The commonest denominator in ol di tin we wi de du na moni. Its overwhelming dominance in all of our affairs has to do with its kontrolin pawa. As a medium of exchange, the history of money dates back to trade by barter days when items exchanged for items in the absence of a legal tender. Although poor in flashback memory,  my elementary studies in history reminds me of dat taim wen pipol de yuz cowries as a means of exchange, etc. The strategic position of money in everything has never been in doubt. Therefore, capitalism & globalisation and ol di big big tok wi de hie evride has to do with money and how best it’s being put into beneficial uses for the upliftment of humanity across the world.

From our rich repertoire of traditional parables, money is no doubt exalted to the level of the human blood that drives the entire  body system. The translation of several money-related parables in our various communities represents but not limited to either of the followings “moni na blood”, “moni na ol an ol”, “moni na pawa”, etc. Therefore, if you say with your money, you can du an ondu, you will be right even though it goes with a lot of limitations and the like. This is why till date, we still have amongst us those we generally refer to as moni mis rod.

The common cliché “Amerika wonda” wouldn’t have come about because America is a big Kontri, bikos Amerika pipol get tu hed, or na Amerika God laik pas.  The awesome might and position of America in world politics is first and foremost attributable to its wealth, but importantly, to its capacity of efficient deployment of its diverse resources in the transformation of the lives of its people and to a large extent the world. But when recently, Chaina of ol pipol (fo dos des), kom de shuk han fo Amerika ai, no bi odinari han. (For China to boldly speak to the nation of America these days, signifies that the country has something up her sleeve). Like America, China is also rich and is efficiently using its huge financial, material and human resources in transforming the living standard of its people and millions across the world. Every day, the nation of China is stamping its voice on the grounds of world politics, telling all who care to listen, that no bi tode (that they have come a long way).

The role of money or wetin moni de du, an wetin e fit du fo Nigeria is the same universally. Today, some countries are classed as either first, second and third class/world countries while many are yet to bilong to eni won. The classification of countries has to do with the resources at their disposal and how best they are putting such resources into efficient and functional uses for the overall good of their pipol. However, our individual philosophies about money goes a long way in determining our approach and drive for dis esensha komoditi. While some of us patiently go after it in the most legitimate manner, others employ the “hori hori” or “yahu yahu” approach. Mindful of the preceding, coupled with di difren difren wahala people go through seeking for money, no matter hau smol, it has and will always attract all the attention in this world. And as an ol maiti komoditi, money has been addressed in several nomenclatures more than anything that I know of. Some of these names go a long way in speaking of the thinking of the coiners of such names.

From “taim imo riva” (from time past), we have never taken the pains of identifying nor crediting the coiners of most words/phrases in Nigerian Pidgin. So it is, with the numerous names of money and dis fabu we ah won yan una so. After a hard day’s work, ably complimented by a deserved pay, a man refused to spend his money. He was said to have deliberately threw them around on the floor of his living room for days wondering why money as an item should subject him to whatever throes he went through in securing it. Wai moni go sofa mi laik dis he asked rhetorically? So bothered was this man that, he picked a whip “kpasha” or “koboko” and began to flog monies that he deliberately scattered all over the living room. Whilst he was in the rowdy session of dilin wit his money as it were, the attention of his neighbours was attracted. Initially, they thought he was fighting with his wife. As they gained entry into his living room, they were shocked at the sight of naira notes flying everywhere as result of the action of the man. All the same, one of them managed to ask;  oga wetin de hapun? Na onli yu de haus? (What is happening? Are you home alone?). Apparently panting and sweating, it took him some minutes to calm down to offer a response. He stated that for a long time, money had been messing him up. And having secured it, the best he felt he should do in that circumstance was to satisfy his conscience bai tichin moni propa lesin an to bit di nonsens from im hed. Akodin bai di fabu, the man had a field day recounting hau alam nieli finish im laif (how he almost passed on account of long suffereing). And having successfully made some money, it was his considered opinion that, he shouldn’t be in a hurry in spending it, but to act the way he did (discipline money). Satisfied that the man in question was not into eni tu faitin, neighbours quietly walked back to their respective homes. In the process, one of them said loudly and to the hearing of others na im good fo moni (serves money right).

In 2009, I was the presenter of a programme “Mek Wi Yan” (in Naija Pidgin ) on Aso Radio 93.5 FM station here in Abuja. I recall coming up with an assignment or what I dubbed specha wok for listeners to the programme. Listeners were required to send to me different names of money i.e. difren difren nem fo moni with the promise that the more names a listener sent, the more his/her chances of winning gifts (di mo nem yu sen, di mo awuf yu go kari go). To my delight, a lot of names which I had never heard of were received. The essence was to look at other traditional names/slangs outside “kudi, ego, owo and igho” popular names for money drawn from the three major Nigerian tribes of Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba respectively and Edo/Urhobo/Isoko in the Niger Delta etc. I wanted a situation where one could actually ascertain the popularity of these different names as well as the various localities where they were in popular usage in the country. Armed with this litany of names, I could make inferences as to why some of the names were   used for money and the sofahed we folo moni mata fo difren ples. From my experience, I think a whole lot of research work need to be conducted here. This na fo una we bi akada pipol sha (This is for the attention of academicians).

After a careful study of the different names of money, I can state unequivocally that “pepe”, another name for money, has no doubt gained wider currency within a very short while of entering the Naija Pidgin lexicon than any other name coined for money. The word “pepe” is popularly followed by the phrase “pepe don res” (all is well financially) or its direct contrast “pepe neva res” (all isn’t well financially). Wherever you go in Nigeria, and the issue of money is in discuss, you will likely hear “evritin na pepe” (everything depends on money). Truly, money is very important but like I used to say, it has never been everything and it will never be otherwise we could buy life for people who are desirous to live at all cost. It is for this reason that, we are ever exhorted to olwes tek laif jeje bikos won de, pepe go res. Na taim e go tek meaning; always take the things of life with calm because, someday, all will be well. Just a matter of time.

Edwin Oribhabor is a member, ANA and lives in Abuja.