It seems a million years have gone by
Since a people treasured a good name
And measured it above silver and gold
Much more above the most prized treasures
More than prized diamonds
Few were those whose names were embedded in indelible deeds
Whose names were invoked to evoke memories
But many were who responded to appellations
Just so to spell out a feat to defeat fate
So Kawambire rose to his feet at the trumpet sound of Osagyefo
For he was a warrior of valour
For he fought to conquer a foe of no mean stature
His victory dealt a death blow to a state of dependence
Against hateful servitude, he poured out his hateful abhorence
Freedom! Freedom! Freedom now!
It was his avowed preference
And when he still put his hand to it
He was pushed out through a maiden putsch
With none to hold his fort to push his way
To this day
His intelligent state of mind
Earned him, The Intellectual Giant of no kind
But just when he was set to reach out, to read out
To shout so loud his economic treatise
He was booted out
The Best University Scholar In Africa
Came to Be Under Serious Internal Attack
And was knocked out…sooner than he thought
With one in the uniform to hold his fort
Li was a Gentleman of the gentlemen
He manned but only for a short span
His main aim was to reclaim the name of Kwame
But he was booked out of the broken Homeland
Just like his main man
And one there was to hold his fort…sooner
Arombire was well-known for his Kasapreko
And who dared say otherwise?
Who dared repudiate his orders?
He dared to raise a voice for the voiceless
Arombire must roar…and roar
Arombire must be heard when his boom echoed in the rooms
He revved and revved his revolution
But he changed to a reverse gear
Ultimately, he bowed out
With one in the city to hold his fort
Katakumbe was a calm Okatakyie
He stood tall
When all around him appeared so short, so small
His eyes did the tricks for his talks
His height left him as the last man standing tall
He had responded to a call to bring about a fall
As they cheered on
He bowed out when all were still cheering on
One in the city there was to hold his fort
Anane was as sharp as Busumburu
As he blossomed to tip the global scales
They all agreed he was Shark, the Zulu
No table would sit without his head
No head could fill up to his diplomatricks
No tricks could fell Anane’s Oak tree of success
He was still Busumburu when he headed for his six feet
None in the city there was to hold his fort
Ataala would rather be a Peacemaker
Would rather gather all his chicks under his wings
Would rather sing to all to whom his name stinks
Would rather think about home…than leave home to think about some in their home
They were still in search of a peacemaker when Peacemaker reached his Maker
One there was in the city ready to hold his fort
Ssrkodie was not at all like Kodie, the Eagle
But when he suddenly appeared he had eyes to look far
And see far, so very far
His works walked far ahead
Far into the future
His words were few
Fewer than the days he had to work
But his works were worth his words
So they named him Oseadeeyo
While he still put his hands to it
He was booted out
With one in the city to hold his fort
The Honourable
His Excellency
Nearly His Majesty
He was initiated onto the pitch as Kantamanto
With a flurry of budding and budded rolls of roses
He was in a hurry to pay all his vows
But men of much faith saw vows turn into lows
Kantamanto attempted to trumpet his lows
In the eyes of faithful fellows
To colour his lows in loads of low lying lies
For the eyes and ears of swelling scoffing foes
But many now agreed that Kantamanto needed a brand new name
A name to match his broken image
He swore to lambast some names of old
He swore to cast a slur on some hallowed names
Names cast in gold
Names carved in stones
Dovlo stood out as the only true General
Commanding all to leave their books open
Some did
Some did not…daring to see what will happen
Some knew him so well
Some did not…swapping him for a refugee
Some liked him so well
Some did not…saying he did not deserve love
He must be a deportee
But he liked himself
He laughed all by himself
Laughing all the way out
Out of their way