Mamser songs for children

1. STAND UP FOR NIGERIA. 

(a) I will love Nigeria always always (2x) . 

I'll never give or take a bribe. 

Working hard to give my best, I'll make Nigeria great.

 

(b) For the love of money is the root of all evil (2x), 

But honesty and purity will bring Nigeria honour

and her people shall be great. 

(c) If you love Nigeria, stand up, stand up (2x). 

Through loyalty and discipline, 

We'll set Nigeria on the rock of righteousness today, today. 

................

2. LITTLE ONES 

I am a little one. 

Special and dear I am , you know I am. 

Though I am little now,

 I want the world to know how I feel.          

Oh the little ones are the only hope for tomorrow.

 What you make of us you have made the world of tomorrow. 

Show the little ones what is right to do and the way to go. 

Give us a chance. 

Take care of little ones. 

(*Sing the whole song twice and then "oh the little ones..." afterwards).

................

3. I PLEDGE TO MY COUNTRY.

I pledge to my country, Nigeria, 

To be faithful, loyal and honest, 

To serve her with all my strength. 

I pledge to defend her unity 

And uphold her honour and glory.

 So help me, o God.

CALL & RESPONSE (2x): I will work.

I will work for her honour and unity, 

for this is my pledge to Nigeria. 

So help me, o God. 

....................

4. I MUST BEGIN.  

No one but I myself. 

I must begin to do the good things I expect. 

No one but I myself. 

I must begin to show the good example.

I can say to someone that I meet,

 "You first my brother. 

How do you do? 

How can I help you? 

Lean on me".

No one but I myself. 

I must begin to do the good things I expect. 

No one but I myself. 

I must begin to show the good example.

................

5. DRUG IS A DEVIL

Drug is a devil. 

It only destroys. 

It takes away your sense, then makes you mad and useless. 

Drug turns your head, 

keeps you lonely and scared. Never touch a drug; don't go near.

Don't take a drug ; 

don't give a drug. 

Drug is a devil. 

Drug is a killer. 

We're the nation's youth. Now we know the truth. Never touch a drug; 

don't go near!

................

 6. LET'S BUILD A NATION 

(a) Talking, complaining,

 Accusing and blaming. 

They never solve any problem. 

They only worsen the problem. 

Change your attitude now. 

If they are stealing,

destroying and cheating, You do not have to join them.

You'll do well to expose them. 

Change your attitude now.

CHORUS (2X) : Let's build a nation,

Not tear it down. 

We've got the vision.

We can make Nigeria shine. 

(b) We should be loving 

And caring and serving

Our dear and only country,

Playing our role in history.

Change your attitude now.

We must prepare

For our children the future.

They will be glad and bless us.

The God of Heaven will help us.

Change your attitude now.

(CHORUS, 4 TIMES)

Change your attitude now (3X).

................

7. LAND OF BEAUTY, NIGERIA.

(a) Land of beauty, Nigeria.

Land of plenty, Nigeria.

Sunshine and rain,

Highland and plain.

Pride of Africa, Nigeria.

(b) God has bless'd you , Nigeria.

And we love you, Nigeria.

Wisdom and wealth,

Knowledge and strength,

A mighty nation, Nigeria.

CALL : Land of beauty

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Land of plenty

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Love your brother.

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Love your sister.

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : We want peace in 

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Unity in  

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : There's enough in

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : For a happy

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Land of beauty

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Land of plenty

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Love your brother.

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Love your sister.

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : We want peace in 

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : Unity in  

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : There's enough in

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

CALL : For a happy

RESPONSE: Nigeria.

Sunshine and rain,

Highland and plain.

Pride of Africa, Nigeria.

................

8. HURRAY NIGERIA!

It's time to honour Nigeria.

Hoist the flag of glory.

Sing a song of triumph.

Sound the drums of victory.

Shout! Hurray (2X).

Hurray Nigeria! 

INTERLUDE: The land is good,

The people great.

This we can show.

The nations know o o o.

It's time to honour Nigeria.

Hoist the flag of glory.

Sing a song of triumph.

Sound the drums of victory.

Shout! Hurray (2X).

Hurray Nigeria! 

Hur-ray Ni-ge-ria!

..................................

(All songs by Ori Okoroh. Tunes transcribed by Okechukwu Ndubuisi and Emmanuel Tettey. Printed by Integrated Press Ltd)

"Place called Estherville" by Erskine Caldwell.

The novel discusses racial discrimination against black people and mixed-race people ,such as mulattos ( ½ black , ½ white), quadroons ( ¼ black , ¾ white) and octoroons ( ⅛ black , ⅞ white). It is set in the place called Estherville in Iowa, the United States.  

CHAPTER 1 : Ganus and Kathyanne Bazemore (aged 18 and 17 respectively) have moved to the town from the country after their mother's death to live with their maternal grandmother, Aunt Hazel Teasley. They have never seen their white father. Their mother is black so they are mulattos (or "high yellows"). Ganus works as a houseboy to Charley and Stella Singfield, a white couple with a 16-year-old daughter named Stephena. While Ganus knows his place as a coloured boy, Stephena admires him and chases him. One Sunday morning, she deliberately oversleeps till her parents have gone to church and comes to Ganus in the kitchen around 11 am. She invites him to sleep with her but he refuses. Then she bites him and releases him only when he puts his arms around her.

 CHAPTER 2 : George Swayne (a white man) is a grocery store clerk when he meets and marries Norma (a rich white woman whose money helps him to become a bank's vice-president). She is , however, very bossy at home. While she is away to her sister's place in Savannah, he relaxes at home and sees Kathyanne ( Norma's maid and Ganus' sister) resume for the day's work. Norma is against having children and this annoys George. He sleeps with Kathyanne after reminding her that white men (including her own dad) sleep with coloured girls but won't allow a coloured man to go near a white girl. Kathyanne decides to resign her job before Norma returns.

  

 CHAPTER 3: Kathyanne and Ganus live with Aunt Hazel and go to work daily for their white employers. One day, 4 white boys (Pete Tilghman, Hank Newgood, Vern Huff and Robbie Gunsby) attack Ganus on his way home at night in a dark alley. Robbie (aged 10 or 11) is the youngest of them and pleads with the other boys to stop hurting Ganus. They are angry that Stephena refuses to date any of them and tell Ganus to quit his job at her house. A nice white man, Paul Benoit, passes by and his presence stops the assault after Ganus has sustained a knife cut on his shoulder. 

CHAPTER 4 : Kathyanne has left the Swaynes 

and now works with Madgie Pugh (who has not paid her for the past 5 weeks). Madgie gives her old clothes instead of money, so she leaves the job. Norma Swayne was a nice boss; it was her husband's behaviour that made Kathyanne quit.

CHAPTER 5 : Ganus buys a bicycle from Mr Claude Hutto [with a loan from Dr English] to deliver groceries for Mr Harry Daitch. Ganus is to pay Dr English 5 dollars per week for 6 months. 

CHAPTER 6 : Five white boys lie in wait for Kathyanne around Benoit's drug store at night. They include Jimmy Pugh (the son of Carter and Madgie Pugh)

and Jake Chester (her current employer's son). They make her strip naked. A night patrolman, Will Hanford, orders the boys away before they can rape her. He later asks for sex and threatens to get her  

jailed the next day when she refuses.

CHAPTER 7 : Mr Daitch sends Ganus to deliver groceries to Mrs Vernice Weathersbee, a lonely divorcee in her late 20's. After hurrying back to his boss to escape her advances, he is sent back to her (as she has placed another order on the phone). She persuades him to drink with her until he loses all inhibitions and loses track of time. 

CHAPTER 8 : Roy Blount's acquaintances (Ernie and Joe) tell him to get a pretty girl for them after Roy's employer (Charley Singfield, Stephena's father) has told him to please them in every way. Using his having paid her 25-dollar fine to get her off Mr Hanford's jail trap weeks ago, Roy pressurises Kathyanne into "entertaining" his friends. She is pushed into the car and taken to a hotel. 

  

CHAPTER 9 : Mrs Kitty Kettles is a white woman of about 23. She is always scantily dressed. After she elopes with Levi Kettles, he has 

refused to marry her and is almost always away from home on business. She is therefore very lonely. Ganus has lost his grocery store job (after returning late from Mrs Weathersbee) and now sells ice blocks on a cart. Dr English has withdrawn the bicycle after hearing of Ganus' loss of the grocery job.The weather is very cold, so Kitty persuades him to get warm with her kitchen stove. Kitty gives him food to eat and lets him sleep in the kitchen overnight. Levi comes home at 5 am the next day, throws him out with violence

and fights Kitty. 

CHAPTER 10: Henry Beck [a black boy] is showing interest in Kathanne and accuses her of discriminating against her own race, after hearing of her association with white men. Aunt Hazel's landlady (Mrs Effie Verdery) sends Mr Clyde Picquet to collect the 5-month 75-dollar rent or evict Aunt Hazel. Mr Clyde pities Kathyanne and decides to help them from his own pocket. He signs the rent receipt for her without her paying and offers to come back at night for sex. She refuses and      

later tears up the receipt in front of Henry to convince him of her innocence.

CHAPTER 11: Since people don't buy ice blocks in winter, Ganus now sets rabbit traps about. He helps the farmers get rid of rabbits and makes money in the process. He makes 25 cents from selling each of the 2-5 cottontails he catches every night. He takes one rabbit home everyday for Kathyanne to cook, and makes 10-20 cents from selling the fur skin. He avoids the farm rented by Burgess Tarver [a known racist] but Burgess' 15-year-old flirtatious wife, Mozelle, calls out to him. He walks quickly away after greeting her briefly but he is stopped by a sudden stomach pain. She also flirts with Reeves Houck [another tenant farmer , who works with her husband], who dodges her too. Mozelle runs to Reeves and Burgess and lies that a nigger raped her and is hiding in a nearby bush. They suspect she is lying about the rape but comb the bush for the hiding nigger. Despite Ganus' explanations and

Reeves' call for restraint, Burgess axes Ganus to death.

CHAPTER 12: Dr Horatio Plowden (a kind old white doctor) is invited with a $100 bill in an envelope to go to Kathyanne's place. When he gets there, Kathyanne has just given birth to a baby girl with the help of 2 Negro midwives (Nettie Dunn and her daughter). Henry is around but can't be the father, since the baby is a quadroon (even whiter than Kathyanne). Dr Plowden rightly guesses that the father is George Swayne (whose wife Kathyanne worked for about a year earlier). He gives her the $100 bill from George Swayne. Henry agrees to marry her with the baby. Dr Plowden falls down and dies shortly after leaving Kathyanne's place.