Every Sunday befor for Naija, dey be like one big competition to see which family pot of jollof rice wey big pass. Sunday Jollof bin bi like tradition, in fact e bin bi culture, e dey for blood. But this Sunday Jollof matter, e don dey change o!
For this Naija, economic wahala no dey gree pipu rest. Fuel price dey high, dollar rate dey waka go where we no sabi, and foodstuff sef no wan hear word again. The way things dey go, e come bi like say na only who tie wrapper well dey chop Sunday Jollof, while the rest dey look like who dey watch film for cinema.
You fit remember those days wey Sunday Jollof na sure banker? Every Sunday, as church close, children go dey smell the sweet aroma of Jollof rice wey dey come from Mama Nkechi house. Neighbours go dey greet themselves with the smell, as dem dey fry goat meat, chicken, or even fish join. Na so everybody go just dey smile like who win lottery. Even if you no cook your own, you go surely chop from your neighbour house because food dey everywhere. But now, who go share Jollof for you? Everybody don dey calculate, dey manage. Na who go come to your house when own sef no dey reach?
Make we talk true, the price of rice alone don make Sunday Jollof rice dey look like luxury item. Weytin we go talk about the tin tomato and pepper? Dem too dey do race with dollar rate. Before, person fit use five hundred naira cook one big pot of Jollof rice, but now, even with five thousand naira, you no go even fit buy enough ingredient.
Some people dey try dodge the Sunday Jollof responsibility. You go hear am for their voice: “Ah, na so I dey fast on Sundays.” Fast ke? Oga, we know say na because Jollof rice don turn to scarce commodity. E no easy again to keep up with this tradition. E be like say economy sef dey warn us, “una better find another food to celebrate with, because Jollof rice don tire.”
Yet, no matter how the economy wan bend us, we still dey find way. Nigerians no dey carry last! You go see person wey go still manage cook small Jollof with one sachet of tomato paste, one cup of rice, and one small fish wey dem fit catch for back of house. Dem go still invite neighbours come chop; because even in scarcity, Naija spirit dey say, “make we share.”
But as we dey look Sunday Jollof matter, we suppose ask ourselves: who really get this Jollof to share? Na only those wey the economy never fit bend reach ground. Those wey fit still get small thing to spare. But many people no dey talk true, dem go dey form say dem no wan chop, meanwhile na condition make crayfish bend.
E dey pain o! E dey pain say the joy of Sunday Jollof dey reduce, as pipu dey struggle make ends meet. But as usual, we go dey waka dey go, dey manage with the little wey we get. Maybe na to switch to Sunday Indomie now, or even Sunday Yam Porridge, who sabi? But one thing sure pass, Nigerians go always find way to keep the joy alive, even if na small.
So as you dey read this one, ask yourself: you get Jollof to share? If you no get, no shame o! We dey together for this hustle. If you get, abeg, remember say Sunday Jollof na for everybody. No forget your neighbour wey dey smell the aroma, dey pray say you go still get the heart to share like before. Because no matter how the economy wan scatter things, Naija people go always believe say sharing no dey finish.
Happy Sunday Jollof to those wey fit chop am! And to those wey no fit, make we hope for better days wey dey come. Naija, we go dey alright last last.
