Questions…

Why do good girls (well-educated, well-cultured, well-brought-up, etc, etc) fall for the magic and charm of bad boys? What, for instance, did Whitney Houston see in Bobby Brown for her to waste 14 or so years of her life on him? Or, perhaps it is the other way round. Still, it never ceases to amaze me when good girls fall for bad boys.

If President Obasanjo knew – and he must have known for a long time that Atiku is a corrupt-no-good leach – why partner with him to run the country? Why? And if Vice-President Abubakar Atiku knew that Obasanjo is a scoundrel and a thief, why not say so 2-5 years ago? Why wait until now to makes all these information public. I wonder where these mutually-destructive acts and pronouncements will take both men and the country.

Consider this: Your soon to be wife is a virgin. A true virgin. Now, if you accidentally slept with her sister, and again accidentally slept with her step-mother five weeks later, would you tell? I mean, would you confess your sins and accident-prone behavior to your girlfriend?

A neighbor (Nigerian) suffers from clinical depression. Another Nigeria said to me: “Is he a White man? How could a Nigerian suffer depression?” I told him that depression, like other mental health problem, is a universal ailment that can afflict anybody anywhere. This non-believing Nigerian looked at me and said: “Slap am and all the craze go comot for him head!” A few others have said things along the same line. Question: is clinical depression alien to Nigerians?

In their writings, it seems to me as though Dr. Abati and Professor Ndibe are fixated on just four themes: (1) President Obasanjo; (2) Obasanjo and his travails; (3) corruption and corrupt practices in Nigeria and; (4) the machinations of Nigerian politics. Both men would us more good if they can just broaden their scope of discussion. We need it.

What is the matter with the freedom fighters in the Niger Delta? Hasn’t anyone impressed it upon them that kidnapping does not pay? It gives their struggle (a legitimate struggle) a bad name. If kidnapping is part of their overall strategy, they should leave those low-level oil workers alone, and instead kidnap the bigwigs of the oil industry. Alternatively — and I am only suggesting, not advocating — they may want to consider kidnapping OBJ, IBB, Atiku, and other Nigerian bigwigs. That will make a big difference.

There are several reasons why military coups d’etat occur. For instance, Morris Janowitz offered the corporatist interpretation; Samuel Huntington proffered the structuralist view; while Samuel Finer meshed both the corporatist and structuralist interpretations. Overall, coups are attributable to a mix of political, economic, ethnic, cultural, military and personal factors. Nonetheless, either way one looks at coups, all the instigating factors have been present in Nigeria, at least, since 2004. Question: why hasn’t it taken place yet, or is there one in the works considering the events of recent months?

Why do some respondents in this forum accuse some commentators of “intellectual laziness” when they themselves have nothing to show in terms of their writings or intellectual acumen. If the degree of disagreement is very high, why not just pen a rejoinder, or offer a more intelligent and sophisticated (counter) point of view?

Every so often, I weep for Tony Blair. Damn, this was a Prime Minster that was ahead of his time: progressive, liberal, future-looking, bright and intellectually sound. He was a friend and a partner of President Bill Clinton. Somehow, Mr. Blair lost his ways, lost his gravitas, lost his mind, lost his vision and focus; and became a poodle of a half-baked president this side of the ocean. Today, he is reviled and shunned around the world and within his party. Whoa, how did that happen?

Fidel Castro has been the President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers in Cuba for close to five decades, during which time he has outlived or outlasted nine American Presidents and countless European leaders. Castro was considered the enfant terrible by much of the West. In spite of the proximity of Cuba, and considering America’s determination to get him “dead or alive,” how was he able to survive this long? And why is such a man loved and revered around the world?

Where in the world are these commentators? I miss their works: Paul Adujie, Banjo Odutola, Vera Ezimora, Kombo Mason Braide. I am also looking forward to Folasayo Dele-Ogunrinde‘s next composition. In spite of my “constant assault” on her works, I am looking forward to offering her Kola nuts and palm wine as peace gesture. My sister, na where you dey? I beg, make you holler at me ooooo.