDU: (moves forward)
1914.the year lord lugard thought he was doing nigeria a favour.
[mimics colonial administrator]: ah yes! this looks much better...we can merge the northern
protectorate of nigeria with the southern protectorate of nigeria. (smiles)one colony united!
(original voice)
nineteen-fourteen. the year of the amalgamation.
IFELAYO turns her head away from the table of objects and responds.
IFELAYO:
the year lord lugard did to the northern and southern protectorate of nigeria
what cyril radcliffe had done to india and pakistan
drums play in the background.
the year lord lugard conveniently forgot that we –
yes, we
IYA ELELUBO stops looking at photographs on the table of objects and turns to respond to
Ifelayo.
IYA ELELUBO: They always conveniently forget, don’t they?
The women continue tasks at the table of objects and speak quietly. IFELAYO removes the
signed official document from the envelope and shows the audience the signature.
IFELAYO: We the people of Egba had signed a treaty!
The women all look surprised.
ALL WOMEN: A treaty of what?
IFELAYO: A treaty of independence from colonial rule in 1893!
Drums begin. IYA ELELUBO stops looking at photographs on the table of objects and walks
towards the centre of the stage. As she speaks, the women all move closer to listen.
IYA ELELUBO:
1918.the year the people of egba
had enough of the lies
1918.the year the people of egba
had enough of that awful taxation
30,000 men fought for their independence
ALL WOMEN:(wail)
e sanu mi!2
2 The English translation is ‘Have mercy on me’
IYA ELELUBO:(slowly)
30,000 men did...
died
d-d-defeated
30,000 men and more lost their independence to the british
egba was drowning
ALL WOMEN:(wail)
e sanu mi!
YEJIDE:
amalgamation
then we became the colonial state’s property
then they introduced the stifling taxation
egba is choking
world war one.end.
world war two.end.
IYA EWEDU:
1945.
egba women were keeping british men alive
for years
we were keeping the men who confiscated our rice
alive (moves forward)
the high taxation enslaved us
no money for my children's school fees
water rates
council tax
helping husbands pay tax bills
egba women were keeping british men alive for years
and suffering,
but not suffering in silence o!
IFELAYO:
women like madame jojolola (may her soul rest in peace) were never silent
she demanded for the removal of the first taxation
she questioned women’s absence from the council
how dare we stay still!
do you know what they do to women like madame jojolola?
they make her invisible.
the iyalode3 of egba! her title. lapsed!
for years there was no one to fight for us.
they come to our land, seize our goods, make us pay unlawful taxation
do not give us any political representation
but ensure
ALL WOMEN:
that we egba women keep their british men alive
3 A chieftaincy title given to a Yoruba woman.
(moves closer to the audience)
we suffer, they prosper!
1947. the year we said enough is enough.
(pause)
low drums play in the background.
ALL WOMEN: 1947. the year of the egba women’s revolt.
Drum sounds are louder. IFELAYO, IYA ELELUBO AND IYA EWEDU run off the stage
dancing the bata. Blackout.
ACT I, SCENE II
April 5, 1947. Morning. A group of women are setting up their stalls in an open-air market in
Egbaland. They are singing and dancing as they get ready for the day. As they sing, they call
out the goods they sell. YEJIDE walks into the market with her basket of adire.4 She walks in
slowly, almost like a zombie and pays no attention to the joyous mood of the other market
women. YEJIDE does not greet the other market women. As the market women sing, YEJIDE
removes her adire from the basket and sits down.
IYA ELELUBO:(looks to the audience as she speaks) It is 1947 but still she sits in silence.
She works in si...
YEJIDE: /Silence! Ah!
IYA EWEDU: (looks to the audience as she speaks) Yejide does not smile at her customers.
And yet, she complains that she does not make profit. How will you make money when you
do not smile?
YEJIDE re-ties her headscarf.
IYA ELELUBO: (looks to the audience as she speaks) Yejide says it is the tax that the white
man introduced that is a threat to her business. But it is her sadness that is the threat. It is only
a woman that can perform her joy that will profit from her work.
4 Adire means tie and dye in Yoruba and is also an indigo-dyed cloth.
IYA EWEDU: (looks sharply at IYA ELELUBO) Performs?
IYA ELELUBO: Yes. Do we not all perform?
IYA EWEDU: (shakes a bowl of ewedu)5 You are saying we act out our joy and happiness?
But I never act. I am filled with joy. (re-wraps her headscarf) In fact, this joy overflows.
Unlike some people(looks at YEJIDE), I am content with what I cannot change. Why should I
worry over what is yet to arrive?
YEJIDE: (looks at IYA EWEDU) You think your joy is here but have been waiting for your
joy to arrive for years.
IYA ELELUBO: Ah! Ye-jide!
IYA EWEDU: (hisses)
YEJIDE: Until this tax is removed, our pain will always be punctual, and our joy will forever
be late.
IYA EWEDU:(shouts) My own joy will not be late o.
ALL WOMEN except YEJIDE: AMEN!
5 Ewedu is a vegetable that is made into a soup.
YEJIDE: You want me to act like my joy has arrived? You want me to sing and dance when
the women of Egba are sleeping, waiting for their joy to come. The white men have stolen
our joy. Can you not see it is missing?
IYA ELELUBO: We can’t see joy!
YEJIDE: I saw it, I felt it, I heard it, I smelt it, I tasted it. I tasted the joy when it was here.
IYA ELELUBO: But the tax has been here for years. How come you could taste the joy then?
What has changed?
YEJIDE: We have changed. When my mother and your mothers were alive, they did not sit,
and they were not silent. They fought even when it looked like they were losing. Egba
women have never allowed men to steal their joy. White men and Egba men are stealing our
joy and...
IYA EWEDU: (sighs)/Ye-ji-de, you always say this, but you have changed nothing. We must
move on. The white men will go at some point. We cannot let him take our joy when he
leaves.
YEJIDE: That is if he ever leaves. There is no joy. (YEJIDE rises) Are you all mad? We have
only seen, felt, heard, smelt, and tasted pain. (looks at IYA EWEDU) Tell me. When was the
last time you made profit? Are you not tired of singing and dancing and acting like there is
joy?
YEJIDE mimics their singing and dancing.
YEJIDE: You women are not tired of suffering – that is the problem! Even when the white
man goes, they will leave their scent of pain. You want to pretend like there is joy. I cannot
pretend. We are all suffering.
YEJIDE drops a basket of ewedu on the floor.
IYA ELELUBO: Egba women are suffering. That is all you say every day. All talk, no
action. What are we supposed to...
IYA EWEDU: /Abi o
IYA ELELUBO: (grabs knife and rushes to YEJIDE) Do you want us to hold a cutlass and
kill the white man?
YEJIDE appears unbothered as IYA ELELUBO moves closer to her.
IYA EWEDU: Or should we poison his food while he sleeps?
IYA ELELUBO: (looks at IYA EWEDU) Maybe she wants us to chain him to our stall as he
screams ‘don’t steal my joy’?
YEJIDE: Are you not bothered that you have not made profit for years, ehn, Iya Elelubo. And
Iya Ewedu, tell me, (pauses)what money will you have to send Abeni to school in Britain if
the British continue to steal from you?
IYA EWEDU: In time, the money will come. What is the point of worrying about tomorrow
when it is far away? Tax or no tax, my joy is already here.
YEJIDE: Those that tax us will never see joy!
IYA EWEDU: Save your curses, please o.
IYA ELELUBO:(laughs) Yejide, you forget her husband is a policeman.
YEJIDE: Ah! That is why you have been so defensive. Your husband is a white man!
IYA EWEDU: Call him whatever you want. All that matters is for Abeni to receive English
education and it is my husband’s money that will send her to school.
YEJIDE: English education, English etiquette. You are turning into one of those ladies from
the ALC.
YEJIDE's basket falls. She bends down and picks up the adire.
IYA EWEDU: (whispers)What does ALC stand for again?
IYA ELELUBO: How don’t you know?
IYA EWEDU: (whispers) I only know and care about what concerns me.
IYA ELELUBO:(whispers) ALC stands for Abeokuta Ladies Club. They teach women
etiquette.
YEJIDE rises.
IYA EWEDU: (looks to YEJIDE) Abeni has been trying to get into one of their clubs. What
is it called again?
IYA ELELUBO: Ladies Club Auxiliary. Your daughter is smart then. You know if she is
chosen, she could become a full member.
YEJIDE: (looks at IYA EWEDU) There is no need to care about women whose source of joy
is from drinking English tea and learning English cookery. The women in the ALC don’t
even work.
IYA ELELUBO: What is the point of working if you have power and status?
IYA EWEDU: True. It is power that protects people from...
YEJIDE: /Power will never protect you from poverty. My mother had power.
IYA ELELUBO: (rolls her eyes) We know o! Second Iyalode of Egbaland.
YEJIDE: Did the white man not come for her profits? They see joy and they steal it. Power
does not protect.
IYA ELELUBO: (laughs) It protects o. Just last week, the police seized Iya Ewedu’s rice and
then returned it after seizing it.
YEJIDE: Why would they return her rice?
IYA EWEDU: Because I have power. I told them who my husband was, and they let me go.
YEJIDE: It would have been wiser for your husband and the other puppets to join us to
pressurise the British and the King to remove the tax. But no o, they choose to be foolish.
IYA ELELUBO: She is joking. It was Ifelayo that insisted the policeman return her rice. It
was a blessing in disguise.
YEJIDE: How is that a blessing?
IYA ELELUBO: I spoke to Ifelayo, and she said that there might be space for me in the
ALC.
YEJIDE: They will never let you in. Can you even hold a teacup?
IYA ELELUBO: (adjusts her gold necklace) They teach us etiquette there. Besides, I
employ their children on my farm. I should be laughing with them by now.
YEJIDE: Iya Ewedu, how did Ifelayo get your rice back?
IYA EWEDU: She shouted at the man and threatened to curse him if he did not return it.
YEJIDE: I thought the woman loved peace and harmony.
IYA ELELUBO: She does but she is also wise. She’s filling the gap our mothers left.
YEJIDE: What gap? Has she been able to remove the tax? Ifelayo just hosts the ALC
meetings, and those women talk about tea and biscuits. The market women at Isabo should
have all shouted at the police and tied him up.
IYA ELELUBO: And risk being jailed too? That is foolish. I am happy that we have a leader
that is feared by these men.
IYA EWEDU: I don’t trust rich women. They always have an agenda. My mother
complained for years when the Egba Government increased the market stall fee. She even
complained to your mother Yejide, but she still had to pay the fee.
IYA ELELUBO: Let us be fair to our mothers. They did their best and (pauses) they did not
rest till the fee was removed.
IYA EWEDU: But it was too late. How is it a success if one woman suffered? If my mother
still had to pay for the stall, then it was not successful.
YEJIDE: Well, they tried. You both don’t care about removing this oppressive tax. Our
mothers would have cared that the white man was stealing our joy.
IYA EWEDU: What can we do? There is no one to defend us. Even our King listens to the
white man before speaking to us. And there is not even an ‘us’. Not all of Egba women are
part of this ‘us’.
beat.
When has the King ever sat with us? He only sits with the rich. You said it yourself, Ifelayo
hosts the Abeokuta Ladies Club meetings with the rich women and the King attends. He only
cares about the rich women. So, I would rather have our railways and roads. Nobody gave my
mother a title before the white man came. At least the white man has given us railways and
roads and hospitals, and my husband even said they are building a school soon. I would rather
have the railways and roads.
IYA ELELUBO: Yes, railways and roads mean Egba is rising and soon we will be ahead of
Lagos.
YEJIDE: (sudden anger) Fools! The railways and roads are not for us. Don’t you know that
they are treating our men like slaves? It is our men that are building their railways and roads
and are paid so little for their labour. They cannot tell the white man ‘no’. They cannot ask
for more money. They are not allowed to take breaks. Is that not slavery?
IYA ELELUBO: Yejide, you talk and talk about what the white man takes but what have you
given to our community? Tell me, what good deed have you done for us?
YEJIDE:(quietly) I have not recovered yet from my mother’s death.
IYA ELELUBO: (quietly) But it’s been fourteen years. You have been grieving the money
you lost for years. What do you gain from worrying over what is lost?
IYA EWEDU: (looks at audience) That is why I said power protects.
YEJIDE: I want tax removed so my mother’s business can thrive. And I want the white men
to leave our land. They have stolen so much from us. I will grieve for my mother till I die.
Was she not good to you all? Our own king is bowing to a servant of the queen. Have we no
shame?
IYA EWEDU: These walls have ears. Don’t speak evil of The Alake.
YEJIDE: He has done evil.
IYA ELELUBO: Wait, Yejide, is it really true that we will not use the roads and railways our
men build?
YEJIDE: It is true. For Britain to prosper, Egba must suffer. Those railways and roads are
very expensive, and the selfish men see us as profitable nobodies. Do you think they’d trust
us to use their infrastructure? All we are to them is profit. A shilling here, a shilling there.
Money is made from our hard work. They profit from our labour. We are slaves.
IYA ELELUBO: The men are slaves – not us!
YEJIDE: The taxation system is a new kind of slavery.
IYA ELELUBO: You are being unreasonable Yejide.
YEJIDE: Your mind is enslaved. We work so hard for our money, and they take a large
chunk of it for tax. What does the tax go towards? They have never ever met our demands.
IYA EWEDU: Yejide has a point. The white men are clever.
YEJIDE: They have upgraded slavery, but I will not be fooled. We are all slaves in our own
land.
IYA ELELUBO: So, if they are making profits from the railway and roads, why are they
taxing us?
YEJIDE: The white men need to recover the costs of running their expensive railways and
roads and hospitals. Didn’t you hear about...
IYA ELELUBO: /Hear what?
YEJIDE: That they lost many people and money in the war.
IYA EWEDU: Ah even with their technology, they have not yet recovered.
YEJIDE: The Second World War only ended a few months ago. (laughs) And was it not you
that said you would rather have railways and roads than your freedom?
beat.
No road or hospital or railway will ever compensate for the joy they have stolen from us.
How much is your joy worth? Tell me.
silence.
YEJIDE: The infrastructure is for them not for us.
IYA EWEDU: My husband sounded certain that the schools will be for us though.
YEJIDE: Schools. Is that what we are worth?
IYA EWEDU: I want my children to be educated so that is okay for me.
YEJIDE: How much is your ewedu now?
IYA EWEDU: It’s...
YEJIDE carries the bowl of ewedu to her stall and is about to pour it onto the ground. IYA
EWEDU re-ties her loose headscarf.
IYA EWEDU AND IYA ELELUBO: /YEJIDE STOP!
YEJIDE: Tell me. How much is your joy worth?
YEJIDE rushes to take a bowl of IYA ELELUBO’s lafun and takes it to her stall. IYA
ELELUBO re-ties her loose headscarf.
YEJIDE: So why are you putting a price to your joy?
IYA EWEDU: (sighs) No! All I am saying is I am willing to sacrifice more years of labour
for my children’s future. Any mother will do so!
YEJIDE: Of course, any foolish mother would! Your labour will always be in vain until this
tax is abolished!
IYA EWEDU starts to cry.
When will you realise that the white man does not care about us! They only care about their
pockets and Egba men...those puppets are serving their pockets. We haven’t fought. We’ve
given Egba out too easily. Even my mother knew they gave up too easily. They have taxed us
for too long!
IYA ELELUBO: Let us not speak ill of the dead.
YEJIDE: But they speak of us. They hear us as we speak and as we weep. They had foresight
and their eyes were opened. In those days, our mothers had power. They did not need to beg.
Was it not the King that begged them in those days?
IYA ELELUBO: My mother’s spirit is still in me. It is a shame our fathers did nothing.
YEJIDE: Our mothers knew their joy was priceless. That is why they fought when the white
men and the puppets stole it.
IYA EWEDU: Ah Yejide, you can talk. Talk and talk and no action. Okay, we know there’s
this tax. But what can we do? You said it yourself. The tax is to keep their men alive. They
would never agree to remove this tax since removing it will be killing their men.
beat.
If your mother, Madame Jojolola, the highest titled woman in Abeokuta told The Alake to
abolish the tax and The Alake could not stop the white men from imposing the tax, who are
we to convince them? Please let us be realistic.
BABA ABENI and COMMISSIONER OF POLICE enter.
YEJIDE: (speaks to the audience) These men have chosen money over kinship, but we
should not choose railways and roads over our freedom.
drums play in the background.
(YEJIDE turns to IYA EWEDU and IYA ELELUBO) When the puppets come to collect my
tax, I will not be giving my own. Will you join me?
BABA ABENI moves to each market stall and requests for each woman’s tax.
BABA ABENI:(commanding voice) Isakole yin da?6
YEJIDE re-wraps her headscarf and rolls her eyes. IYA ELELUBO and IYA EWEDU stare in
disbelief.
BABA ABENI:(points to ear) Se e ko gbo mi ni7? All this shakara8 you’re giving me just
because I asked you to pay your tax! Oda! Bi ikun lo loko ni, bi takute ni eniyi ni a ọ mo
ewan ya!9
BABA ABENI points to the floor motioning YEJIDE to go on her knees. YEJIDE hisses in
response to the instruction. BABA ABENI removes YEJIDE from her stall and throws her
6 The English translation is ‘Where is your tax?’ 7 The English translation is ‘Can you not hear me?’ 8 The English translation is ‘Trouble.’ 9 The English translation is ‘We will know today if it is the vulture or the trap that runs the farm. Time to go to prison’
adire onto the ground. YEJIDE’s eyes widen as BABA ABENI destroys her stall, but she says
nothing. BABA ABENI removes handcuffs and a whip from his pocket. YEJIDE runs to IYA
EWEDU’s stall.
YEJIDE: (to IYA EWEDU) Help me!
COMMISSONER OF POLICE prevents YEJIDE from running away. YEJIDE punches and
kicks him. BABA ABENI moves closer to YEJIDE. As the whip bounces on YEJIDE’s body,
the lights go off and the audience hear the noise.
BABA ABENI: (whipping and questioning simultaneously): Where is (whip) my two (whip)
shillings (whip)and six (whip) pence?
YEJIDE:(screams)
IYA EWEDU: (cries) Leave her!
IYA ELELUBO:(shouts) Free her!
BABA ABENI: Silence!
Blackout.
ACT I, SCENE III
April 5, 1947. Evening. YEJIDE is sleeping in a prison cell. While YEJIDE is sleeping, she
has a vision in which she sees her mother, MADAME JOJOLOLA walking towards her.
Immediately, she wakes up and screams.
YEJIDE:(cries) Maami! I have failed you! Maami, Egba is suffering! Maami, save me!
MADAME JOJOLOLA enters the prison-cell. YEJIDE stares at her mother in terror. She
immediately goes back to sleep, shaking in shock.
MADAME JOJOLOLA: Yejide! Yejide! Yejide! Wake up for the time has come!
MADAME JOJOLOLA walks towards YEJIDE and recites a poem. While MADAME
JOJOLOLA speaks, YEJIDE sits nervously.
my daughter
there is blood everywhere
blood on the green, white, green flag
blood on the national anthem
blood on the coat of arms
blood on the politician’s range rovers’ letter plate
blood on the market woman’s fanta crate
that was used to elevate the women that spread love (not hate)
blood on the uniforms of military head of states
blood on the looters, thugs, and hoodlums in government.
MADAME JOJOLOLA: (starts to dance passionately)
i am dancing in the archive
i am dancing to the protest songs my grandmothers sang
in 1929 when aba women overthrew colonial taxation
and in the late 1940s when egba women overthrew colonial taxation
YEJIDE: (gasps)
and as I dance in yesterday’s archive
made of protests, hymns and caskets,
memes and slogans,
fundraising and education
all I want is for us to remember
our grandmothers’ strategies
years ago,
these women danced in their archive
organised protests just like us
shouted and sang just like us
since history will repeat itself
can we pause and rewind to our grandmothers’ times?
where profit too was prioritised over human life
where police and policing were colonial tools
where toll gate and taxations had the same thing in common
so can we pause and rewind to our grandmothers’ times
and learn the lessons they left
one. political organising must be rooted in
abolitionist thinking
so, abolish the police and
end sars.
Visuals: Sepia photographs of END SARS protestors worldwide is displayed on screen for
twenty seconds.
YEJIDE: Maami, what is END SARS?
MADAME JOJOLOLA: A movement against Nigerian police brutality!
two. organising must be done with strategy and in unity.
YEJIDE: Maami, how should we organise?
MADAME JOJOLOLA: Strikes and Protests! Strikes and Protests! Strikes and Protests!
beat.
three. organising must stand side by side with consciousness raising
fo(u)r. history is repeating itself
MADAME JOJOLOLA dances passionately as she performs.
i am dancing in the archive
i am dancing to ‘enough is enough!’
i am dancing to cries to abolish the police
and end sars
as i dance, i hear screeches from the colonial machines
that have produced legacies
from police to military to the sars on the streets and in politics
drums play in the background.
first republic.
coup.
counter coup
a genocidal civil war
military rule. violence,
coup
second republic.
coup
military rule. violence.
an election annulment.
third republic. 83 days of an interim government.
coup
fourth republic. democrazy.
MADAME JOJOLOLA exits. Spotlight widens to reveal Nigerians NNEKA, ENITAN and
ODENI that were present at an END SARS protest in October 2020. YEJIDE is dressed in iro
and buba. NNEKA is wearing an Ankara-print dress and sandals. ENITAN is wearing
joggers, a graphic t-shirt and trainers. ODENI is wearing blue jeans, a torn white vest and
rubber slippers. The CONTEMPORARIES cannot see YEJIDE, but YEJIDE can see the
CONTEMPORARIES.
Visuals: A map of Nigeria appears on the screen and the text ‘October 20, 2020’ flashes
across the map for twenty seconds.
ENITAN:(cries)
NNEKA: Please stop crying! I don’t have paracetamol here.
ENITAN:(sniffs)
NNEKA: Do you see him crying or me crying? Use your shirt to wipe your tears. At least
there’s no blood.
ENITAN: They came there to kill us.
beat.
ENITAN: I was with my friends when I heard them shooting and now, I don't even know if
any of them are alive because we all ran for our lives.
NNEKA: Well, we thank God you are alive.
ENITAN cleans her tears with her sweaty shirt.
ENITAN:(sniffs)
ODENI:(coughs)
NNEKA: Bros, please cover your mouth, Covid-one-nine is real.
Visuals: Sepia photographs of the Lekki protests, video still of Stephanie Mbachu
interviewed with text below that read ‘Buhari has been a bad boy’ and news headlines
reporting the Lekki toll gate massacre are displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
ODENI: With my korokoro10 eyes, I see as dem shoot for Lekki. Soldier fire one man wey
dey near me. Blood full everywhere. If no be God, I for no dey here.
ENITAN: But you’re here.
NNEKA: At least he is here (NNEKA points to the ceiling and looks upwards) and not there.
ODENI: I am here because police carried protestors.
NNEKA: So you were one of the people that made my life harder. Because of you protestors,
my one hour commute became three hours.
ENITAN: I...
NNEKA looks at Enitan and frowns.
NNEKA: /already know you were part of those that protested. Soro Soke Choir Leader.
ENITAN: People were shooting at unarmed protestors, and you are making jokes. This is
why I am tired of your generation. All talk, no action. We risked our lives. We risked
everything. My friends and I have been protesting every day since protests started. I don’t
even live in Lekki. I came all the way from Magodo to protest.
10 This means clear.
ODENI: How did you come?
ENITAN: What?
ODENI: Transport. What transport did you use to come for the protest? Uber shebi?
ENITAN: Yes.
ODENI: I walked to the protest come rain come shine. I risked all I had, and I have nothing,
but I know I must soro soke.11 The suffer I have suffered in this country is plenty. This
country go make you wan curse any papa and mama wey wan born pikin here. No progress,
no change. Nothing to call mine.
ENITAN: I feel your pain. I don’t respect anyone that did not protest. We have suffered in
this country. We are paying tax to get basic services, yet they steal from our tax and hire
police who harm us. It’s good Nigerian youths came out to protest. The police brutality we
face in this country is too much!
Enitan kneels and looks through the window.
Visuals: Sepia video of Nigeria citizens carrying bags of rice, noodles and sugar from
warehouses are displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
11 “Soro Soke” is a Yoruba phrase meaning “speak up”.
ODENI: And food prices are higher. A cup of garri used to go for 200 naira, now it is 1000
naira. Garri is now a rich man’s food. I don tire for this country. And they now kill us on top!
POLICE OFFICER offstage shouts.
POLICE OFFICER: Shut Up!
Enitan and Odeni start singing Solidarity Forever.
NNEKA: Please stop singing!
ENITAN: Young people have been singing and crying and protesting for years in this
country. Today feels like yesterday. Only bloodier. In years, we went from begging them to
reform sars to telling them to end sars.
ODENI: There’s SARS everywhere. SARS in Aso Rock, SARS in senate, SARS in police
force, SARS in schools, SARS in homes.
NNEKA: (laughs) Abi o, how can you beg SARS to END SARS? Every social movement
needs a strategy. They asked for your leader, you people did not have. Who will the
government speak to then?
ENITAN: Having a leader is pointless. You know how our country is. They’ll probably bribe
or kill the leader. We can’t make silly mistakes. Social media has helped a lot. We saw how
African Americans championed Black Lives Matter with no leader. Even the Rhodes Must
Fall Movement in South Africa had no leader.
NNEKA: What kind of history are they teaching you in school?
ENITAN: They don’t teach us any history. They can’t even teach us history when ASUU12 is
on strike. I haven’t been to university in months.
ODENI:(sighs) I pray one day I will be able to send my children to school.
ENITAN:(coughs) One day.
NNEKA: Mass protests against police brutality did not just start today. Was it not the SARS
of Aso Rock that annulled Abiola’s election in 1993? Was it not the SARS of the Police
Force that raped 65 women in Abuja in 2019? You young ones are not the first to protest.
SARS has been there from the beginning and it will be there till the end.
ENITAN and ODENI say ‘God Forbid’ in unison.
ENITAN: Also, I did not say youths of today pioneered challenging state violence. I said that
young people have risked their lives and jobs for years. Young people are being profiled,
publicly beaten, harassed, and assaulted by the police. But we did not hide in our homes. We
risked everything. (coughs)There was so much smoke outside. Bullets then fire then smoke
then blood then screaming.
12 ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities)
ODENI:(coughs) It was bad.
NNEKA: How long have we been here?
ENITAN: (checks watch) Thirty minutes.
NNEKA: Time is so slow here. My husband returns from work around this time. I am sure he
will soon ask the neighbours where I am. I cannot spend a day in this cell.
beat.
I had just given out my last tract. My church evangelises every Tuesday and I heard the
gunshot and then I ran. A soldier must have thought I was part of you people and he picked
me up.
ENITAN:(scoffs) So you weren’t protesting?
NNEKA: Why on earth would I waste my time on a country that has never cared for me?
What exactly are you protesting for, tell me?
ENITAN: For freedom. Your generation put us in this mess and my generation is tired of the
mess, so I am fighting for freedom.
Visuals: Sepia photograph of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is displayed on screen for twenty
seconds.
NNEKA: You are fighting from your phones. You attend a protest once in your life and you
suddenly think you are Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
ODENI: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. I have heard of that name. Was she not the first woman
to drive a car?
ENITAN: Yes, but she was also a political campaigner that fought for women in Egba who
were losing their hard-earned money to the British.
ODENI: The British? What did the British do?
ENITAN: Around the late 1940s, the British imposed oppressive taxation laws but Egba
women refused to pay the tax. Police collected the tax from women as instructed by The
Alake of Egbaland. They stripped and beat women that refused to pay. Some women even
ended up here. Prison.
beat.
They did not let the threats stop their resistance. They went on strike and eventually 10,000
women protested and sang in front of The Alake’s palace. They demanded the abolishment of
direct taxation, just like we are demanding the abolishment of SARS.
NNEKA: See what I mean. The SARS of today is the SARS of yesterday.
ODENI: But then white man was SARS.
NNEKA nods.
NNEKA: (looks at Enitan) So you do know your history.
ENITAN: I didn’t learn this history in school. I learnt this history in my room.
ODENI: Your room?
ENITAN: My grandmother was part of the Egba Women’s revolt. She told me all I know.
NNEKA: So is that why you are so proud?
ENITAN: How am I proud?
NNEKA: You keep talking back. Am I your mate?
ENITAN: We are having a discussion, that’s not talking back.
NNEKA: Your grandmother and I are the real protestors. We had no social media to amplify
our voices, yet we fought. We had to use our mouths even when we were silenced. You said
it cost your friends their jobs. It costs us our lives and our families’ lives. I asked my daughter
why she wanted to protest, and she gave the same response as you did. She said [mimics
young girl]: ‘we are standing up for our rights because your generation sat.’ (original voice)
You people need to get your history right – we fought!
ODENI: I fought too. In the ‘90s.
ENITAN: What were you vocal about?
ODENI: 4th January 1993.
NNEKA: Brother, she said what, not when.
Visuals: Sepia photographs of the oil spills in Niger Delta and Ogoni protests are displayed
on screen for twenty seconds.
ODENI: (slowly)Oil spills in Ogoni land. Saro-Wiwa13, may his soul rest in perfect peace, the
then president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, led a peaceful protest of
300,000 Ogoni people in Rivers State. I was around 13 at the time.
ODENI is in a frozen state, barely blinking.
Visuals: Sepia photo stills from the trial of the Ogoni 9 and headlines from newspapers
announcing the Ogoni 9 execution are displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
13 Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa was a Nigerian environmental activist, writer and the president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People.
ODENI: November 10, 1995. Abacha hanged the Ogoni Nine. You know Ken Saro-Wiwa
right?
ENITAN nods.
ODENI: He fought for us even when Shell continued to damage our land and even when
greedy politicians threatened his life and eventually killed him. The Ogoni Nine still fought.
Visuals: Text appears below a sepia photograph of Ken Saro-Wiwa: ‘Lord, take my soul but
the struggle continues.’ Both image and text are displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
NNEKA: I remember reading in the papers that it took five attempts to kill him before he said
‘Lord, take my soul but the struggle continues.’
ENITAN: Wow. You really can’t win in this country even when you lead with peace.
ODENI: Same thing police are doing today, the military did in Ogoniland. Our people were
arrested, beaten, and executed.
ENITAN: It’s a cycle. The state only cares about profit. It’s always profit over people.
NNEKA: That’s why I don’t believe in protesting. People always end up dying.
ODENI: I am already dead o. No money, no home, no purpose. People alive are dead.
NNEKA: I told my sons to leave the protest and join my prayer walk.
ENITAN: We have been praying for Nigeria for many years. Where are the results?
NNEKA: One day, we will see it. I see prayer as a weapon just like you see protest as a
weapon.
ODENI: I do both.
ENITAN:(sighs) I am tired of all prayer and no action. These leaders are wicked. They fast
and pray in the day but kill us at night.
ODENI: But I don tire.
beat.
My sister, what’s your name?
ENITAN: Enitan. And you?
ODENI: Odeni. (turns to Nneka) Sister, you?
NNEKA: Daughter of the Most High.
ENITAN:(grins) How long are they legally allowed to keep us here?
NNEKA: Till someone bails us out. Does anyone know you’re here?
ENITAN: My phone died before I could text my friends, but I hope they are looking for me.
ODENI: I still remember how we all sang.
ENITAN: I have never been so proud to be Nigerian. There was so much unity between us.
NNEKA:(hisses) You people celebrated unity in October and now think we will be forever
united.
ENITAN: I have some hope. And before you say, I don’t know history. I know Nigeria has
been a mess. Take the Biafran War for example. No Nigerian leader has apologised for what I
am sure was the largest genocidal war in Africa.
Visuals: Sepia photographs of locals in Southeast Nigeria and 1968 ‘LIFE’ magazine cover
of children is displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
NNEKA: We don’t want their apology. My parents would not have wanted their dirty
apology. Soldiers killing people today is not new. It happened in the 1960s too. Was it not 7
years after our great united nation gained independence that the war started? The soldiers
killed my mum at the market. They said her head left her body. Your friends are probably
safe at home scrolling through twitter or what is the app you children use nowadays? My
friends were killed by hunger and hunger killed them faster than bullets.
Offstage, POLICE OFFICER shouts.
POLICE OFFICER: Get me amala and gbegiri!14
ENITAN:(peers through the window) These men are getting food while we are starving.
ODENI: The war was brutal.
ENITAN: This country has so much trauma in its bones.
NNEKA: That’s if it has any bones. What is Nigeria? Have you ever thought of that?
ENITAN: Not really but I have thought of tearing it down and building it up.
NNEKA: What would your skeleton look like?
ENITAN: Well, the foundation of life: affordable education, healthcare, and housing.
ODENI: This cell is the biggest room I have ever sat in.
ENITAN:(hisses) This useless government!
14 Amala is a food mad from yam and gbegiri is made from dried beans.
NNEKA: Where do you live now?
Visuals: Sepia photographs of demolished homes in Otodo Gbame and headlines from
newspapers announcing the forced evictions of the Otodo Gbame community are displayed
on screen for twenty seconds.
ODENI: I live under bridges. I move around with my wife and children, but I lived in Otodo
Gbame. It’s as if the police are destined to find me. One morning, after tearing down my
home, they shot tear gas and bullets at us. My wife was out with the children, thank God. So I
dived into the water to dodge the bullets. I drank blood that day. So first the government and
police destroyed our home, then they said we are criminals for staying in Otodo Gbame.
NNEKA: Hmm, nawa for this government. Where did they want you to go?
ODENI: My sister, I don't know. I don’t have any place to go, that’s why I live under the
bridge now. I have one friend who is planning on rebuilding his home after he saves some
money.
NNEKA: In the same place they demolished homes and shot?
ODENI: Yes o, he said he isn’t going anywhere. I for don commot Lagos but the work wey I
get, wey I been get, dey feed my family15.
15 The work I have, well had feeds my family.
ENITAN: It’s so crazy that in this same state, people are enjoying life. They could not even
provide alternative housing for –
NNEKA: (laughs) Come, do you think we are in Canada?
ENITAN: Affordable housing is possible even in this country. How can we be paying tax and
we can’t even see where it’s going? Basic fundamental human rights, we don’t have in this
country. The tax they are collecting from Lekki Toll Gate alone could be allocated to
education or housing or health.
NNEKA: Maybe when you become Presido, you can provide it.
ODENI: How old are you?
ENITAN: Twenty-Two.
NNEKA:(laughs) Mark my words, you will have given up before you are eligible to run.
People like you always talk and dream, and then leave the country.
ENITAN: I don’t even have money to leave.
NNEKA: But would you not leave if you got the chance?
ENITAN: Who wouldn’t?
ODENI: I would leave o.
Odeni stands up to stretch his legs. As he stands, a Nigerian flag on a small stick slips out of
his pocket.
ENITAN: Your flag is falling out of your pocket.
ODENI: (rises and points to POLICE OFFICER offstage) Anytime I see this flag, I feel like
shooting one of them.
ENITAN: I cannot believe they chose violence when we chose peace. We were singing and
waving our flags and then hours later, they were firing bullets.
NNEKA: That’s Nigeria for you. Welcome!
ENITAN: This country sets you up for disappointment. We are all sad here. There’s so much
suffering. I don’t even know where to start, it’s so frustrating.
ODENI: That’s why I liked the END SARS protests. It gave me hope. I had so much anger in
me. Anger from Ogoni to Otodo Gbame and I needed to shout and scream and let it all out. I
might have died angry. I might still die angry.
NNEKA: I will give you young people one thing. You learnt well.
ENITAN: Learned from …?
NNEKA: The people before you. You had no leader. That is the greatest strategy.
ENITAN: But you said it was stupid for us to be leaderless?
NNEKA: I never said that o. Odeni, did you hear me say that? I asked you to tell me who the
government will speak to.
ENITAN: (chuckles) You really enjoy playing mind games. Also, I hope you won’t say your
generation taught us leaderless resistance.
Visuals: Sepia photographs of the Aba women displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
NNEKA: Have you heard of the Aba Women Protest?
ENITAN: That name sounds familiar.
NNEKA: You are a history student, and you don’t know about the Aba Women Protest!
ENITAN: I never said I studied history.
ODENI: What do you study?
ENITAN: I studied Computer Science till the strikes began.
NNEKA: Odeni, do you know about the Aba Women Protest?
ODENI: My sister, I don’t o.
NNEKA: This isn’t the first time history is repeating itself. All of you that are singing and
chanting, Aba women did it too in 1929.
ODENI: Soro Soke!
NNEKA: In 1929, the Aba women challenged the colonial taxation that the British imposed
on them. Actually Odeni, I’m surprised you haven’t heard of this. The women that were
involved were also from Calabar.
ENITAN: That’s the capital of Cross Rivers not Rivers. Odeni is from Rivers.
NNEKA: Ah okay, thank you for the correction geographer.
Enitan rolls her eyes.
NNEKA: Anyways, these women also protested in their own way. In 1929, a British officer
ordered the police to update the Census to include a man’s wives, children, and livestock. On
the 23rd of November in 1929, an agent was sent to count a woman’s livestock and family
members.
beat.
Visuals: Sepia photograph of Nwanyeruwa is displayed on screen for twenty seconds.
But Nwanyeruwa, the woman whose household was counted by the agent, was very smart.
She knew that the agent’s counting was a sign that the police would be taxing the women.
After insulting the agent, she rushed to the women’s assembly to alert them. To spread the
word, these women sent palm leaves to each other, and the news spread in neighbouring
villages.
beat.
10,000 women across several cities sang and danced in front of the police. They demanded
that the British abolish the taxation and dismantle the police system. They sat but did a
different kind of sitting. This sitting involved insulting and threatening the police in front of
his house. History called this movement a riot, but it was a creative and innovative
movement. 10,000 women destroyed and burnt colonial buildings. This is not the first time
the Nigerian government is prioritising profit over people.
ENITAN: (sighs) It’s so crazy that we were not taught history in school. I am sure many
Nigerians have never heard of both the Egba and Aba Women’ Revolt.
NNEKA: What year was the Egba Women’s Revolt?
ENITAN: 1947.
ODENI: How about the Aba Protest?
NNEKA: 1929.
ODENI: Since the movements were only twenty years apart, I am sure the Aba women must
have influenced the Egba women. My sister, I took two things from your story. Number one.
We will all protest till we die.
NNEKA: Why do you say so?
ODENI: The story Enitan shared about the Egba women in 1947 resembles the story that you
shared of the Aba women in 1929. (laughs)So why should we be surprised at the state of this
nation? Maybe we will always have to fight. Shebi they say history repeats itself. Maybe
oppression too repeats itself. And if that is the case, maybe our children and our
grandchildren will all protest till they die.
silence.
NNEKA: What is the second takeaway?
ODENI: My sister, you should teach history in schools.
NNEKA: (smiles) You are flattering me. My own is that all this talk, that this generation
is...is it millennial or gen z they call you people...anyways, all this talk of you being the first
is a lie. On top of your social media, some of you don’t know about the first successful
overthrow of colonial taxation in Nigeria.
ENITAN: Odeni, you really like dates.
ODENI: I never like to forget things.
NNEKA: Learn from him, forgetting is why we are in this prison.
ENITAN: Us, we?
NNEKA: No, we. Nigeria - our country.
ENITAN: I thought you hated this country.
NNEKA: God said we should pray for our enemies too.
ODENI: So, all these marches started from somewhere.
ODENI sings ‘The labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.’
NNEKA: Yes, history always repeats itself. The Aba protestors too resisted oppressors and
mocked their wicked leaders. Today it is presidents and governors and police that lack
accountability. Years ago, it was the British, kings and police. But the strategy to resist is
always the same.
ENITAN: What’s the strategy?
NNEKA: Odeni said it earlier.
ODENI: Prayer and Action.
ENITAN: If by action, you mean protest –
NNEKA: No, not protests. Well not protests alone. You need the law to change.
ENITAN: (laughs) What law? Nigeria is a lawless state. No part of the tree bears fruit.
ODENI: What tree?
NNEKA: The tree is the Federal Government. The three branches: executive, judiciary, and
legislative need pruning.
ENITAN: No, it bears no fruit. It needs to be cut.
NNEKA: Every functioning country needs a strong legal system.
ENITAN: This law was created by the British, just like our country is. We shouldn’t even be
together.
NNEKA: So you want us to separate like America?
ENITAN: Yes, the federal government has too much power. If we separate, each state will
control its resources.
NNEKA: (turns to the audience) See the same person that is against colonialism o. After
saying we shouldn’t be like the British, she says we should be like America.
ODENI: Separating will only make the rich richer and people will die.
NNEKA: It’s also a lot more complicated. Each state will want to defend itself. Tell me,
which money will they use to fund such?
ENITAN: Nigeria is not a democratic state. The game has been rigged from the beginning.
Rigged for the political elite.
ODENI: So how do we solve the matter?
ENITAN: We need to burn everything and restart.
NNEKA: Enitan, stop being idealistic.
ENITAN: I am being imaginative.
silence.
ODENI: Why do you think they shot at the toll gate?
ENITAN: We stopped their revenue.
ODENI: The only way a rich man moves is if the masses recover the wealth they have stolen.
They shot us because the toll gate collects millions, and we were stopping them from
collecting their millions.
ENITAN: This supports what I said earlier – protests are important.
NNEKA: Organised protests are important. Like the Aba Women and the Egba Revolt.
ODENI: And the Ogoni Nine and Otodo Gbame.
ENITAN: And the Feminist Coalition. Those women did so much for us.
NNEKA: I heard they raised millions for the protestors in weeks.
ENITAN: Yes, they were brilliant at organising. And even when banks closed accounts, they
were creative with their solutions. They asked for bitcoin donations. And they were so
accountable and transparent. And the donations they raised helped medical emergencies,
legal aid, and relief for victims of police brutality.
NNEKA: They need to bail us then! It’s getting so late. What time is it?
ENITAN: My watch has died.
NNEKA: You people and technological everything.
POLICE OFFICER offstage shouts ‘Sir, the amala and gbegiri have finished so I bought
pounded yam and efo.’ POLICE OFFICER salivates and chews food loudly.
ODENI: Wicked men! The government has brainwashed them. These wicked men think that
their uniforms will save them from poverty, but they are still suffering like me. Their
commanders are still owing them their salaries.
ENITAN: It’s all part of the colonial machinery. We never had policemen before the white
man came. Police does not protect us. How can they protect us when all they care about is
profit?
NNEKA: (sighs) What shall it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?
ENITAN: As soon as they wear the uniform, they lose their souls. They are taught to teach us
to fear them.
ODENI: This government sharp o. That police is your friend slogan is everywhere. What
kind of friend wakes up to kill?
ENITAN: Exactly! What kind of friend loves fear and power? This government is supposed
to serve and love us but for too long, they have taught us to fear them. And you know fear is
a currency. When we obey, the government profits. If we disobey, they lose money. That’s
why they shot us in Lagos and why they oppress all of us in Nigeria. Today, we were a threat
to their pockets, so they sent the police to shoot us. When you have citizens of a nation that
are scared to speak up because they want to protect their ego or status or wealth, the country
will never change. Nigerians need to remember that the government cares more about profit
than our lives. And the police force itself is a colonial tool. Look at history now. Even look at
today. The SARS of the Egba Women’s Revolt is the same SARS of the Otodo Gbame and
the same SARS that extracted the Ogoni people’s wealth and the same SARS that shot us
today at the Lekki Toll Gate. Colonialism and capitalism are like blood and bullets. They are
always in the same scene.
ODENI: All this big grammar you’re blowing is to say that police na bastards and end sars.
NNEKA: And remember that women fought for us, and they should not be forgotten.
POLICE OFFICER enters.
POLICE OFFICER: Oya both of you, stand up, you can go now.
ENITAN and NNEKA stand.
NNEKA: Praise God!
ENITAN: (looks at Nneka) What about Odeni?
POLICE OFFICER: Out of my cell!
POLICE OFFICER leads ENITAN and NNEKA out of the cell. They are close to tears.
NNEKA: How much will it cost to bail him out?
POLICE OFFICER: No one has authorised bail for him. If you open your mouth again, you
will remain here.
ODENI waves bye and buries his head in his hands.
NNEKA: (slowly) How about you Odeni? Who will come for you?
ODENI: Nobody.
POLICE OFFICER increases the television’s volume. The radio presenter says these words:
RADIO: we have a man on the floor with hands in his pocket
there is blood spilling everywhere
like the oil in Ogoni-land that shell did not clear
like the bullets police fired leaving 4700 otodo gbame residents homeless
like the shots fired after the national anthem was sung in peaceful protests.
YEJIDE wakes up abruptly from her sleep. She is aware that she had a vision.
YEJIDE: (murmurs) Strikes and protests! Strikes and protests! Strikes and protests!
Offstage, an argument ensues between a woman and a policeman. YEJIDE moves towards
the window to hear the argument.
IFELAYO: You foolish men unlawfully imprisoned my student.
BABA ABENI: Unlawfully?
IFELAYO: (shouts) Yes, the taxation you imposed on us is illegal and unlawful. Are you
men mad! You beat my student!
BABA ABENI: (shakes head) We are not to release her according to …
IFELAYO: /Whose orders? I demand to see Yejide now! (moves closer to police)
BABA ABENI: Ma, I will advise you to not move any more steps closer unless…
IFELAYO: /Unless what! Bring Yejide out of this cell.
BABA ABENI: That will cost two pounds!
IFELAYO: (sighs) So that is the price of her life? (throws coins on desk) Bring Yejide out of
that cell!
BABA ABENI exits.
Blackout.
ACT II, SCENE I
Abeokuta Ladies Club Meeting. May 1, 1947.ABENI is tidying up IFELAYO’s house while
IYA ELELUBO sits down in preparation for the ALC meeting. IYA ELELUBO plays with the
rings on her fingers. IYA ELELUBO is wearing a dramatic head tie, loud jewellery, and
lipstick. YEJIDE is wearing tie-dyed iro and buba. IFELAYO walks in with a notebook in her
hand. ABENI exits.
IYA ELELUBO: Good evening.
IFELAYO: Iya Elelubo, how are you?
IYA ELELUBO: Blessed and highly favoured, we give glory to God.
A loud knock on the door is heard.
IYA ELELUBO: Who knocks like this at this time?
IFELAYO: Abeni!
ABENI runs into the living room and opens the door. YEJIDE walks into the room. She
stands awkwardly and looks around IFELAYO’s house admiring her awards. ABENI exits.
IFELAYO: Yejide, welcome. I haven’t seen you since...please sit. You know Iya Elelubo,
right?
YEJIDE: Yes.
IFELAYO: Excuse me.
IFELAYO stands up to get a pen. She walks towards her study which is at the other side of
the room.
YEJIDE:(whispers) How did you get in here?
IYA ELELUBO:(hisses) Shebi you said money can’t buy class.
YEJIDE: Really, how?
IYA ELELUBO: Ifelayo came to the market looking for you.
YEJIDE: Who told her they imprisoned me?
IYA ELELUBO: Iya Ewedu did. She was worried the policemen would do something to you
like they did to her sister. Anyways, after Ifelayo vowed to bail you, I quickly asked her if
there was any space for me here. She said a lady had travelled out of the country so there was
space for me.
YEJIDE: But the ALC should not be your priority.
IYA ELELUBO: Was it not class that bailed you out?
YEJIDE: It was fear. The police fear Ifelayo.
IFELAYO walks in with her pen and sits.
IFELAYO: How was Folake’s wedding?
IYA ELELUBO:(laughs awkwardly) Oh, I wasn’t invited but I heard it was well attended.
The Alake was present.
IFELAYO: Why weren’t you invited?
IYA ELELUBO: The chicken.
IFELAYO: What chicken?
IYA ELELUBO: Apparently, Folake thought I spread rumours to the other ladies at our club
that her then fiancé was not going to allow her to work … yet he expected Folake, an Egba
woman, to spend her own hard-earned money(laughs) which she saved prior to their wedding
on chicken for the house.
IFELAYO: (laughs) An Egba woman not work! (laughs)Is he an Egbaman?
IYA ELELUBO: (laughs)Ah, we don’t even know but we do know that the poor man could
not afford chicken! What a disgrace! A woman should never have to pay for anything herself
when her husband is alive!
IFELAYO: Iya Elelubo, this sounds like a rumour. But if it is true, every woman should
work. A man’s stinginess can be the downfall of many women’s great destinies. Abeni!
ABENI: Ma!
IFELAYO: Jo ba mi mu tea ati biskiti16.
beat.
Tan radio fun mi17.
ABENI places the tea and biscuits on a tray.
IYA ELELUBO: Ah Rich tea! I remember when I visi…
ABENI exits.
YEJIDE: /visited where?
16 The English translation is ‘Please bring the tea and biscuit.’ 17 The English translation is ‘Switch on my radio.’
IYA ELELUBO: England.
IFELAYO stands up and turns on the radio.
IFELAYO: She forgot to turn the radio on.
IYA ELELUBO: I went to London in November.
IFELAYO: How was the weather?
IYA ELELUBO: Bright and sunny.
IFELAYO:(laughs) London is grey and dull. Greyer and duller in November excuse you!
IYA ELELUBO:(rolls eyes) The closest I have to England are those oyinbo men that parade
our roads in their khakis. Since the war ended, they’ve been flooding Abeokuta…
Ayinde Bakare’s song ‘Herbert Macaulay / Golden Faces’ plays.
IYA ELELUBO: /Yes, this man. Ayinde Bakare. That’s the man’s name...apparently, he
performed at Folake’s wedding with his band...the Meranda Band is what they call
themselves.
IFELAYO: I hear he is performing everywhere.
IYA ELELUBO: I’m not surprised- his music is good. (nods head) I can feel the drums. This
is real highlife. Speaking of music, you mentioned that you are enrolling your son for piano
lessons.
IFELAYO: They are going very well! He loves his music lessons; he sings and dances
everywhere in the house.
IYA ELELUBO: That is good. I am sure Reverend finds it entertaining (laughs). It is good
for these young boys to take part in extra-curricular activities. (sips tea) I
I think it’s highlife and juju.
IFELAYO: This song is about Herbert Macaulay. May his soul rest in peace.
Women: Amin!18
beat.
YEJIDE: I like that he exposed the British’s mishandling of our railway finances.
IFELAYO: And he also opposed colonial taxation.
IYA ELELUBO: How did he achieve all this?
18 A Yoruba word meaning Amen.
IFELAYO: Negotiating, diplomacy. He was incredibly smart and strategic when engaging
with the British.
YEJIDE:(sighs) He was lucky.
IYA ELELUBO: That is unfair to say.
YEJIDE: We need to always examine the methods we borrow from the past. Has writing
petitions to The Alake removed the tax?
IFELAYO: It’s a process. We must be consistent. He attended our meeting a few weeks ago
and listened.
YEJIDE: That’s his job! He must listen, he must serve us! Writing letters and all this talking
and negotiating is useless!
IYA ELELUBO: Yejide, but you are all talk and no action. Before Ifelayo graciously bailed
you out of the cell, you were all talk and no action. So what method is right then?
YEJIDE: (stands up) Protests and strikes!
IFELAYO: That destabilises peace.
YEJIDE: Have you heard of the Haitian Revolution Ifelayo?
IFELAYO: Of course, I have.
YEJIDE: Well, the slaves didn’t beg their oppressors for their freedom. They revolted. We
cannot respond to violence with peace. We must respond with force.
IYA ELELUBO: But we are not slaves. Yejide, you keep saying we are. Also, Ifelayo has
connections outside the country who can also put pressure on the King.
IFELAYO: Yes, I do have alliances with the Women’s International Democratic Federation.
YEJIDE: Are the white men here not the white men there?
IFELAYO: They are white women. Marxists. They care about the oppression we face.
YEJIDE stands up and places her hands on her head.
YEJIDE: (screams) Do you not hear yourself speak? What oppression do they face?
beat.
This tax is ruining my life. You know my mother’s business was successful for years before
she died. She died with her title and without seeing this tax removed. For years, I have been
running Maami’s business and I am still paying these high taxes. I make no profit on the
goods I sell and yet I have been called to pay taxes. Why! I had no help or support when I just
had Bolanle. I had to take care of her by myself...yet there I was tying and dyeing the adire.
Planking to pack them all. I had to sew them and walk for miles to trade them. It was all me.
(wipes tears) I am tired of working so hard and not seeing the fruits of my labour. Maami left
me with something, but I have nothing to leave my daughter. I work and work and still have
not seen profit and I am tired. You are not tired Ifelayo, because you don’t have to work like I
do.
YEJIDE sits down.
IFELAYO: Yejide, I care. I never want to see Egba women suffer. I know the tax is
oppressive and that is why I'm saying we need to work out a plan to tackle it. If we do things
in a haste, we will fail and the police will continue to humiliate and deprive hard working
Egba women, like you, of their deserved profits.
silence.
YEJIDE: Egba women need a bigger reason to fight for the removal of taxation.
IFELAYO: Like an ideology?
YEJIDE: Yes, but what’s important is a movement. Egba women are not coordinated or
united. We still don’t see ourselves as equals. If Iya Ewedu and Iya Elelubo saw these
taxations as a threat to their freedom, they would have joined me to beat the corruption out of
that officer that arrested me.
IFELAYO: I know the taxes are violent.
YEJIDE: Not everyone believes that taxes are violent.
IFELAYO: It takes time to raise consciousness. If we move in a haste, there will be blood on
my hands.
YEJIDE: There is already blood on your hands! There is blood everywhere! Stop trying to
reason with people that do not reason.
IYA ELELUBO: Yejide! Blood on her hands? Ifelayo has spent years serving this
community and has done so much for us.
YEJIDE: You are concerned with the things you can see. I am concerned with the things I
cannot see.
IFELAYO: Yejide, I too am concerned with the things I cannot see. And I cannot see peace
in our land. Just the other day, I was at Isabo market when I saw a woman crying on her
knees because a police officer had seized her bag of rice. I hate injustice so I never sit down
while Egba women suffer. I did not rest till the police returned her bag of rice.
IYA ELELUBO: Exactly!
YEJIDE: Well, we need more women fighting for justice in Egba like you do.
IYA ELELUBO: Ehen, Ifelayo, have those resolutions from the last council meeting been
forwarded to The Alake? It’s been months and they still have not cleared the land designated
for the children’s playground. Are my children supposed to play indoors?
IFELAYO: (rises)Iya Elelubo, is that all you care about! I just told you that the market
women are being treated like slaves and all you care about is swings? Since the days of
Madame Jojolola, the situation in Egbaland hasn’t changed. We all know the taxes are
unlawful and unfair. I am certain a large chunk goes to those greedy chiefs and
administrators’ pockets…Iya Elelubo, it’s been 29 years since Madame Jojolola demanded
for the removal of the taxation and
market women are still paying tax!
IYA ELELUBO: Ma, you said you have a plan and I trust you to deliver. Why worry over
what will come? You are not God!
IFELAYO: Iya Elelubo!
beat.
IFELAYO: We are all under this same oppressive colonial state. Yejide has a point, we need
to do more than tea parties and etiquette lessons. Egba women need political education!
IYA ELELUBO: You teach us English in the evenings. Is that not enough?
IFELAYO: If you cannot see that the ALC has a bigger role to play in not just social but
political and economic affairs, Iya Elelubo (pauses) then I don’t know what to say to you.
Did you not say I am not God so clearly, I cannot remove the log in your eye too?
IYA ELELUBO: Goodness gracious!
ABENI enters and kneels.
ABENI: Ek-aa-san.19
IFELAYO: Ehen. A won omo kan?20
ABENI: A dupe o.21
IYA ELELUBO: Please. We only speak English here! E’ma so Yoruba!22
ABENI: Sorry Ma. (looks at IYA ELELUBO and kneels)
beat.
19 The English translation is ‘Good evening’ 20 The English translation is ‘How are your children?’ 21 The English translation is ‘They are doing well.’ 22 The English translation is ‘Speak in Yoruba.’
I overheard you talking about the seizure of rice. Ma, they have been raping some young
girls...the girls were about twelve years of age...the girls refused to pay tax...the men beat
them, stripped them, and raped them.
ALL WOMEN: Ah!
ABENI: Their mothers are saying they will strike! They are all fed up!
IYA ELELUBO checks the time.
IYA ELELUBO: Ladies, I must pick the children from school. I will see you in the next
meeting.
ABENI clears the table. IYA ELELUBO leaves the room.
IFELAYO: I have never been able to convince the educated women to organise with me.
They cannot identify with the aspirations of ordinary women because they are wives of big
men.
YEJIDE: But we don’t need them, Ifelayo. How many are they? You can count them with
your fingertips! We can only pour new wine into new wineskins. The time is different, so we
need new methods. Let us work with those that want Egba women to prosper.
IFELAYO: You’re right, well, I will write a letter to The Alake warning him to tell the
Native Authority to stop harming our women. Come to class tomorrow as there will be many
market women there. The Abeokuta Ladies Club needs to work with all women from all
classes. This coalition is necessary and timely.
Lights fade out.
ACT II, SCENE II
May 2, 1947.Classroom inside IFELAYO’s house. Evening. IFELAYO stands in front of a
board and holds chalk.
IFELAYO: Class, repeat after me. The women were as courageous as Deborah.
IYA EWEDU: Why were the women as courageous as Deborah?
YEJIDE: Iya Ewedu, could you not ask her after the class?
IFELAYO: (moves around the front of the classroom) It’s okay Yejide. Deborah was a
warrior and warriors fought against oppression. Deborah sat under a palm tree listening to
God for wisdom and then shared that wisdom to her second in command...a man called
Barak. At the time, it was rare for a woman to be a warrior and it was rarer for men to seek
advice from women.
beat.
In our next class, we are going to analyse her song of victory.
IYA EWEDU: Where can I read the song Ma?
IFELAYO: It is in Judges 5.
IFELAYO: (checks watch) Now class, repeat after me. The women were as courageous as
Deborah.
ALL WOMEN: The women were as courageous as Deborah.
IFELAYO: Now class, what literary device is this?
silence.
IYA EWEDU: It’s a simile.
IFELAYO: Why?
YEJIDE: No, it’s a metaphor.
IFELAYO: Why?
IYA ELELUBO: It’s personification. There is obviously a person in it.
IFELAYO: You all must agree on what you think.
IFELAYO moves to her table. She sits and continues to write in her journal.
YEJIDE: Let us go with my answer.
IYA ELELUBO: Why yours?
YEJIDE: Meta-phor. The word metaphor has the word four in it. And four is a lucky number.
IYA EWEDU: Why are you bringing maths to English?
YEJIDE: There’s maths in every language.
IFELAYO: (looks up) Class, you have four minutes to decide your answer.
YEJIDE: See, four is a lucky number.
YEJIDE: (turns to IFELAYO) We won’t need that much time. We’ve made up our mind.
IYA ELELUBO: No, we haven’t. I don’t agree it’s a metaphor.
IYA EWEDU: So, what is the literary device then?
YEJIDE: Let’s go with my answer. It’s a metaphor, trust me.
IYA EWEDU: But I remember Ifelayo said a simile uses words like ‘as’ and ‘like’ to make
comparisons.
YEJIDE: No, that’s a metaphor. Ifelayo even said people mix similes and metaphors up.
IYA EWEDU: I guess it’s up to Iya Elelubo.
IYA ELELUBO: I say person-ification. Deborah is a person after all.
YEJIDE: I am sure personification is about giving animals human characteristics.
IYA EWEDU: Exactly, Deborah isn’t an animal.
YEJIDE: See, I know English well. Also, time is going, Let’s go with my answer.
IYA ELELUBO: You always think you’re right, Yejide.
YEJIDE: You always think I'm wrong.
IYA EWEDU: So, what should we go for?
YEJIDE: Metaphor.
IYA ELELUBO: Let’s go for simile.
IYA EWEDU: Yes, let’s go for simile.
YEJIDE: I’m still going for metaphor.
IYA EWEDU: But Ifelayo said we must present the same answer. (turns to YEJIDE) Yejide,
I am really sure about this.
YEJIDE: Well, I am sure about my answer.
IYA EWEDU: Three is a luckier number.
YEJIDE: What do you mean?
IYA EWEDU: The English translation of meta is three.
YEJIDE: But my meta-phor also has meta inside. That means it has both our lucky numbers.
We should go with my answer.
IYA ELELUBO: Why are you bringing Yoruba to English?
IYA EWEDU: When Yejide brought mathematics into English, you didn’t complain. Please
hear me out.
beat.
IYA EWEDU: Count with me but count with your fingers. Si-mi-le. How many syllables
does that have?
IYA ELELUBO: Three.
IYA EWEDU: Now count how many syllables Yejide’s metaphor has.
YEJIDE and IYA ELELUBO: Me-Ta-Phor. Three!
YEJIDE: Ehn so what does that mean?
IYA EWEDU: My point is three is a luckier number and simile has three syllables. It isn’t
stained with four. Meta-phor has phor in it. So let’s go with my answer.
YEJIDE: (laughs) What exactly is your point? We knew similes and metaphors are similar
literary devices.
IYA ELELUBO: I don’t like four as a number. Three feels complete.
YEJIDE: Three is odd and I know you’re just trying to get even with me for...
IFELAYO: (turns to class) One minute left!
YEJIDE: Time is going.
IYA EWEDU: So what are we going for? Simile?
YEJIDE: Yes, but in my heart, I know it's a metaphor.
IYA EWEDU: But we must be united.
YEJIDE: Well, Ifelayo cannot see my heart. I’m united in words - that is enough.
IYA ELELUBO: Ifelayo, we have agreed. It’s a...
IYA EWEDU and IYA ELELUBO: /Simile!
IFELAYO: Hmm
YEJIDE: (mutters) See, I knew I was...
IFELAYO: /Correct!
IYA EWEDU and IYA ELELUBO jubilate.
YEJIDE: Are you children?
IYA EWEDU: (laughs) Yes, we are like children.
IYA ELELUBO: (touches YEJIDE’s hands) Smile, Yejide.
IFELAYO:(rises) Class, I have an important announcement.
silence.
IFELAYO: I have decided to disband the ALC.
IYA ELELUBO: (screams) Why?
IFELAYO: It is increasing division between Egba women, and we don’t need division in a
time like this. We all need to be united if we want this tax removed.
IYA ELELUBO: But we are already united.
IFELAYO’s telephone rings. She leaves the front of the class to pick up her telephone.
Yejide, what did you tell Ifelayo? How could you be so selfish? You know, I have always
wanted to be a member of the ALC. You aren’t the only one that has dreams. You act like
you care about us but you don’t, you only care about your business.
YEJIDE: And you only care about status.
IYA EWEDU: It’s about time they got rid of that useless organisation. You people were
learning how to be like English women.
IYA ELELUBO: You’ve joined them?
IFELAYO enters.
IFELAYO: My friend just called to say that the market women in Isabo have all agreed to the
strike. Don’t work tomorrow. The strike begins tomorrow.
IYA ELELUBO: How long will the strike last for?
IFELAYO: Till they die of hunger. We will show these men bitter leaf.
IYA EWEDU: Literally or metaphorically?
IFELAYO: Both! Aren’t you tired, Iya Ewedu? Have you made profit on your foodstuffs?
silence.
The market women came to my house yesterday. They are all tired of paying taxes and not
seeing any benefits and I cannot watch more women suffer economically or physically.
YEJIDE: If the men are hungry, they will listen to our demands.
IYA EWEDU: I cannot starve my husband.
IFELAYO: Well, he will eat bitter leaf. We must spread the word of the strike to women in
various markets. The market women are solidly behind me. If we continue to spread the
word, the strikes will be successful. (packs her bag) I have some of the plans in my journals.
Follow me to my study.
ALL WOMEN exit except IYA EWEDU. A single spotlight comes directly over IYA EWEDU.
IYA EWEDU:
strike one!
those stubborn puppets would eat bitter leaf
for refusing to remove the tax
the state needs market women’s profits
but the market women all left their stalls
drums play in the background.
strike two!
days past
the men were groaning
complaining of hunger
‘these women should resume work!’ they screamed
drums playing in the background increase in loudness.
strike three!
the market women met to review the
misappropriation of their hard-earned profits
but I, Iya Ewedu could not join them.
ACT II, SCENE III
November 5, 1947. Afternoon. YEJIDE is plaiting her daughter BOLANLE’s hair. BOLANLE
is sitting on the floor while YEJIDE is sitting on a wooden stool.
BOLANLE: Maami, it hurts!
YEJIDE: Pele.
BOLANLE: Maami, I have drawn more designs. Striking has given me more time to be
creative.
YEJIDE: Really?
BOLANLE: Yes. So when we stop the strikes, you can sell some fine adire.
YEJIDE: That’s good. Protect these designs.
BOLANLE: You always remind me.
YEJIDE:(laughs) And you always say I remind you.
BOLANLE: I really want to get back to work. When will the strikes be over?
YEJIDE: Soon.
BOLANLE: That’s what you said a month ago Maammi.
YEJIDE: We have to be as slow and steady as the tortoise.
BOLANLE: But aren’t we losing money by not working? I miss working.
YEJIDE: Bolanle, if we don’t strike now, we will never make profit. I can’t lose what my
mother nearly lost.
BOLANLE: (touches hair) Ouch!
YEJIDE: Pele.
BOLANLE: What do you mean nearly lost? I thought your mother’s business was always
profitable.
YEJIDE: Well it was profitable till the puppets started taxing us and exploiting us. We
complained many times about the tax, but they refused to listen to us.
BOLANLE: Maami I am confused. I thought the adire industry benefited the white men?
Why would they not listen to the people that made them so much money?
YEJIDE: Because they felt like we were asking for too much. We asked them to remove the
tax and they said we were being unreasonable by asking them to stop the bans.
BOLANLE: What bans?
YEJIDE: Caustic soda and synthetic dyes.
BOLANLE: But those demands are reasonable.
YEJIDE: To us, they were. To them, they were not. The white men said the quality of the
adire we were producing was worse using...
BOLANLE: /caustic soda and synthetic dyes.
YEJIDE: So they banned it. We wanted to lower our costs of production and we felt there
were only two ways we could do this: train more people and continue using caustic soda and
synthetic dyes. One day, I was so angry, so I went up to one of their buildings and...
BOLANLE: /Did what Maami?
YEJIDE: I set the building on fire.
BOLANLE: No!
YEJIDE: Yes! I can never forget that day. A stupid young puppet was watching me. I looked
him in the eyes and dared him to scream. And he screamed. The fool! I knew he knew I knew
his mother.
BOLANLE: Who is his mother?
YEJIDE: She’s dead now but she traded adire as well. The boy must have thought the white
man would promote him for protecting their building. I got hurt by the flames and then
everything happened so quickly. The puppets had stopped the fire and I was locked up in a
cell.
BOLANLE: You’ve been arrested twice Maami? Also, why didn’t you light up the building
with others? If there were many of you, the fire would have spread faster.
YEJIDE: I asked them to join me, but they cared too much about their reputation and status.
BOLANLE: How many times did you ask them?
YEJIDE: Bolanle, you ask too many questions. If you see...what’s your short friend’s name
again?
BOLANLE: Abeni.
YEJIDE: Ehen, if you see Abeni struggling to spread adire, would you wait till she begged
for help? Does she even have to ask for help?
BOLANLE: I can’t believe you set their building on fire.
YEJIDE: I am not the first to set a building on fire.
BOLANLE: What do you mean?
YEJIDE: The Aba women burnt colonial buildings in response to the tax.
BOLANLE: When?
YEJIDE: About twenty years ago.
BOLANLE: Why didn’t the other women join you?
YEJIDE: They were too scared of getting in trouble with the state.
BOLANLE: You weren’t scared of...
YEJIDE: /No.
BOLANLE: No, not scared of getting in trouble. Scared of losing me?
YEJIDE: My sister in Ibadan would have raised you. I was more scared of losing Maami’s
business. You were made in nine months. Maami spent nine years working on the cocoa farm
before she could afford to trade adire.
silence.
BOLANLE: Maami, I have an Aunty? You never told me this.
YEJIDE: Step-aunty. Maami kept her from my father and me.
BOLANLE: Where is she now?
YEJIDE: With Maami.
BOLANLE: (gasps) Oh.
YEJIDE: I was in prison for a week, thankfully.
BOLANLE: Who released you?
YEJIDE: An anonymous person.
BOLANLE: Wow.
YEJIDE: But the police beat me before I was released.
BOLANLE: They are so evil. Maami, is that why you have the mark on your thigh?
YEJIDE: No, that’s from the fire. You aren’t really listening Bolanle!
BOLANLE: Wow, I was still in your tummy and they still beat you.
YEJIDE: Their hearts are made of stone.
BOLANLE: What did you do after you were released?
YEJIDE: I hired a lawyer.
BOLANLE: With what money?
YEJIDE: Your grandmother had some gold which she left for me. I sold it. (turns Bolanle’s
head) Put your head in one place. In fact, there was a Commission of Enquiry held in 1936.
IFELAYO knocks on the door.
BOLANLE: What happened at the enquiry?
IFELAYO knocks on the door harder.
YEJIDE: Who is there?
IFELAYO: Sister, it’s Ifelayo.
BOLANLE stands up to answer the door. BOLANLE opens the door and greets
IFELAYO.IFELAYO walks in.
YEJIDE: Please sit. How are you?
IFELAYO sits.
IFELAYO: Great. I have great news. I received a letter from the Native Authority. They are
begging us to return to our stalls and cease the strikes. And –
YEJIDE: /Why is that great news?
IFELAYO: It means our organising is working. If one of us was on strike, the colonial
treasury will not have decreased it significantly. But with all of us on board –
YEJIDE: /All of us except Mama Ewedu.
BOLANLE: Will you like some water Ma?
IFELAYO: Oh no, thank you. I will be leaving soon.
BOLANLE sits.
BOLANLE: My friend said she heard that somebody stole Iya Ewedu’s ewedu and broke her
stall. She has not returned to the market since that day.
YEJIDE: Wow.
IFELAYO: Yejide, with all of us united, the plan...our plan...is working. I have a good
feeling about this. And, the Daily Worker(smiles)has written about the movement. The
international eyes are all on us.
YEJIDE: Is it not the white man that oppresses us that owns the Daily Worker? If they really
cared, they would ask the King to remove the tax. It’s been months Ifelayo, and we still
haven’t made any progress.
IFELAYO: We are winning Yejide, don’t you see it? Egba women have created a
movement…this is a movement. It’s bigger than us now Yejide.
YEJIDE: How is receiving international coverage a sign of progress if we are still suffering?
We need to meet with the other women soon and plan protests. I know you want peaceful
methods but what has peace brought us? We need to fight.
IFELAYO: Well, that is also why I came here. I agree that we need to keep the momentum
going unless people will be more frustrated and give up on this movement.
beat.
I have already asked the women on this street to spread the word about a gathering next
week.
YEJIDE: That’s good. I know a lot of women will show up and we need to do something
with all the energy and the people we have.
IFELAYO: Yes, I know. Remember I said timing is important. This is the best time to
protest! I have come up with an agenda for the meeting.
YEJIDE: What is top on the agenda?
IFELAYO: We name ourselves. I thought of a name.
YEJIDE: What is the name?
IFELAYO: Abeokuta Women’s Union. And we also need a slogan, we can come up with the
slogan later.
BOLANLE: Abeokuta Women Unite!
YEJIDE: I love that.
IFELAYO: Let’s go with that slogan. Egba women need to understand that this movement
isn’t just about removing taxation.
YEJIDE: It is about tax. If we remove tax, we will make profits.
IFELAYO: It’s not just about tax.
YEJIDE: We are fighting because of tax.
IFELAYO: Correction. Tax is one of the many reasons we are fighting. Yejide, you of all
people should know better. We should be sitting on the council, making decisions, but the
British have removed our positions.
YEJIDE: You are assuming that I would get a seat on the council.
IFELAYO rises.
IFELAYO: We can speak about this another time. (looks to Bolanle) Bolanle, your mother
says you have an amazing voice. You must lead the songs next week.
BOLANLE: Thank you Ma, I was planning on singing.
IFELAYO: Glad to hear that.
IFELAYO walks towards the door and reaches for the door handle. YEJIDE rises.
YEJIDE: You always do this Ifelayo.
IFELAYO removes her hand from the door handle. She looks at Yejide in shock.
IFELAYO: Do what?
YEJIDE: Run away from the truth and make women like me feel small.
IFELAYO: Small? I came to your home to share the good news. I involved you in the
organising. I paid your bail.
YEJIDE: You keep a record of everything but your bad deeds. Ifelayo, you stole my idea.
IFELAYO: I beg your pardon.
YEJIDE moves closer to IFELAYO.
YEJIDE: I told you months ago about the importance of an ideology. And you walk into my
house, my own home, pretending like my idea is yours. Will my name even be in the Daily
Worker newspaper you mentioned? Can’t you see you are erasing my name out of history?
IFELAYO: Yejide, is it my fault that I have international connections?
YEJIDE: I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. True ALC behaviour.
IFELAYO: So the Daily Worker isn’t about the white man? It’s about me!
YEJIDE: You are behaving like the white man.
IFELAYO: How?
YEJIDE: Tell me. After we remove this tax, what happens?
IFELAYO: We would all be free.
YEJIDE: (laughs) The freedom won’t last. You will probably create a council and leave
women like me out of it again. And then we will have to beg you to listen to us.
IFELAYO: Yejide, I believe in equal treatment of all women. When you suggested that I
disband the ALC, did I not listen? For years, I have been fighting for all women. We have
made so much progress. Yejide, I really don’t want any bad blood between us. What do you
want from me?
YEJIDE: Name me Ifelayo. Name all the women that were involved in this movement unless
history will forget us.
IFELAYO twists the door handle.
IFELAYO: I really do have to go but you have my word. See you all next week.
IFELAYO exits.
BOLANLE: Maami, maybe you should write yourself into history.
YEJIDE: What do you mean?
BOLANLE: People never forget songs. If you write your aims for the movement, I can teach
the women to sing them.
YEJIDE: My aims will be too long for people to sing. Besides, I am not so great at writing.
BOLANLE: If you say the words, I will write it down.
YEJIDE: Okay. (YEJIDE rises and walks around the room) Number one. The union must
defend the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of all women in Egbaland.
BOLANLE writes as YEJIDE dictates.
YEJIDE: Add protect and preserve.
BOLANLE: You’re too fast Maami.
BOLANLE writes faster as YEJIDE dictates.
YEJIDE: Also add promote. They say three is a lucky number.
YEJIDE: (stands on the stool) Welcome to the Abeokuta Women’s Union!
Stage transforms to Abeokuta Women’s Union gathering. ALL WOMEN are on a stage,
speaking to a crowd of unseen women in the audience.
YEJIDE: Abeokuta women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
YEJIDE: Abeokuta Women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
YEJIDE: Our first objective of the Abeokuta Women’s Union is this. Please repeat after me. I
pledge.
ALL WOMEN: I pledge.
YEJIDE: To de-fend, pro-tect, pre-serve and pro-mote.
ALL WOMEN: To de-fend, pro-tect, pre-serve and pro-mote.
YEJIDE: The social, economic, cultural, and political rights.
ALL WOMEN: The social, economic, cultural, and political rights.
YEJIDE: and interests.
ALL WOMEN: and interests.
YEJIDE: of the women in Egbaland.
ALL WOMEN: of the women in Egbaland.
ALL WOMEN clap and cheer.
BOLANLE: I pledge to establish and maintain unity and cooperation among all women in
Egbaland. Unity and Cooperation!
ALL WOMEN: Unity and Cooperation!
IFELAYO: I pledge to encourage mass education among the women through teaching its
members to read and write. We will all do what?
ALL WOMEN: Read and Write!
IYA ELELUBO: I pledge to cooperate with all organizations seeking and fighting genuinely
and selflessly for the economic and political freedom and in-depend-ence of the people.
Freedom and Independence!
ALL WOMEN: Freedom and Independence!
YEJIDE: I pledge to raise and maintain necessary and adequate funds to carry out the aims
and objectives of this Union. Abeokuta Women Unite!
ALL WOMEN: Abeokuta Women Unite!
ALL WOMEN: Abeokuta Women Unite!
Spotlight reveals the other half of the stage. BABA ABENI watches IYA EWEDU and ABENI
pluck leaves from ewedu from his seat.
BABA ABENI: I am tired of eating soup.
IYA EWEDU: Tell your superiors to stop taxing us then.
BABA ABENI: But you know our superior has a superior who has a superior that wants to
make money...
IYA EWEDU: /And increase my suffering. I have told you several times to not get attached
to this uniform. Like adire soaked in hot water, your money too can fade. You should not rely
on what will fade.
ABENI aggressively chops the ewedu.
BABA ABENI: Fade! My job has provided our family with the most financial security we
have had in years.
ABENI: (murmurs) And yet I am still not in school.
BABA ABENI: What did you say?
silence.
IYA EWEDU: Speak up Abeni.
IYA EWEDU stops chopping the ewedu.
IYA EWEDU: I cannot be the only person in this family that hears your complaints.
ABENI drops the knife and cries uncontrollably.
ABENI: Daddy, (sniffs)please I am tired of sitting at home. I feel like my life has been on
pause for so long. Please, remove this tax. Mummy has lost all her savings because of
this(sniffs)tax. I am scared I will lose my dreams. My future is in your hands, it’s in your
hands and you (stammers) are crushing my dreams. Daddy, I deserve to be happy. If I don’t
have an education, I will not have joy. Please tell your superiors that we are suffering, please
tell them to remove this tax. I don’t want to lose my dream.
BABA ABENI: Abeni, why are you crying? I told you my superiors have promised to
sponsor your education.
IYA EWEDU moves towards BABA ABENI.
IYA EWEDU: When did you start believing their lies? These same men said they would
increase your pay for years at the farm and they did not.
BABA ABENI:(turns to Abeni) Honey, don’t you trust me. They have given me their word -
they said they will sponsor your school fees.
ABENI:(shouts and shakes head) I don’t trust you!
BABA ABENI rises.
BABA ABENI: (commanding voice) Abeni, have you forgotten that I brought you into this
world and can take you out of this world? Never ever raise your voice at me. Get out of my
sight!
ABENI exits. BABA ABENI sits. IYA EWEDU resumes chopping ewedu.
IYA EWEDU: (shakes head) You are too attached to this uniform.
BABA ABENI: It is this uniform that is taking care of all of us. Would you rather us starve?
IYA EWEDU: I fed this family for years with no blood on my hands.
BABA ABENI: And I was an infidel for watching you provide.
IYA EWEDU: Was? Look at yourself. You have brought shame into our home. You have
stopped loving and protecting us.
BABA ABENI: I protect you! Has any officer ever touched you?
IYA EWEDU stops chopping ewedu and moves towards BABA ABENI.
IYA EWEDU: How can you sit down and watch your family suffer? Is it not better if we are
both prospering? Your superiors are stealing my profits. Open your eyes. Can you not see
that they are also stealing our child’s future?
BABA ABENI: I don’t understand what you want. When I wore this uniform, you sang and
danced with me. If I leave this job, what will we use to send Abeni to school? I am not going
back to relying on you to take care of all of us. A man provides.
IYA EWEDU: I never blamed you for not providing. The white men paid you so little!
BABA ABENI: And Egba women did not fight for us. All you women want is power. When
Egba men were suffering, there was no strike! When there was blood on my hands, you did
not speak up. You all just want to rule over us!
IYA EWEDU: What!
BABA ABENI: Yes
IYA EWEDU: If Egba men rebelled, they would have increased your pay. Since the days of
Madame Jojolola, we have suffered. You were not the first to work on a farm, my mother
worked too! Egba women are still suffering while Egba men prosper.
BABA ABENI: Women should not be working anyways. Our superior’s wives don’t work.
IYA EWEDU: I don’t care about what their wives do! Abeni’s education is my concern. How
can you watch them steal our child’s future while their children have glorious futures? You
need to wake up!
beat.
Since Egba women have refused to pay their tax, how will you get paid?
BABA ABENI: The superiors always find a way to pay those they trust.
IYA EWEDU: They trust no one. They cannot pay you if the colonial treasury’s revenue has
significantly reduced.
BABA ABENI: Well I am the exception. Did you not hear about the child in Isabo?
IYA EWEDU: I did.
BABA ABENI: Do you know who beat her?
IYA EWEDU: No.
BABA ABENI: I beat her!
IYA EWEDU sits and cries.
IYA EWEDU: (cries) There is so much blood on your hands. You stripped and beat a twelve-
year-old because of money!
BABA ABENI: I warned you women already. You think our lives are games. If I hear of any
more misbehaviour, there will be tougher consequences.
IYA EWEDU: What would you do if one of your men beat Abeni?
BABA ABENI: Will you keep your mouth shut! Abeni is an obedient girl - she would obey
their orders. So you want me to lose it all? To quit and then what? You’ll call me a bad father
for not providing for this family. I’m not going back to that farm.
IYA EWEDU: I never called you a bad father. I know that if there was a way, you would find
a way, but this uniform isn’t the right way. There are other ways to be free.
BABA ABENI: There is no other way.
IYA EWEDU: The colonial treasury is already losing so much revenue from the strike. It
makes no sense to be on the loser’s side. You have not collected tax in months!
BABA ABENI: The superiors are coming up with another method and I will be promoted.
I’m not going back to the farm.
IYA EWEDU: But removing the taxation will reduce any chances of going back to the farm?
BABA ABENI: Wake up!
IYA EWEDU: Your superiors fear us already. And they will fear us more if Egba men join
us…we should all be united, but your men have refused to open their eyes. Open your eyes!
This isn’t just about tax. This is about you sitting down while your superiors exploit us all.
BABA ABENI: As long as I receive my salary, that does not concern me. (checks time) It is
even time for our worship. Abeni!
ABENI enters. IYA EWEDU and BABA ABENI rise to sing.
BABA ABENI, IYA EWEDU and ABENI: Angels are singing you are worthy o lord, they
are singing you are worthy o lord. Angels are dancing you are worthy o lord, they are dancing
you are worthy o lord. Angels are jumping, you are worthy o lord, they are jumping you are
worthy o lord.
IYA EWEDU sits.
BABA ABENI: (shouts)Did I ask you to sit?
IYA EWEDU: (screams)Since when do you ask me to sit?
BABA ABENI: Is your head well? Stand up! Ka Mark, chapter five from verse eleven to
thirteen.
IYA EWEDU reluctantly stands up. ‘Abeokuta Women Unite!’ chant plays in the background.
IYA EWEDU: Verse eleven. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. verse
12. The demons begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’ verse
13.(looks at audience). ‘He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went
into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the
lake and were drowned’
BABA ABENI: (pauses and laughs hysterically) Disobedient women are pigs.
IYA EWEDU: (looks to audience) I became a literary device.
BABA ABENI: Demon-infested pigs. You lack respect and have no regard for authority.
How dare you disrespect the King’s orders?
‘Abeokuta Women Unite!’ chant grows louder in the background. IYA EWEDU turns to see
where the noise is coming from. She appears excited and happy that the women are united.
BABA ABENI: (bites lips) If you follow those rebellious women, you too will drown like
those pigs in the fiery fury pit of the hellfire lake. Abeni, bring my food now!
BABA ABENI and ABENI exits.
IYA EWEDU: (turns to audience) I became a literary device. A simile for calling my
husband and his superiors’ puppets. When the oyinbo man says lo si23 (IYA EWEDU jumps)
hellfire, they all jump. Be warned o, some women are puppets. They pretend they care about
women like me, but they want power. For years, I carried this household financially and
finally my husband got a job, but power corrupted him. But how can I live with a man that
beats women outside? What joy does that bring? I have never had wealth like Iya Elelubo or
Ifelayo nor have I had Yejide’s family business ties, but I have joy and I don’t want that joy
taken away from me. I earned my joy. I worked hard for it. And this puppet I married has
been stealing my joy. He keeps my joy in his pockets. At first, I acted like I did not care
because he promised to protect me, but puppets can never protect when they have power –
they are corrupt! They do not protect us. I was a fool for thinking it would. There is blood on
my hands by association. For years, we have been trying to fight this tax. I shouldn't have to
work this hard for what I have. When Ifelayo helped me collect my rice from those puppets, I
realised that it is easy for puppets to run away with your joy. That rice was supposed to pay
for Abeni’s education. Thank God Ifelayo helped me. Mama always said that education is a
weapon. Mama also warned me about the rich women who marry big men. Mama said
23 The English translation is ‘Jump in.’
money clears their eyes. I am not rich, but I have become like rich women. How did I not see
that power will not save me! I am sure the puppets are worried that thousands of women are
united. They cannot win! Mama always said that when the puppets are worried, we are doing
our work well!
IYA EWEDU runs to the other half of the stage. Lights reveal an assembly of Egba Women.
IYA EWEDU watches as the women shout ‘Abeokuta Women Unite!’
ALL WOMEN: Abeokuta Women Unite!
YEJIDE: Women of Egbaland.
IYA EWEDU walks closer to the stage.
YEJIDE: Women of Egbaland.
We must remember one important rule. No member of this Union should think herself better
than others. Everybody should move freely and happily.
IYA EWEDU smiles. She starts the applause and everyone else follows
We all know why we are gathered today. The puppets want us to suffer but we, we Egba
women, will not accept that. Colonialism is a system that exploits Africans so that Europe
develops. In the old days, they cramped us in boats. Today, they tax us, strip us economically
so that we beg. But the begging is over. We will not beg for bread.
ALL WOMEN cheer.
Egba women, we are smarter than them now. We know our worth. We know we contribute
large revenue to the colonial treasury. We know we do business well and we know that this is
why they want to steal from us. Their revenue has been decreasing for years and they think
they can use our bodies, our labour, and our time to recover their losses. Instead of them to
remove the tax, they increase the number of police. Instead of listening to us, they take away
our positions in the council.
Remember, for Britain to prosper, Egba must suffer. So Egba women, don’t be fooled by the
railways and roads they are building. It is not for us. It is for the puppets. We cannot compare
the exploitation of our labour and extraction of our raw materials to any investment the
puppets have made in infrastructure. This taxation is violent! This taxation is what?
ALL WOMEN: Violent!
ABENI: Many of us, young and old, have suffered under this violent administration. They
strip us, they beat us, they rape us. They will soon kill us if we do not continue our strikes
and protests.
BOLANLE: My grandmother, Madame Jojolola said these words to the King ‘we make no
profit on the goods we sell and yet we have been called upon to pay taxes’24. For years, they
24 According to Judith Byfield’s (2003) paper titled ‘Taxation, Women, and the Colonial State: Egba Women's Tax Revolt’, this statement was Madame Jojolola’s Testimony to the Commission of Enquiry into the disturbances into Abeokuta Province, November 11, 1918, 212.
have tried to kill our spirit, but we have our mother’s spirit in us. Our mothers and
grandmothers are watching us.
IYA ELELUBO: Can you see that this is not the first time they have tried to oppress us?
Remember that o. Many of you might remember that our mothers and grandmothers had
powerful positions in the council. The puppets have taken away our positions in the council.
So, when we march next week, we march not just because we demand that this tax be
removed, but we also remember our mothers who fought for this taxation to be removed and
who fought for their positions to be restored.
IYA EWEDU: No fo-reign taxa-tion without rep-re-sen-tation!
ALL WOMEN: No fo-reign taxa-tion without rep-re-sen-tation!
ALL WOMEN: Abeokuta Women Unite!
YEJIDE: Egba women, when we march in front of the King’s Palace, we must bring our
voices, but we must also bring our banners. Does anyone have any ideas for what we should
put on the banner? Bolanle, please write them down.
BOLANLE writes out words that are mentioned.
IFELAYO: Cooperation!
BOLANLE: Unity!
IYA EWEDU: Democracy!
YEJIDE: We all must put ourselves last and this movement first. We must all be selfless.
This is not the time to be silent, this is the time to shout and sing. Our children must
remember us as fighters.
IFELAYO: (looks at Bolanle) Selfless Service. Add that to the banner.
BOLANLE writes the last word mentioned. She brings out the banner and reveals the banner
to the women on stage.
silence.
YEJIDE: Our brothers, husbands, even friends, have called our strikes and protests violent!
But they too have been violent!
IYA EWEDU walks closer to the stage.
IYA ELELUBO: Abi o.
YEJIDE: If your friend is thirsty, you will give them water. They have asked us for violence
so we too will give them back what they asked. Women of Egba, they fear us o. When we
were writing letters to the King, did he answer us?
ALL WOMEN: No!
YEJIDE: When we organised to meet with the police, did they listen to us?
ALL WOMEN: No!
YEJIDE: The Egba United Government has tried to remove our voices and reduce our
honour. The sole leader, our Alake, who the puppets have appointed, consults nobody but his
puppets. They think that because we have nobody to represent us, we will accept their
nonsense. But we do not need one leader because we, Egba women, are all leaders. They
want us to be inferior in our country - shame on them! And for our brothers, husbands and
friends who sit as we suffer - what do we say?
ALL WOMEN: Shame on them!
IYA EWEDU: We have asked for better maternal care and greater educational opportunities,
but they have shut their ears. We should not have to send our children to Britain for better
education. It will be different if we made profit on the goods we sell but we do not. So where
is this tax going?
IYA ELELUBO: To the puppets pocket. Those men are collecting high salaries for exploiting
us.
IYA EWEDU: I know some of you might be scared. You might be thinking that it is sacrilege
to protest in the king’s palace. Egba women, it is sacrilege for our own King to sit as we
suffer. And it is sacrilege for our men to sit as we suffer. The Egba United Government need
to know that without us, they will not be alive. Look around you, we, the Abeokuta Women’s
Union, are united. And because we are united, we will win!
IYA EWEDU starts singing.
IYA EWEDU: Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! If
this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
ALL WOMEN: (enthusiastically)Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! Cooperation, Unity
and Democracy! If this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
IYA EWEDU: Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! If
this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
ALL WOMEN: Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! Cooperation, Unity and Democracy! If
this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
IYA EWEDU: Abeokuta Women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
IYA ELELUBU: Abeokuta Women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
IFELAYO: Abeokuta Women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
IFELAYO: See you all next week!
IYA ELEUBO: See you!
IYA ELELUBO leaves the meeting quickly and walks to her house. A spotlight reveals BABA
ABENI walking behind IYA ELELUBO. IYA ELELUBO notices someone is behind her and
screams.
BABA ABENI: Iya Elelubo, don’t be frightened. I didn’t mean to scare you.
IYA ELELUBO: What do you want?
BABA ABENI: I want your time.
IYA ELELUBO: You want my time. You don’t need my time.
BABA ABENI: No need for semantics! Is it because you are looking sweet today?
IYA ELELUBO smiles a little.
BABA ABENI: How is the family?
IYA ELELUBO: Everyone is fine.
IYA ELELUBO smiles uncontrollably.
BABA ABENI: And you? How are you?
IYA ELELUBO: Baba Abeni, what do you want?
BABA ABENI: My wife told me you have been struggling.
IYA ELELUBO: Who hasn’t?
BABA ABENI: My superior is aware that many Egba women are not making any profit.
IYA ELELUBO: When did he receive the news that we haven’t made profit in years?
BABA ABENI: You are really looking for trouble. I came here to share some good news. My
superior has agreed to…
IYA ELELUBO starts jubiliating.
IYA ELELUBO: /They will remove the tax!
BABA ABENI: No! They have agreed to offer tax breaks to women like you who have given
so much to the community.
IYA ELELUBO: How come I am only hearing of this now?
BABA ABENI: (whispers) We are keeping things quiet at the moment, especially because of
the ongoing conflict between the state and the AWU. If we announced it, everyone would
demand it.
IYA ELELUBO: Can I get the fund today then? I will march back to the colonial office with
you if I can get it today.
BABA ABENI: Well, there are some terms and conditions.
IYA ELELUBO: What are the terms and conditions?
BABA ABENI: What are the Abeokuta Women’s Unions plans?
IYA ELELUBO: Why can’t you ask your wife?
BABA ABENI: We are not on speaking terms at the moment, but I know she and the other
women have been attending secret meetings at odd times. I know they are up to something.
IYA ELELUBO: And how would I know? I don’t endorse their nonsense!
BABA ABENI: Really, you don’t believe in tax removal?
IYA ELELUBO: The white man is giving us railways, roads, hospitals, schools and in return
we must pay tax. That’s life - you sow, and you reap. I know in time we will reap immensely
because of what we have sown. So I'm not so worried about the tax.
BABA ABENI: But your business…
IYA ELELUBO: /Do you not know my husband?
BABA ABENI: I know many wives but not many husbands.
IYA ELELUBO: My husband works with the Native Authority. In fact, he was recently
promoted.
BABA ABENI: I see. So that’s why you aren’t so worried about the tax?
IYA ELELUBO: How much is The Alake's recovery fund?
BABA ABENI: 10,000 pounds.
IYA ELELUBO: What! How does The Alake have that much money when the colonial
treasury is suffering?
BABA ABENI:(laughs) I’m surprised your husband didn’t tell you.
IYA ELELUBO: He keeps work affairs private. Tell me what?
BABA ABENI moves close to IYA ELELUBO and leaves no space between their bodies.
BABA ABENI: (whispers)Well, the King is taking advantage of the black market. Ever since
our superiors cut his salary, he bought plots of land and is now renting it to the European
merchants and colonial officers.
IYA ELELUBO: Wow! There is nothing I will not hear of in this land!
BABA ABENI: So what are the Abeokuta Women’s Union up to?
IYA ELELUBO: I don’t speak without a contract.
BABA ABENI:(laughs) I know you.
drums play in the background.
BABA ABENI brings out a pen and paper. IYA ELELUBO reads the document swiftly and
smiles. She signs the document.
IYA ELELUBO: There’s a protest in a few weeks. The women are mobilising everyone in
the neighbouring towns.
BABA ABENI: How many women will be marching?
IYA ELELUBO: Tens of thousands.
BABA ABENI: Impossible!
IYA ELELUBO: Can you not feel our rage? Baba Abeni, you have taken enough of my time.
And also, let no one hear of this.
BABA ABENI: I promise.
ACT III, SCENE I
December 1, 1947. Evening. Stage is divided into two. BABA ABENI and COMMISSIONER
OF POLICE are playing a game of ayo25 in the left half of the stage. In the right half of the
stage, IYA EWEDU and ABENI are playing a game of ayo. BABA ABENI picks up the seeds
from the COMMISSIONER OF POLICE’s holes and runs them clockwise. COMMISSIONER
OF POLICE also picks up the seeds from BABA ABENI’s holes and runs them
counterclockwise.
BABA ABENI and ABENI: ookan, eji, eta, erin, arun, efa26.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE and IYA EWEDU: You still need to count!
BABA ABENI laughs awkwardly. IYA EWEDU and ABENI continue playing their game in
silence. Spotlight is only on BABA ABENI and COMMISSIONER OF POLICE.
BABA ABENI: Sir, you mentioned that I will be promoted soon.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: But you know there are terms and conditions. The Alake
will not promote anyone or increase any salary if tax collection is low.
BABA ABENI: It has only decreased because of their strikes. I have been diligent.
25 Ayo is a board game played by the Yorubas.
26 The English translation is: One, two, three, four five.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: Where are the results? Clearly, the women don’t fear you or
the other policemen.
BABA ABENI: I have an update about the AWU. A woman confessed that the AWU are
protesting in a few weeks. They have already started organising and mobilising women from
various towns.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: And what should I do with that news? If The Alake refuses
to remove the tax, they will protest till they die.
BABA ABENI: (quietly) Last week, you told me that the British already think The Alake is
incompetent. Well, this news gives us enough time to prepare and send our men to the palace.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: Palace?
BABA ABENI: Yes, they are protesting at The Alake’s palace.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE rises and throws the ayo game on the floor in anger.
IYA EWEDU:(screams) I won!
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: These women must be mad if they think we will permit
their unruly behaviour. Our jobs are on the line! Oh God, the British can already smell
trouble. We must put a stop to their nonsense.
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE waves goodbye and exits the stage.
ACT III, SCENE II
December 8, 1947. Morning. ALL WOMEN walk towards the King’s gate. The
CONTEMPORARIES walk behind them but are not recognized by anyone. Everyone claps
and chants ‘No foreign taxation without representation!’ in front of the gate.
YEJIDE: What do we say to the Egba United government?
ALL WOMEN: No fo-reign taxa-tion without rep-re-sen-tation!
Chants continue as Ifelayo speaks.
IFELAYO: (shouting) We demand to see The Alake of Egbaland.
BABA ABENI: Have you ever known Kabiyesi grant audience at this hour? Go back and
warn those noisy women behind you27 to leave the palace ground!
The women move a step backwards as though they are obeying his instruction. Drums begin.
When BABA ABENI walks away from the gate, YEJIDE and IFELAYO move a step forward
and all women storm the gate and run into the palace field. The CONTEMPORARIES follow
them in shock. When the women arrive in the palace field, they continue their chants.
27 This is a direct quotation from Wole Soyinka’s (1981) dramatic account
of the Egba women’s revolt in his memoir, Ake: Years of Childhood.
IYA EWEDU: Abeokuta women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
YEJIDE: Abeokuta Women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
IYA EWEDU: Cooperation, Unity and Democracy!
ALL WOMEN: If this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
BABA ABENI screams ‘Get out!’ whilst running to flog several women. The women all
disperse as Baba Abeni’s whip bounces on the ground.
ODENI: The women dodged the beatings!
ENITAN: That was so close!
Slowly, the women assemble again in front of the palace field and their chants are even
louder.
YEJIDE: Abeokuta Women!
ALL WOMEN: Unite!
IYA EWEDU: Cooperation, Unity and Democracy!
ALL WOMEN: If this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
IYA EWEDU: Cooperation, Unity and Democracy!
ALL WOMEN: If this tax is not removed, we no go agree!
The Alake enters. The women go down on one knee and rise.
ALAKE: My daughters, what is the matter?
ENITAN: (quietly) Even the language of these leaders has not changed.
ODENI: Abi o. Our governors till speak to us like children.
NNEKA: Shh. Listen!
IFELAYO: Kabiyesi, the message which I bring you today is the message of all the women
who have left their stalls, farms, homes and children to come and visit you today. They are
the suffering crowd who are gathered on your front lawn... they are all the womanhood of
Egba, and they have come to say- Enough is Enough! Kabiyesi, the women of Egba are
starving. Kabiyesi, our children are starving. The women of Egba are tired of begging you for
change and seeing no results. Kabiyesi, Enough is Enough!28
ALL WOMEN: Enough is Enough! No more Tax! Enough is Enough! No more Tax!
YEJIDE: Under your rule, we have suffered and continue to suffer. Ibadan women do not pay
any tax. Lagos women do not pay any tax. What sins have Egba women committed to
warrant the imposition of taxation?
silence.
Kabiyesi, you and your men are crooks and thieves. They steal our gari, lafun, salt,
vegetables and say that you have approved of their abuse of power. In your name, they have
flogged, arrested and even locked up many women. We have written petitions, sat down with
you to discuss our situation in meetings and yet your men continue to oppress our women.
So, we have come today to say, no more tax!
ALL WOMEN and CONTEMPORARIES: Enough is Enough! No more Tax! Enough is
Enough! No more Tax!
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE enters. The women boo and hiss as he enters.
COMISSIONER OF POLICE: (turns to Ifelayo) Will you keep your women in order!29
28 Minor changes were made to this direct quotation from Wole Soyinka’s (1981) dramatic account of the Egba women’s revolt in his memoir, Ake.
29 Ibid.
IFELAYO: We have come to restore order. Or do you think we are here to play?30
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: (commanding tone) Tell them to shut up!
silence.
IFELAYO: (rolls eyes) Excuse me, were you talking to me?31
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE: (commanding tone) Yes of course I am. Shut up your
women!
silence.
IFELAYO: You may have been born but you were not bred. Could you speak to your mother
like that32?
The women shake their head at the COMISSIONER OF POLICE in unison. Embarrassed by
the insults, the COMMISSIONER OF POLICE walks towards BABA ABENI.
BABA ABENI: (to the audience) The world is coming to an end when these women can lay
siege to the palace and disturb the peace33. (to the women) You all belong to the kitchen. Go
30 This is a direct quotation from Wole Soyinka’s (1981) dramatic account
of the Egba women’s revolt in his memoir, Ake: Years of Childhood. 31 This is a direct quotation from Wole Soyinka’s (1981) dramatic account
of the Egba women’s revolt in his memoir, Ake: Years of Childhood. 32 Ibid. 33 Ibid.
home and feed your children instead of bringing trouble to the palace. Not pay tax indeed!
Hm-hm-hm pshee-aw34!
ALL WOMEN ignore BABA ABENI’s comments and continue their chant.
ALL WOMEN and CONTEMPORARIES: Enough is Enough! No more Tax! Enough is
Enough! No more Tax!
ALL WOMEN: / No fo-reign taxa-tion without rep-re-sen-tation! No fo-reign taxa-tion
without rep-re-sen-tation!
ALL WOMEN cheer. The CONTEMPORARIES join them in cheering.
IFELAYO: Ademola, you collude with the British to oppress your own people. For years,
you have worked with the puppets to control our incomes. Your men even threw some of us
in prison thinking that we will give up and pay the tax you demand. Ademola, even if the tax
was one penny, Egba women will not pay any tax35.
BABA ABENI: Will you speak to the King with respect?
34 Minor changes were made to this direct quotation from Wole Soyinka’s (1981) dramatic account of the Egba women’s revolt in his memoir, Ake.
35 This is influenced by lyrics from Song no. 17 of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s songbook collection. I discovered her songbook by reading Professor Stephanie Shonekan’s (2009) paper titled ‘Fela's Foundation: Examining the
Revolutionary Songs of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and the Abeokuta Market Women's Movement in 1940s Western Nigeria’
IFELAYO: Officer, today is the day we are bestowing honour to our King.
IYA EWEDU: Unlike the former Gbadebo, your reign has been chaos. We have had no peace
and joy because of you. We will only honour a leader that takes care of his people. Even God
will not bless this headship. Alake, your days of oppressing us are numbered. Since you have
stolen from us, the Almighty will take away your wealth and health. If you don’t know, know
now. God does not bless unjust leaders. And you advisors and police with eyes like crayfish,
you are all crooks and thieves. Egba women will continue to fight for the removal of this
taxation and God will give us victory.
BABA ABENI: Are you out of your –?
ALL WOMEN and CONTEMPORARIES cheer.
ALAKE: /Abolishing tax is impossible! I must consult the council of government before
making any decisions. I have given you my word that the council will consider your pleas.
YEJIDE: You keep saying you will speak to the council of government, but you are part of
the government. If you cannot follow your conscience, then this job is not worth clinging to36.
NNEKA: This sounds so familiar. Did our governor not say he will go to Abuja to speak to
the President?
36 This is a direct quotation from Wole Soyinka’s (1981) dramatic account
of the Egba women’s revolt in his memoir, Ake: Years of Childhood.
ODENI: (laughs) The man wanted to speak to SARS in Aso-Rock!
ENITAN: (sighs) Nothing changed even after he spoke to the President. Our leaders all read
the lines from the same script.
The Alake stares in silence, sighs, rises and enters the palace. Drums play in the background
and the women dance the bata and sing. The CONTEMPORARIES, unaware of this new
song, sit on the ground and bring out their phones to record the performance. The
CONTEMPORARIES presence is still unnoticed.
ACT III, SCENE III
January 3, 1948. Afternoon. The women are sitting on chairs eating amala and ewedu. They
are smiling with so much joy. BOLANLE and ABENI walk into the compound singing.
ENITAN, NNEKA and ODENI walk behind them and join in singing.
BOLANLE and ABENI:
fire is on the warpath raging.
rain is on the warpath pelting
rain will surely overcome the fire.
fire is on the warpath
rain is on the warpath
the rain will surely overcome the fire37.
BOLANLE and ABENI run and scream. ENITAN, NNEKA and ODENI walk faster.
BOLANLE and ABENI: The king has abdicated! The king has abdicated!
All women except IYA ELELUBO leap for joy. IYA EWEDU and BOLANLE sing.
37 According to Stephanie Shonekan (2009) paper titled ‘Fela's Foundation:
Examining the Revolutionary Songs of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and the Abeokuta Market Women's Movement in 1940s Western Nigeria’, these lyrics are from Song no. 172 of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s songbook collection.
IYA EWEDU:
fire is on the warpath raging.
rain is on the warpath pelting
rain will surely overcome the fire.
fire is on the warpath
rain is on the warpath
the rain will surely overcome the fire.
IYA ELELUBO: (turns to audience) The knife will always cut the yam. Abeni, where is this
news from?
ABENI: I heard my dad speaking to the Commissioner. And that isn’t all. The Native
Authority are temporarily abolishing the
tax.
YEJIDE:(rises) Come and eat the amala and ewedu we prepared for you.
ENITAN:(whispers) So their strikes and protests worked?
IYA EWEDU drinks water. ALL hum ‘fire is on the warpath’ song.IYA ELELUBO continues
to eat her food. ABENI, BOLANLE, ENITAN, NNEKA, ODENI and YEJIDE sit and breathe a
loud sigh of relief. Only YEJIDE can see ENITAN, NNEKA and ODENI.
IYA ELELUBO: Remember to wash your hands.
IFELAYO rinses hands and passes a bowl of water to IYA EWEDU who rinses hands and
passes the bowl of water to BOLANLE who rinses hands and passes the bowl of water to
ABENI who rinses hands and passes the bowl of water to YEJIDE who rinses hands and
passes the bowl to ENITAN who rinses hands and passes the bowl to NNEKA who rinses
hands and passes the bowl to ODENI who rinses hands and empties the bowl of water on the
ground. They all start eating.
IYA EWEDU and YEJIDE: How’s the food?
IFELAYO and IYA ELELUBO laugh.
BOLANLE: (turns to YEJIDE) Maami, I can taste the joy.
Lights fade to a Blackout.
THE END
