"No Gree For Anybody"
Written By: Chukwuemeka Oluka
How Nigerians unanimously agreed that a certain slang would become the New Year’s mantra continues to beat my wildest imagination.
Just a few days into the New Year, 2024, a slang – “no gree for anybody” – had already gone viral and carried a lot of weight in conversations.
Sincerely, if there is anything Nigerians do effortlessly, it is the ability to conjure crazy slangs.
The pidgin expression, “No gree for anybody” for its direct meaning, makes you think it is a playful exercise initially. It is in itself funny. You reason there seemingly is the injection of an element of amusement referred to as “cruise” by its conjurers. However, such a cruise is now trending much more than even the hottest song track on the Billboard chart.
Beyond the cruise, “no gree for anybody” suggests defiance. A bit of stubbornness. Obstinacy. On social media, netizens have displayed several memes, images and videos to drive home this suggestion.
For instance, there is a picture of a Keke (tricycle) dragging the right of way with heavy-duty vehicles. You then ask yourself, what more is there to “no gree for anybody?”
A few persons have also jokingly said that “’no gree for anybody’ no be for who big pass you.”
However, assuming this scenario does not exactly portray what the slang means, then, what other aspects does “no gree for anybody” stand for?
Well, some have maintained that there is more to the expression than meets the surface. “No gree for anybody” transcends its linguistic appearance to convey a spirit of resilience, and a refusal to yield to unfavourable pressure.
Therefore, it means that when someone tells you, “no gree for anybody” in the face of oppression and backlash, the mere invocation of the slang becomes a kind of support and solidarity needed to face the unwarranted suppression.
This implies that “no gree for anybody” is more than just slang. It is a mantra!
It represents self-importance, as well as the willingness to stand up for oneself. It means to go hard for everything that belongs to you. This could involve falling in love, learning a new skill, going hard for that dream job, or launching that business that had seemingly made you lose sleep.
The mantra revolves around taking bold steps towards swashing your goals, shattering the glass ceiling, and not listening to the voices of naysayers. It abhors second-guessing oneself by giving into self-doubt. Rather, it encourages you to explore everything capable of bringing you happiness. Call it a (New Year) resolution and you will not be out of place.
It is seemingly also a warning message to politicians. Nigerians are saying that this year, whether the politicians like it or not, they are not ready to give in to anyone who tries to discourage them from going hard for their dreams and happiness. They are ready to hold them accountable for the public offices they occupy. It is therefore a heads up that business will no longer be as usual.
The emergence of the expression, “No gree for anybody” reveals that Nigerians can unite to any course if they put their minds to it. They can rise above any challenge to get their convictions to sail. This can-do spirit becomes one not to be taken
for granted.
So, “no gree for anybody” is everything a New Year mantra should be and not the other way some people have misconstrued it to mean. It is therefore left to be seen if it is just an “initial gra-gra” as it is believed in some quarters that nobody will remember the slang by June, when the year must have run up to its halfway mark.
Regardless, its linguistic impact remains one to be carefully admired.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Chukwuemeka Oluka is a graduate of Electronic and Computer Engineering. He is a research enthusiast and a passionate writer. He tweets @Mekus_Oluka and can be reached via "write2oluka@gmail.com"
