A NEW NIGERIAN SLANG FOR 2024

 

              NO GREE FOR ANYBODY  ( A NEW YEAR REVOLUTIONARY MOTTO FOR    NIGERIAN

                                                                                  CITIZENS

A Nigerian slang term meaning not letting anyone bully or cheat you is sparking debate after police warned the slogan could be a message of rebellion.

While not new, the pidgin English term “No gree for anybody”, and variations of it, has been going viral since the start of the year as a motto for self-reliance and resilience in the face of difficulties.

With Africa’s most populous country struggling with rising living costs and security challenges from jihadists to kidnap gangs, the phrase has collectively become a slogan for getting through tough times in 2024.

But the national police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, last week warned against using the phrase, triggering a debate on social media.“The new slogan for 2023 and 2024 for our young ones is ‘No dey gree for anybody’. We have been informed by intelligence that this slogan is coming from a revolutionary sector that may likely cause problems across the country,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“No dey gree for anybody is being seen as a normal talk, but in the security community, we have seen it as a very, very dangerous slogan.”

It was not clear whether Adejobi was making indirect reference to the EndSars youth-led protests against police brutality in 2020 that spiralled into the largest anti-government rallies since Nigeria’s 1999 return to democracy.

Local media reported the term “no go gree” has its roots in an old gospel song. Nigerians often mix English, pidgin and one of the country’s local languages such as Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.

“We started saying it sometime towards the end of last year. It means be resilient, be persistent,” said Prosper Udeagha, a 30-year-old taxi driver in Abuja. “I see where the police are coming from because they fear people expressing their displeasure could turn violent.”

Adejobi’s comments triggered discussion online, with some critics saying the police had more serious matters to be concerned about than the latest slang.

Nigerian security forces are battling jihadists in the country’s north-east, criminal militias and mass kidnappings in the north-west and a flare-up of intercommunal violence in central states.

“It shows where their priority is,” Aisha Yesufu, a government critic, said on X of the slang warning.

However, soon after the police statement even a military spokesperson was using the slang to refer to Nigerians giving no quarter to armed groups. “No gree for terrorists, and no gree for perpetrators of insecurity,” Maj Gen Edward Buba said.

The Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, joined in last week to wish Nigeria’s Super Eagles football team luck in the Africa Cup of Nations. “I am looking forward to their first match and the message to them was clear – ‘No gree for anybody,’” he wrote on X. “Bring home the Nations Cup.”

It was not the best start, however, as the three-time cup-winners drew their first game on Sunday against Equatorial Guinea.

Well, 2023 didn’t exactly go to plan, did it?

Here in the UK, the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, had promised us a government of stability and competence – not forgetting professionalism, integrity and accountability – after the rollercoaster ride of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Remember Liz? These days she seems like a long forgotten comedy act. Instead, Sunak took us even further through the looking-glass into the Conservative psychodrama. 

Elsewhere, the picture has been no better. In the US, Donald Trump is now many people’s favourite to become president again. In Ukraine, the war has dragged on with no end in sight. The danger of the rest of the world getting battle fatigue and losing interest all too apparent. Then there is the war in the Middle East and not forgetting the climate crisis …

But a new year brings new hope. There are elections in many countries, including the UK and the US. We have to believe in change. That something better is possible. The Guardian will continue to cover events from all over the world and our reporting now feels especially important. But running a news gathering organisation doesn’t come cheap. 

So this year, I am asking you – if you can afford it – to give money. Well, not to me personally – though you can if you like – but to the Guardian. By