By Atâyi Babs
Idah, my Idah
Idah, my Idah
Land of my royal birth
Lagos of Igala land
The cradle of Igala civilization
I hail thee
A land embossed in favourable circumstances
By the geographic forces of history
For the proud, civilised, industrious and stubborn
I cherish thee
Nature’s gift to Africa
Replete with resources so natural
Yet supernatural
I’m proud of thee
A tourist’s delight
Where attractions ceaselessly abound
Attractions untapped, yet tapped
Where Omodoko and Inikpi coalesce in divinity so splendid
Oh! How I long to savour thy endowments so sweet
From Inachalo, to the grand old Odogo
The sleepy but powerful Iyogbo corner
Ega and the recalcitrance in the air
A land of all possibilities
Where anything goes
How I love to thread on thy terrain so slippery
Again and again
And appreciate the beauty of thy primordial values
Values that bring back nostalgia
Of the good old days
The culture of defiance, jokes and interconnectedness
How I crave to experience again and again
The scorch from the sun in thy azure sky
That transforms the fairest of skins
To Ghanaian-like, thick dark as ever
Idah, my Idah
Just as your name implies
In you is the final stop found
Where everything begins with the end
Idah, my Idah
The aura you exude
The streams of opportunities that dot your landscape
The rich boasts of your attractions
Your trade mark peculiarities
Your offerings of love and sacrifice
Your zestful ingenuity with Igala linguistics
Forever remain etched and NON-NEGOTIABLE!
© 24th August 1997
Great rendition, Idah the glorious land of our birth. Resilient. Defiant. Evergreen. Royal and Spiritual. We hail thee