Nigerians are a fun people, and it is undeniably the intention of Wazobia TV to illuminate our creativity, our fun-ness. One sees this in the patriotism that most of its presenters pay to the Nigerian pidgin and its shows which center on the ordinary masses of Nigerians which speak to them in their slang. And one such show was what I was newly introduced to, one that was humorously tagged, Keke Brain.
With a few number of tools Wazobia TV has made an entertaining show with the cheapest means of road transportation in Lagos, a keke napep.
If you aren’t aware, when being transported from one location to another Nigerians love to engage in conversations. AMD Kabuchi, a lively keke driver, loves to talk.
He carries aboard his tricycle passengers and welcomes them with free Coke. His goodwill doesn’t stop there. He even gifts them one thousand naira; however, only on the condition that they solve a riddle correctly.
“Madam,” he begins his riddle to one of his customers, “Ogbomosho na city, Nnewi na city, Makurdi na city; but it get one city wey nobody fitu dey. Wetin be ‘im name?”
Madam responds, “Grave.”
The amusing confusion I had when the woman rejected ‘electricity’ as answer because “rats dey live near wire oo”.
Now, my sceptic self must stand a step removed from the blissful entertainment and ask how it is possible that Nigerians – a truly superstitious bunch – would not question this lavish good fortune before them, of their boarding a very mini bus that serves them Coke and transports them without charge. Of course they are Nigerians.
He would later in the show ask another riddle to another customer and the answer he gave was too obvious to have been the answer.
“The thing wey get one big head and three hands, wetin be ‘im name?”
Passenger responds, “Keke”
Yes, the keke has a pushed-out face and three wheels. But those wheels serve as legs, not hands.
On the other hand, I and the other person who was asked believed the answer to be standing fan. But as Kabuchi corrected us, some standing fans may have two hands whereas others more.
Anyway I hope that by tomorrow at noon my line would not have been cut so I may watch this show once more, and find out if it’s a weekday show or one shown all-week.
By Ositadinma Chinakwe
