Poem to Celebrate International Workers’ Day

By Oluwabamigbe Remi AJAYI

A Retiree from Igogo Ekiti

ooluwabamigbe@gmail.com.

Stanza I – The Call of May Day
May Day is here again,
A day of solidarity,
A day when workers stand united,
Across every divide.
A moment to honor struggles,
Sacrifices and resilience,
Of men and women whose labour
Sustains the world.

Stanza II – Remembering the Struggle
We celebrate the sweat on the labourer’s brow,
The dignity in honest toil.
We remember our fallen comrades,
Who paid the ultimate price,
Demanding fair wages,
And safer working conditions.
From Chicago and the Haymarket Affair,
To the Aba Women's Riot in Nigeria,
The spirit of resistance lives on.
Labour unions and associations stand tall
The Nigeria Labour Congress,
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,
Pensioners, market women, artisans
All as one body, united.

Stanza III – Resilience in Hardship
We celebrate not only victories,
But hardships endured and overcome,
Suffering seen, faced, and conquered.
When fair wages were denied,
When survival seemed uncertain,
From zero allocations,
To half-salary regimes,
Workers still stood firm,
Holding on to dignity.

Stanza IV – Strength in Survival
We honor the strength to survive,
Amid economic hardship and repression.
The courage of women rising,
Against tyranny and injustice.
The quiet resilience in community,
In ajo, in esusu,
Where hands join hands,
And hope is sustained together.

Stanza V – A Movement, Not Just a Day
May Day is more than celebration,
It is a movement for justice.
A stand against draconian laws,
A united voice, a common purpose.
Through rallies, parades, and speeches,
We raise our demands
For fairness, dignity, and equity,
In the world of work.
For the worker still in service,
And the retiree who deserves rest with honor.

 CELEBRATING MY DEAR STATE, EKITI STATE; THE LAND OF HONOUR.

BY OLUWABAMIGBE REMI AJAYI,

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY,

SCHOOLS OF AGRICULTURE AND ENTERPRISE AGENCY, EKITI STATE.

WELCOME TO EKITI STATE.

A)

Welcome to Ekiti land,

The land of Honour,

The Honour bequeathed to us by our forefathers,

The Honour held in esteem from generation to generation,

Integrity is our baton of race.

Honest is our trade mark.

Discipline and Hard work beckon to us.

With love and strength, we pursue our dreams.

B)

The land where the sun is shining brightly,

And the birds singing sweetly,

The luxuriant vegetation decorates the hilly terrain.

Rugged hills dotted the landscape.

Hill and valley define our identity – Okiti.

And where our name “Ekiti” is derived.

Rising sun, shining brightly onward,

Onward to a brighter future.

C)

As we woke up to a wonderful sun rays one day.

A day so bright and offers a new era and opportunities

The good people of Ekiti woke up,

To the cheering news of the state creation

Sonorous news to the hearing,

And the State erupted into a joyous ecstasy,

It was a tall dream came into fulfillment.

It was time for the workers to leave their land of sojourn.

To their promised land, land of Honour, the state of our own was birthed.

D)

The new birth ushered in an awesome future.

Even when the tide is high, the relenting spirits of Ekiti forges on,

It was a journey to wholeness and undaunted courage and perseverance.

We knew the journey might not be smooth from the beginning,

Each step a tale of battles fought but strength anew,

And of dreams pursued and lessons sought

We remained unmovable, unbroken, and unshaken with hope as a guide

The people submerse in the rich world of characters,

Characters that shape our identity as our undaunted spirit hums our anthem.

E)

To the heroes who fought for the creation of our state

Thanks to you, we stand tall and celebrate you all.

Through your sacrifice, courage, and grace,

You found us a place to call our own state.

Your courage is etched on our minds and on our history’s page.

With dreams of freedom, you matched along,

Through trials and battles, you made a way,

For a land to call our own, where hope holds sway

Now, we stand tall with pride and grace. 

 A POETRY TO COMMEMORATE  2024 EKITI CIVIL SERVICE WEEK

WRITTEN BY OLUWABAMIGBE REMI AJAYI

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SCHOOLS AGRICULTURE & ENTERPRISE AGENCY (SAEA)

 EKITI CIVIL SERVANTS, THE PRIDE OF THE NATION.

A

Ekiti Civil service, a place where intellectuals congregate,

A home of technocrats, technicians, experts, and professionals;

They call us the servants,

But we told them we are the grand makers and the master planners.

We chart the path for others to follow;

Because our works define the world others live in and enjoy today;

Hence we are the bride of the day,    

Our calling is divine, distinct, and humble but its necessity makes it reverberating globally.

                                                                                  B.

Civil servants are not only the engine room of governments,

We are the driving force.

We are the drive, the accelerators, and the friction oils;

We are the silent voice to be seen but not to be heard,

Yet, we are the cynosure of all eyes and envy of other professions.

We are special and unique,

Professionalism defines our uniqueness and our dressings set us apart from the crowd.

We neither appear casual nor in haste in comportment.

  C

No matter the cadre,

Irrespective of our academic backgrounds and lines

We speak the same language,

Circulars, memos and memoranda reinforce our monotonous language and esprit de corps;

Bureaucracy is our partner; hierarchy is our beauty.

Our respect is in the protocol and the aura we exude while our dignity defines our finest;

Documentation remains our strength and defense,

Rules, policies and regulations boost our commitment and our path to success.

D

Frivolity is far from us; we approach every matter in business-like,

We refuse to decorate titles and offices,

We chose the simplest title for our boss, head of service.

When we love, governments prosper, as witness today.

But when we cough, the seats of government and even nation shiver;

Civilization defines our struggles,

Strike defines our moments of anger and frustration, biro remains a potent weapon.

It’s an expression of our rejection to draconian policies,

And love for our members and their families.

We tip our hat to the present administration for its worker-friendly policies.

No matter what career path you choose, you need a teacher to guide you in the right path. A teacher's influence knows no bounds. They empower generations, one stage at a time.

Teachers shape individuals, communities and Society as a whole. They inspire and educate children who become leaders, innovators, and citizens of tomorrow.

A Society without effective teachers would likely face stagnation in innovation and progress as well as lack of educated, critically thinking citizens, unskilled workforce and reduced productivity.

In celebration of this year's Teachers' day, we wrote a tribute to all teachers out there and also, we are introducing a book written to make a true and model Teacher. 

  Tribute to the Teachers in My Life 

By Oluwabamigbe Remi Ajayi.

Executive Secretary, Schools Agriculture and Enterprise Agency,

Ekiti – State.

A. In the chilling cold of harmattan morning,

I trotted to the school with my hands clasped in my mother's hands.

Soon, I was entrusted to the hands of a female teacher.

I broke away in trembling and ran back to my mother.

Never would I follow a stranger;

My mother was petrified and angered by my actions.

The teacher I thought was a stranger was full of excitement.

I was coaxed by my teacher into submission.

Yet, I still refused to mingle with my peers in class.

B.  My first teacher allowed me to cling to her,

Playing the role of a mother;

She gave me enough space till apron ties were broken.

Her kind attention touched my feeble heart.

I had a home away from home;

No longer had a single mother but two.

My journey into an uncertain world began,

A journey from one ladder of academics to another;

Their teachings help me see the hidden treasure in learning,

Their radiant light shines through, casting brilliance on the path of my journey.

C. They made me love learning;

They built in me confidence;

They taught me to be optimistic;

They led me to a path of greatness;

They led me to success because they found in me a unique potential;

They taught me how to maximize my potential

They believe in me; that taught me to try when the road got rough.

They made learning a fun.

Their teaching forms the filter through which I view the world today.

What they taught me bits by bits formed my totality and personality.

D. They are many important people in my journey of life,

But teachers were the first.

With them, I learned those stuff that changed me into what I am today.

If I hadn't had them as my teachers,

I just wouldn't know what my fate could be.

I found in them a great role model;

I saw in them a rainbow of possibilities.

I found them a joy that enriches all I do;

I saw in them the hope amidst despair

I found in them encouragement and a never-die spirit.

E. Yes, the teachers I met on my journey through life

Might differ in gender, shape, height, status, and sometimes in characters,

Yet, they possessed the same quality of caring, love, and support.

 I will always remember to celebrate them.

As long as I have my breath,

Thank you all for being my teachers all the way

Great Minds! Great Teachers!

Thank you, my teachers, my mentors,

Truly, you were my guiding angel, my counsellor, and my adviser.

HAPPY TEACHERS’ DAY

Signed,

Remi Ajayi.

Finally, Our Book: "Who is my Teacher?" is still selling fast here on our website. Find out all you need to know about a model Teacher in the life of Alade Bruce. The book is fun to read, educative, instructive, entertaining and insightful.

You can buy for yourself or gift to the Teachers in your life to celebrate them for all their hard work thus far. CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS