The meaning of LOVE (understanding the chemistry of love)

 Here we go I told my friend why do you love your girl? Emmm!!! She is marvellous at bed. Is that all I queried? She is a fantastic girl and beautiful he said. Is that all I insisted and he mumbled well I don’t know but I guess am sure I do love her. In my discussion with numerous others I realised that most people do not really know why the love a woman (vice versa) neither do they know the meaning of love. Some people believe that they can only love once while others believe that they can love to love again and again and again. In my observation I realised that when a car passes by we manifest our appreciation meaning that we love the car. It could be a pair of shoes suits or what have you. Otherwise how do we make our choices when we go to the market? Again I remember that my mother got married to my father without really knowing each other, but the loved each other and lived happily ever (probably yours). But, when I said this in most of my discussion of this topic I have come across people who said, that was in the past and it can not happen in this modern age. Yet I do know too well that love is a feeling and can not be modernised. It will be intellectual dishonesty to believe the contrary because it is the heart that loves and not the brain.

I have hard most people say that love is blind. Yet I have never seen anybody preferring to love an insane or a social outcast. All the days of my life I’ve seen people running after their choice of person. This does not mean that we don not have different perception or choice but that people have different vision of what the like. I also have hard several times that love is in the eye of the beholder. Even this is not true. Sometimes people tend to get contented with what the have. Suffice it to say that if you can’t get what you want you must alternatively want what you get. That in itself does not mean that your choice is the worst option but it is what you can afford. The conviction of this writer is that there is a different between caring for a girl, wanting a girl or even loving a girl. This will help us in the separation of sex from love. This is because to most people loving a girl means going to bed with the girl. I shall leave the former for my next article and concentrate on the later.

Acceptance is the first step towards wanting, caring and loving a girl and vice versa. As I have concluded in my previous article ‘who is a woman’ a man can not live with the woman and can not without her either (you can read at www.paulokoye.com). From that conclusion we draw the fact that a man can not live with a woman and can not live without her because love is a feeling to be learned. Love is anxiety and contentment, it is deep yearning and hostility, it is pleasure and pain. There can’t be one without the other. Happiness is only a part of love and this is what has to be learned. Suffering belongs to love also and this is the mystery of love, its beauty and burden. Even this has to be learned to reduce the pain of suffering lover’s grief. Now, follow me a little and you will understand the point I am trying to make.

I have a little friend called Sofia. All the days of her life she said that she had a clear picture of who his boyfriend will be. She imagined a tall handsome man. He should be slim, athletic, intelligent, witty, a university graduate and a few years older than her.  She knows what she wanted, a lover of music possibly a professor or at least a well paid job. Sofia imagined a man who will bring her gorgeous ‘roses’ as a declaration of his love. Let’s set one point straight at this juncture; no matter how outspoken a girl is she must wait until approached by a man. The irony them is, that all those that approach her may not be those she had dreamed. Again we will leave this for future article. Our Sofia had a clear vision but when Charles came he was a sharp contrast of all that Sofia wanted in a man. He was not exciting. Sofia had no interest in technical things but that was all Charles discussed. Charles was a technical engineer. Sofia prayed endlessly that he will not propose. Suddenly Charles did. He brought no roses but books. When she asks for music or tender word Charles will offer her kisses. Charles just showed up and there he is. He was down to earth. He was distressing and disgusting always talking about sports or studies. Sofia was living under frustration and wondered why man can’t be like woman at least to understand what the woman wants. Sometimes the woman in her came out to make him understand  in a thorny way that moonlight do not bring out her desire for closeness as that was all he cared for.

However Sofia did not reject Charles probably she felt she will do that later. One day she began to understand that a man who sent her books could be more serious that a man that sent her roses. She began to appreciate him. She turned over to the book and realised that the book is saying that he wants to understand her. She discovered that Charles was saying he wants to offer her the most important part of his life. The book said I want to share something with you, something that moves my heart. I want to know what you think. To her greatest astonishment one day Sofia stopped loving a slim tall man. For the first time she saw the beauty of Charles. She began to appreciate him. The next day she stood and saw that the steel beams for a skyscraper were hoisted upwards and she thought she should show this to him. Being understood was no longer the problem rather Sofia had begun to understand. Finally Sofia had learnt the first lesson of love which is to let go of ones imagination and not to allow them stand in the way of ones happiness. She had leant to accept the stark realities of human existence and stopped living under vain imagination.

Love is a special feeling. A feeling to be learned. Love means a deep tender feeling. An intense feeling of deep affection. Love is different from infatuation. Love happens but infatuation does not. Infatuation is a follow up of love. Love happens at first instance. If you can not love by the first sight and the first touch you can’t love again. It is the heart that loves but infatuation is of the brain. Love is different from sex although both are synonymous where the special feeling of love is not learned. In that case sex and love become interchangeable. I love a girl then means I went to bed with her. Either may not live without the other. Sex has a beginning and end but love does not. Sex leads to a momentary exhilaration but love does not. Although sex belongs to the romance of love it has to be separated (I hope to find time to write on this go in between in a couple of days). Our figurative ‘Sofia’ was already in love but was living under vain imagination. She was living under her protracted dream until her eyes opened to the reality of her existence. This irony of our existence is that we have always ended up loving those that approached us. This is the confirmation that my mother, our parents got it right because they knew that love will definitely happen when there is touch.

I’ve always hard people say that true love counts no error. I disagree with this statement and prefer to say that the errors are absolved by love. This is where jealousy and possessiveness comes in. the fear of the unknown. How many times have we seen something or somebody we like but until we get into the possession of that person we’ll never care of what happens to the person or the object. When we enter into possession of that person we suffer pain for loosing him, her or the object. Anybody who has ever been in love knows how it pains to suffer lover’s grief. The pain comes from the fear of the unknown. The unknown comes because of our possessiveness and the possessiveness because of the relationship. There is a direct correlation between love and jealousy but that too has to be separated from love. This is because jealousy belongs to the fear of the unknown which is the product of infatuation.

People tend to consider marriage as a consequence of love. But that too is wrong and intellectual dishonesty. Marriage is a contract of agreement and understanding. Although love can foster marriage but the first thing is to understand the purpose of marriage. Marriage has a vision but love is visionless. This vision has to be defined and accepted buy the contracting parties. If this vision of marriage is not defined marriage becomes purposeless and therefore a failed investment. Marriage has a price but love does not. Love is free; it is freedom, caring, peace, soothing, selfless and vanity. Wanting does not belong to love. Love is a special deep tender feeling and has to be learned. Only those who love knows.

Good time

Paul Okoye

Follow me @ www.paulokoye.com

Expression Unlimited: At 51 Nigeria is in a state of reckless abandon (T...

Expression Unlimited: At 51 Nigeria is in a state of reckless abandon (T...: The thought of Nigeria had always kept me sad not only because of the failure of the Nigerian project but also because of the lacklustre at...

At 51 Nigeria is in a state of reckless abandon (The errors of the past leaders)

The thought of Nigeria had always kept me sad not only because of the failure of the Nigerian project but also because of the lacklustre attitude of those at the helm of affairs. No time could be better to address this issue than the 51^st independent day anniversary of the federal republic of Nigeria. The sad story is that ninety percent of the Nigerian problem could be attributed to the failure of leadership because it is the responsibility of the leaders to transform a nation or organizations they are assigned to lead. The Nigerian malady seems to have defied every solution because of lack of visionary leaders. Worst still these over surfeited hypocrites have continued to offload the bull shit on this long suffering nation.  I am not a medical doctor but I do know too well that if the clinical history of any illness is not known that illness can not be cured. Let’s take a little walk down the memory lane to understand the Nigerian epileptic condition.

As far as I can remember General Gowon told us that the problem we have as a nation is not how to make money but how to manage the available resources. At that point the hospitals were still functioning the roads were motorable salaries were still paid promptly, so there were no strike, children were going to school but there were no infrastructures; we had electricity and water only in the urban areas. Those in the rural areas had to make do with lamp and fetching water from the stream. They had to make do with pit toilets and thatch houses. At a point Gowon invited Chief Jerome Udoji to draw a development program for Nigeria. Udoji recommended among other things in what is popularly known as ‘Udoji award’ that civil servants salary should be increased. The increment of salary and payment of award led to an ostentatious life on the side of Nigerians. Because Nigeria is a consumer nation the wealth of the nation was squandered and the rest went to developed world as the paid money were spent in buying cars and finished goods that Nigeria do not produce. Udoji award logically ushered in inflation as there was so much money in circulation. That was the beginning of the economic blunder that dug the grave of the Nigerian nation.

Gowon left and Murtala came in. We spent the better part of our time, money and resources to liberate South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and the rest of the South African nations then under colonial rule. Our reward as a nation for these magnanimous achievements under the diplomatic soldiering of Joseph Garba is the victimization of Nigerians in these countries today. Nelson Mandela presented the motion for the suspension of Nigeria from commonwealth. They consequences were that we lost subventions and scholarships that accrued from common wealth nations. The common wealth is a composition of 57 countries. For the first time in history Nigeria did not participate in the nation’s cup tournament and miss world contest because those contest were held in South Africa and Mandela then declared that he cannon guarantee the security of Nigerians. Worst still Mandela recognized Abiola as the president elect of Nigeria during the independent celebration in South Africa and that induced Abiola to declare himself the president of Nigeria when he returned back and the consequences is now history. Nobody is insinuating that we should not help our neighbours but the resources wasted for the liberation of these nations were enough to develop Nigeria and make it a better place for all. Murtala initiated the Ajaokuta steal factory and it was destined to cost 2.5 billion dollars then. Until when Babangida appointed professor Ezekwe the technology minister we did not know that we were building a steal factory without flat sheet department. It was like building a steal factory without steal, Ezekwe discovered this colossal error but then the factory had reached a point of no return. Nigerian had already wasted so much money in the project. Murtala also initiated the Abuja project. The regime of Murtala was brought to an unfortunate end by Dimka through the help of the colonial masters.

Murtala left and Mathew Aremu Obasanjo entered. Obasanjo invited general commander O. P. Fingesi to come and spearhead the greatest naira jamboree in mankind. The called it FESTAC. We built the FESTAC village in one month and the world were invited to partake in the sharing of Nigerian cake. At that point it was already clear that Nigeria was suffering from squander mania.  As that was not enough Obasanjo embarked on the indigenization decree to liberate far away South Africa, Nigeria sent away all the foreign companies and Barclays bank became first and what have you. From that faithful day till date no Nigerian can travel anywhere without a visa. Obasanjo chased away all the foreign investors from Nigeria only to squander our money to go and beg them to come back. The pain was that these measures were not taken for the Nigerian interest but to give South Africa independent. Nigeria the pride of African nation became a leper harbinger. No responsible leadership will mortgage the destiny of the people he was appointed to lead for another nation. Obasanjo partly spearheaded the burial of the Nigerian nation.

Obasanjo left and the civilian came in. Then the mad rush to Abuja. When Murtala drew the development plan of Abuja it was to take 25yrs but Shagari decided to take us there in 2yrs and 6mths. No known nation had ever built a national capital in 10yrs talk less of 2.6 yrs. Alhaji Tahir was anointed to head the naira distribution. There was so much corruption that the military intervened. Zik said he can not congratulate Shagari neither did Awolowo because he rigged them out. So when the military came back they were welcomed.

Shagari left and Buhari entered the scene. The money Shagari left for building of Abuja was converted by Buhari for the importation of 46 jaguar jet fighters from Russia then USSR. Even a nation in the midst of war does not import 46 jet fighters in a day. Then we witnessed the war against indiscipline. Nigerians were ordered not to urinate outside without the provision of public toilet. We witnessed the diplomatic suitcases and Onalope Soleye the dean department of sociology was appointed to manage our economy as the finance minister. When I look back to those days I wonder what a sociologist is doing in the finance ministry. The government was short lived.

Buhari left and Babangida took over. At that point the economy had reached the Golgotha. Nigeria had no more money to spend. The economy was completely decayed. Babangida brought in Dr. Idika Kalu from the World Bank to tell us the hard truth. Dr. Chu Okongwu managed the national planning. That was the first time we had competent hands to manage the economy. We realized that not only petroleum product but even naira was subsidised. A Volkswagen Beatle was sold then at 1,500 naira while a Peugeot 504 sold at 7000 naira. The Nigerian economy witnessed the first and second tier foreign exchange market. The naira was allowed to find its level and foreign exchange market. At a point naira was worth less than a toilet paper. Nigerians were made to face the austerity measure. The market was liberalized in trying to correct the errors of the past especially the one committed by Obasanjo. Then we had the oil wind fall but Babangida had initiated the political agenda with the help of Professor S. J. Cookey a fine political scientist. Everything worked fine until the presidential election. We still remember the option A4. Due to pressures from the failed election Babangida had to leave the scene but he left a descent political institution. Dr Jerry Gana through MANSER had already sensitized Nigerians.

Babangida left and Shonekan entered. All the political institutions were at place but Shonekan lacked the will and might to consolidate on the political agenda of the previous administration. Abacha entered the arena because of the clamour by Nigerian for a saviour. His mercantile policy angered the west and Nigeria was boycotted. Nigerians witnessed the one million match. Abacha was the only qualified Nigerian to lead, he therefore have to transform from a military head to democratic president. Again the resources of the nation was wasted for a transformation agenda. Nigeria once again transformed into a pariah nation. Every Nigerian turned a sycophant. Ekwueme and the G34 came in to save the country. The regime of Abacha was brought to a tragic end in a yet uncleared circumstance. Abubarkar stayed for time enough to usher in the second coming of Obasanjo.

Obasanjo spent more money in the changing of the leadership of the national assembly than any other government in the history of mankind. That administration could be easily remembered for the Ghana must go bags at the national assembly. The remaining of the national resources was wasted to generate electricity. How can one take Obasanjo serous for his promise to give Nigeria steady light when his minister for mines and power was a lawyer Bola Ige. Obasanjo made light the priority of his government without really wanting to give us light. The sorry tale of the senate committee explains this fact. The better part of his government was spent outside Nigeria or better still inside aircraft junketing to attract foreign investors, the same investors he sent out of Nigeria. At a point Obasanjo spent 236 days out of 365 days in a year outside the country he was meant to lead. The only good thing in Obasanjo’s second coming was Okonjo Iweala and she cancelled our huge debt. Thanks God almighty that his third term agenda did not work.

Until Captain Billy Eko Jean was caught at the JFK airport the most lucrative rout of Nigerian airways we did not know that he was a Ghanaian. Until the deportation of Shugaba during the presidential election by Shagari we did not know that he was from Niger republic. Until the deportation of Patrick Wilmot to Jamaica he was a darling at Ahmadu Bello University. Until the maitasine massacre at Kano nobody told us that their leader Mohammed was from Cameroun. Until the crashing of the Faulkner 28 aircraft at Enugu airport we did not know that the captain was a Ghanaian. At a point it was rumoured that Ibrahim Comatose the former IG was a Ghanaian. Despite these episodes our government have not considered it wise to draw a comprehensive list of Nigerians.

How can any responsible leader draw a program for a country that he does not know how many they are? There is neither registration of birth nor death. Nigeria is the only country where a human being will die and decay along the road. It takes nothing to install one computer in every local government to start gradual record keeping of Nigerians and stop the gigantic census project that is organized at intervals without result. The people that die in road accident every day are more than the people that die of illness every month. We spend more money for HIV campaign every year than in the maintaining of Nigerian roads. We have no light, no portable water, no roads, no security yet we pretend that investors will come to invest in Nigeria. Investors are not looking for chaotic situations, they are looking for stable government, open market economy, conducive social and economic conditions and basic amenities to invest. Until we have these things in place the wild goose chase after investor will never materialise. Just yesterday Goodluck said that we have 25,000 Nigerian doctors in United States alone. I wonder if Goodluck is so naïve to understand that if these doctors have accepted to live in foreign land under the harsh realities, the thought of investor coming to Nigerian is an illusion. My fear then is that Olusegun Aganga the investment minister does not understand these simple principles of international trade probably because he was trained as an accountant. The blatant truth is that we have lost the train and at 51 the Nigerian project is as best a failed one. The succeeding generation are the worst losers as they are going to inherit this chattered nation. Though they have no blame but they have no choice. Nothing is being done to leave a bequeathing legacy for the succeeding generation and the mere thought that they will inherit this disaster is traumatic. Tragically nobody has a choice in the decision of where he will be born. We are all victims of the circumstances of our birth.

Good time.

Paul Okoye

Follow me at: www.paulokoye .com

Expression Unlimited: Who is a woman? (understanding the nature of women...

Expression Unlimited: Who is a woman? (understanding the nature of women...: The bible said that in the beginning God created man and having seen that all he did was fine he made man to sleep and removed one of hi...

Who is a woman? (understanding the nature of women)

 The bible said that in the beginning God created man and having seen that all he did was fine he made man to sleep and removed one of his ribs to create a woman. From this view point we can deduce that God created a woman to be by the side of the man not above neither to be under him. After creation man was lonely and needed a help therefore the need for a woman. If a woman was created to help a man we can also theorise that a woman is stronger than a man in some aspects. Suffice it to say that no one seeks help from a weaker being. Where and how is a woman stronger than a man, since man is physically stronger than the woman? The answer is in the indispensability of the woman. The tale that follows will help us reach a decision.

When the creator finished creating man he realised that he had used up all the physical elements and nothing was left to create a woman. He therefore took the roundness of a moon and the agility of the clinging vine. The trembling of the grass, the slenderness of a reed and the beauty of blossoming flowers. The lightness of leaves and the cheerfulness of the rays of sunshine. The tears of the clouds and the instability of the wind. The fearfulness of a rabbit and the vanity of peacock, the softness of a bird’s breast and the hardness of a diamond. The sweetness of honey and the cruelty of a tiger, the heat of a burning fire and the chilliness of snow, the chatter of a magpie and the song of a nightingale. The deceitfulness of a crane and the faithfulness of a mother lion. Mixing all these yielding elements the creator created a woman and gave her to a man.

After a week the man came back and said to the creator this thing you have given me makes me unhappy. She talks without seizing and demands continuous attention. She cries about every little thing and I have no rest. I have come to give her back. The creator said OK and took her back. Suddenly after a week the man came back to the creator and said look my life is so empty since I gave her back to you. I always think of how she laughed and danced. How she looked at me from the corner of her eyes. She was so beautiful to look at and so soft to touch, I so much liked to hear her laugh please give her back to me and the creator said Ok you can have her back. After three days the man came back and said to the creature, after all my experience I have come to the conclusion that she causes me more trouble than pleasure. Please take her back I can’t live with her. The creator roared I have heard enough of your murmuring go and live to the best of your ability. But the man replied but I can’t live with her and the creator answered you can’t live without her either and continued his work. The man said in desperation I can’t live with her and I can’t live without her. That’s a woman. You can’t like her and you can’t live without her.

This little tale helps us in understanding a woman, her nature and aspiration, the does and the don’ts of her existence, her inexperience and wisdom, her charming and irritation, her loving nature and distastefulness, her caring and rejection, her domineering and carefree attitude, her jealousy and compassion, her possessiveness and generosity, her faithfulness and infidelity, her determination and weakness, her deep longing and hostility. A woman is loving but destructive, a woman is complex but simple. Evidently the complexity of the elements put together for the creation of a woman makes them an interesting creature to study. In my observation of a woman I have come to understand that a woman could be everything and at the same time nothing and that makes them an interesting case study. Therefore in the complex nature of their being one has to identify what attracts him to a particular woman and hold onto that while trying to understand other elements of her being. A woman want to be adored, appreciated, respected, wanted, loved, cared for, honoured, accepted. When this happens a woman is everything on the contrary a woman is nothing. The discovery of the deep cauldron in every woman needs patience, experience and the understanding of their nature. That’s why women reach orgasm with some men and not with others. A woman can love a man so dearly today and hate the same man so passionately the next day. It is the same gravity with which they love that the hate. 

The problem is that today women want every thing without giving anything in reward unlike the women of yesterday. The women of yesterday were more reserved and exclusive. They knew the meaning of the word virtue and went after it. The understood the position of the women in the family and the society. The women of today feel that the women of yesterday were manhandled persecuted and bullied, archaic, outdated primitive and obedient to a fault. The women of today are therefore demanding for liberalization when they are not under bondage. Emancipation when they are not marginalization, freedom without being imprisoned, liberation but they are not oppressed. The problem is that of Phych because the women are living under an inexistent fear of domination and marginalization. They live in a constant state of insatiability. Unfortunately women started leading social charade where one is not needed because of their abject rejection of their role in society.

Nowadays you hear, what a man can do a woman can do even better. Yet I don’t know of a woman miner. The world is unnecessarily engaged in a role conflict. Conflict comes with stress. The consequences are there for all to see; divorce, late marriage, death, child abandonment, reduction in population (some races are moving towards extinction) etc. Culture refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguish that society, from other societies. Going further this system of shared meaning could be, on closer examination a set of key characteristics that the society values. Put another way culture could simply mean the way we do things here. If we hold this definition to be true it is therefore evident that culture will distinguish an African woman from European, American and vice versa. Problem arises because people hold certain culture to be superior to their own. That’s why an African woman will wear trouser instead of tying wrapper or probably use a bleaching cream to look lighter. Just consider the campaign about the subjection of the Moslem women, yet the Moslem women are not complaining. All these developments that have influenced the nature of woman have taken the study to a different dimension. As well, it is a demonstration of the complex elements that makeup a woman. Every woman has to be learned and each makes an interesting case study.

Good time.

Paul

Follow me at: www.paulokoye.com

This killing in the name of God (The destruction of the fundaments of Nigerian nation)

It is a generally accepted concept that in the beginning God created man and gave him dominion over every living thing. It is still unknown to mankind why God gave him dominion over other beings, given that even man is an animal, neither can we speculate that God is ignorant of the overzealous nature of man. What we do know which is undisputable is that man has dominion over all other being/animal. Also it is an acceptable doctrine that God is the alpha and omega even those that do not believe in God accepts that their exists a supreme being. I have tried enough to understand the purpose of life. Because I can not give a meaning to the existence of mankind I therefore settled with the religious concept that those who live are living for God and when they die the die for God. It makes more sense because only God knows the reason of human existence or death. I will leave this part of discussion for our next publication. If man is living for God why then should he denote a bomb to kill others who are living for the same purpose (God)? Could man not have demanded for permission from the master God to kill other creatures? If God created man he must have invested some energy, time and money. The meaning of this is that man is God’s investment. The pursle then is why the omnipotent will allow people to waste his investment or better still his creature? I find answer in the fact that there will be judgement on the last day. Where and how does man connect, relate or interact with God? The answer is religion and we know that no religion preaches violence. If religions do not preach violence and man do not seek permission from the creator God before denoting bomb, we can conclude at this juncture that no body kills in the name of God. Looks strange but I want to believe that, no body kills in the name of God.

The complicity is the complex nature of man. Man is egoistic, self centred, proud, jealous, avarice, greedy, we can go on and on. Pope John Paul was not killed because he was a catholic pope but because he meddled with communism in the eastern bloc. My idol Mahatma Ghandi was not killed because he was a Buddhist but because of his position on Kashmir and the crisis between India and Pakistan. Kwame Nkuruma was not killed because he was president of Ghana but because of his position on the African continent, the same goes for Patrick Lumumba, Sankara, Debius, Luther King, Malcolm, and the two Kennedys etc. For various reasons these men paid the maximum price for there conviction. The stepped on powerful toes and paid for it. The altered powerful interest groups and heaven fell. Until the intervention of the Americans in Iraq there was no terrorist. The same goes for Afghanistan. Pakistan is still a sorry tale of fanatics, all in the name of power.

In the beginning there was nothing like terrorism. It all started during the Iraq and Iran war. The Iran gate scandal is still fresh in our memory. Officially America supported Iraq through the United Nations. There was an embargo then against Iran. Therefore no body was allowed to sell ammunitions to Iran even through a second party. But America had to find a way to fuel the war so it can go on or probably maintain the American interest. The American interest then was the release of the American soldiers held in Lebanon. At that point war was going on in Nicaragua and America was supporting Daniel Ortega the anti Marxist contra against the communist regime. Colonel Oliver North was commission by the white house to use the gains made from the ammunition sold to Iran to supply ammunition to Ortega. They called it Bolland agreement. At the end America was selling ammunition to both Iraq and Iran and that is the Iran gate scandal of the Regan administration. At the end Regan was absolved of any blame and complicity of what happened during his regime, presumably he was not in charge. The war continued but at a point something happened.

Iran was at the point of loosing the battle and the fundamentalist had to do something new. The started convincing their followers that if they die propagating Islam there are twenty one virgins waiting for them in paradise. That was how it all started. So people accepted to blow up their 6 yrs old children because they are going strait to heaven. And when these children blew up, their families will organize parties. The families of the first terrorists in Palestine were paid huge amount of money. Although, Israel may have a genuine cause and argument of sovereignty, their nation was created by a United Nations charter after the Second World War. Before the proclamation of the Security Council the Palestines were there. Therefore terrorism is for Islam but not for Islam. This is because terrorism started for the propagation of Islam but in the true sense they were not propagating Islam but working for their pay masters.

In the beginning Osama told all that cared to know that Americans were defiling Saudi Arabia but when he blew up the twin towers it became clear that the battle is for power and domination and not for Islam or God. Or one will ask what is the relationship between blowing the twin towers and defiling the Saudis. No individual is authorised to trade on ammunition. Even when you buy a military aircraft, ammunition can only be negotiated between governments. The manufactures of ammunition are not common neither can one buy the ammunition at the way side or supermarket. Ammunition can only be traded by the rich and powerful through government and every government knows who are the rich and powerful. They are easily traceable. The fact that all the rich and powerful do not trade on ammunition reduces the number of suspects. The problem is not those that blow up themselves but those that send them. The government should stop this parading of a few people in TV to confuse Nigerians. The problem is too serious to engage in propaganda. The sent could be many but the senders are few. Therefore any serious and determined government can trace them.

Goodluck should know that those throwing bombs in Nigeria are not Boko Harams but his political enemies. It does not take a genius to understand this. With all the information and intelligence available to him he should no who they are. The blood is meant for cleansing and sanctification but whose blood? Must it be the blood of the poor and helpless that has no stake in the crisis. The poor and innocent have sacrificed enough and Nigerians can not afford further blood shed. If they must continue to shed blood let them try the blood of the rich and powerful. Shakespeare said that, “when the poor die nothing is heard but heavens themselves announce forth the death of a prince”. Mr President therefore should intervene and save further bloodletting. It’s a task that must be done.

We must accept that the problem in Nigeria is political and economical and not religious. In the beginning Nigerians were neither Muslims nor Christians. Usman Dan Fodio came through the north and forced them to accept Islam while the Europeans came through the south and forced the southerners to accept Christianity. We must not loose sense of history. Going further religion is the consequences of the circumstances of our birth. If you were born in the north the tendency is that you will become a Muslim and if you were born in the south you will become a Christian. Most Christians were Christians because they were born into Christian families while most Muslims were Muslims because of where they were born. If you are born in Rome possibly you will become a catholic, those who were born in United Kingdom are Protestants while those born in the Middle East are Muslims. Americans are predominantly Pentecostals. Moslems are waiting for Isa on the last day while Christians are waiting for Jesus. Moslems worship Allah while Christians worship God. God and Allah are the same as well as Isa and Jesus (the messiah). Isaac was born by Abraham as well as Ishmael. So Isaac and Ishmael were brothers although it will be difficult for man to determine who is heir to the throne. Ishmael was born before Isaac but Isaac was born to the legitimate wife. Isaac gave root to Christian while Ishmael is the father of Islam. Muslims are working to go to paradise as well as Christians. Therefore Islam, Christian and other religions are simply different routes leading to the same destination. I have no problem that people take different roads to arrive at the same destination. That is my position.

Good time

Paul

The bombing of United Nations office at Abuja. (The tragedy of our existence)

The Friday’s bombing of the United Nations office at Abuja has brought a new dimension to the evil perpetrated on the long suffering nation ‘Nigeria’ by the over surfeited hypocrites. Although the image of our dear nation had been badly battered in recent time for the incessant outrageous events (bombing, kidnapping, massacre, robbery etcetera), which we have experienced on daily bases the united nations ordeal spells doom for us for the international attention that comes with it. Just like the episode of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab the United Nations bombing is one injury too many for a nation like Nigeria. As we await the action and decision of the world body the immediate consequences is that every Nigerian traveller is looked unto as a potential suspect. Part of these travellers are already victims as most of them confess different faith. The obvious truth is that things have never been so bad.

Every Nigerian is living under fear. At the places of worship, the market, beer parlour, motor park every where seems so unsafe. Every body is a suspect and everybody is a target. Even during the civil war things were not that bad. The government of the day seemed so handicapped in the face of the impending danger and reality that the ordinary man who had lost hope in the system seems to be loosing faith in the new government. Somehow people are beginning to feel that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may not be the messiah they are waiting for, all this while. Earlier the author had said in this forum that, Goodluck is a product of selective bargaining and therefore lack the might to address certain issues. When Boko Haram reared there ugly head in 2009 Yaradua crushed them and summarily executed their leader. Today Goodluck is forced to reopen the case file of his predecessor to the extent that he is trying the officers. When Maitasine sect erupted in Kano Babangida quashed them and their leader Mohammed a Cameroonian ended the way of Yusuf. Obasanjo cleared the Odi people in Benue and almost erased a town in the Niger delta. The position of this paper is not whether these approaches were appropriate or not the issue is that these problems because of their unique nature were solved in a unique way. Since the bird has learnt to fly without perching the hunter has learnt to shoot without missing. It was Chinua Achebe who said in his book, ‘the trouble with Nigeria’, that Nigeria is not yet ripe for democracy.

Whether Nigeria is ripe or not for democracy is insignificant at this point the locus is that nobody should hide under the guise of democracy to foment trouble. Nations have different orientation and system; therefore every nation should abide by the system that suits it. Nobody made Elizabeth the queen of England, it suits them and that’s why the have it. No price is too much for the unity and security of Nigerians. The people that suffer most are innocent people who have no stake in the root cause of the problem. Goodluck therefore should rise up to the challenges of the time. Arms trafficking are done by the rich and powerful in the society. Locating them is not such a difficult task. If as the president of the federal republic of Nigeria he does not have enough information, it means he is unqualified to lead. If he has enough information and fails to act he is betrayer. Atiku said before the election that, those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. Buhari on his part said that, if he does not win the election there will be trouble. Wanton killing and destruction started immediately it was clear that he was going to loose the election. Buhari and Atiku may not be the culprit but their interrogation will make a good start. We can not afford any more embarrassment and loss of life. Let Goodluck know that history will forgive him for taking a wrong decision but will not forgive him for not taking a decision at all. Goodluck must realise that the destiny of Nigeria is in his hands. He therefore must act and the time to act is now.

Good time.

Paul