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Aug 9
Unveiled Dark Practice By UK-born Adam Robert Britton; A Pseudonymous Human Nature
May 25
THE ENDLESS PAIN OF REGRET
May 12
Akogun gains attention from Foreign media outlet over published article
Feb 16
“When I read some stuff, it would get blurry” – Tiwa Savage spills
Feb 9
RETRACE YOUR STEPS By Toheeb Omotayo (DaPenWarrior) All is in the man’s hands, but he lets them all slip away. Going backward to retrace your steps doesn’t translate to retrogression. It simply means you’re being original and cautious of your actions. It saddens to no end that, we now live in a world of haste, where we take steps without second thoughts and without any ounce of cautiousness. We live as if tomorrow is never going to come. We inflict harm on others without having any sense of remorse. We view negative things as positive, when, of course, we are suffering from tedious shortsightedness. All the things that used to have meaning have all turned out to be completely meaningless. In fact, life holds no meaning to some people who tend to live out of their tents, as though, they have all the total control over their blippy lives. It’s unwise to think that way. Isn’t it? Furthermore, one of the lessons life has taught me is that, I should never think of outrunning my destiny, which is the tent I must pay for the space i occupy on this hard, endless surface called “EARTH”. But if the so-called designed destiny is an ominous one, one can hastily slither into another process of tussling the ominous to form a new and more sophisticated fashion of destiny for himself. Although, I used to disbelieve that thing called “DESTINY”. It was when I found myself amidst life situations (both bleaky and pleasant) that it dawned on me that life is an endless journey with no specific meaning attached to it. I also came to the realization that I was entangled to certain circumstances that formed the canvas on which I lived and I could never live out of it. That life journey made me realize that I could not run out of my track. I must stick glued to it, no matter what. I must confess that I gravely regret ever allowing such a disbelief to grow and thrive in my mind. Holding onto that belief was the harshest punishment of my life. Since then, I became acutely aware of my fear of making another set of mistakes like I have done in the past and at the same time became consciously aware of the steps I will be taking going forward. I even went as far a setting rules and codes for myself; rules guiding the kind of food I eat, clothes I wear, including the kind of friends I keep. After several years of chasing my dream with murderous zeal, I figured I had achieved only nothingness, except ofcourse, I did achieve wasting my precious time doing what I would rather not, by desiring to do the same thing as others, especially those things that fetch them money. I had forgotten that I could only love the same thing as others but not get in the same act as them. I would love to strike a conclusion with a Yoruba adage (paraphrased) that says “Don’t make silly enquiries if you’ve already discovered your path.” In yoruba language (àmònàn bini òyó). This was what I forgot to put into consideration as I chase my dreams. After realizing this lone-made grave mistake, I decided to retract my steps by leaving behind those things that add no value to my existence and go after what is exactly meant for me. Indeed, all is in the man’s hands, but he lets them slip away unconsciously. Many thanks for engaging. Your kind and warmhearted feedbacks will definitely go a long way in motivating me to pen more heart-moving articles like this. Toheeb Omotayo is an Ilorin based writer. He can be reached via +2348139703167 toheebomotayo12@gmail.com
Feb 9
MY LOVE ADVENTURE (FICTIONAL) By Toheeb Omotayo (DaPenWarrior) There was this lady i had always loved in my entire life. We lived and grew up together in the same neighborhood. The love we shared was so deep that I could easily guess her intentions and predict her next plans of which she had the same amount of potential towards me. But as fate would have it, she transplanted to a rather far location where i could only reach her through prayers and love. Unfortunately, things started going disarray between us and she began to give a cold shoulder to my messages and calls; forming a nerve-wracking feeling in me – a feeling that left an expression of the profoundest glimpse of disgust in my refined face which made me scowl and feel ashamed anytime I was reminded of her snobbish behavior. Isn’t it weird to continue loving someone who doesn’t give a damn concern about you? “Yes, it’s weird! And only weirdos can run a weird relationship with the love bent on one side in a most unseemly manner.” Do you think I talk too much? Sorry, i had learnt to chatter this long time ago. It’s simply a fantasy to amuse myself longing for someone who doesn’t have an iota of concern about how I live my life. “A plaything. Yes, maybe it’s a play thing.” But the memory from the pleasurable moments we spent together wouldn’t cease to weigh upon me; and the tearful ordeal of a failed love also kept pressing on my mind.. tearing my heart to shreds. I was left with nothing but the deepest feelings of guilt and regret. Sometimes, I chattered that I could have nipped the bud in the most quickest way possible if I had known that the relationship had not yet achieved a balance. Yoruba people will say: “Tètè wá wòròkò fi sàdá.” There is this popular saying that says “To propose is humans, to approve or dispose is God’s.” I knew not what God had in stock for me as I continued chasing after my falling love with a murderous zeal. If only I had known on time, I would have succumbed to the will of fate and focus pensively on meeting the fastidiousness of youth while I still could. But better late than never. Or perhaps, I shouldn’t have even loved her in the first place. Do you know why? Because i had been blinded and deafened by that one-sided love with my girlfriend, which impeded me from seeing through the sinister side of the relationship–some sort of inevitably accumulated bitterness and zodiac dangers waiting in the future. I was not aware that my coital encounters with her were furiously detrimental to our future, especially myself, yet, I couldn’t stop, in my den thinking, loving her more and more – of jack the giant killer coming towards me with a big heavy blow to be landed on my head. Each time I was reminded of her, I got inundated with thoughts, or more accurately speaking, got thrown into a complete blankness of mind. I walked along the roads not observing what was about me, and not even care to observe. Soon, I started visiting the Hay market, established some kind of bad characters owing to the fact that I got emotionally betrayed by the only person I had always loved. It even pained me more not knowing how she felt about me from the far location she was I was hopelessly living a rough life; completely forgotten that “everything has a reason why it happens.” All these experiences while living in such an overstrained irritable condition can boldly be attributed to the encounters that completed the revolting misery of my love journey. On one faithful day, however, as i was visiting an Hay market located very close to my area to get some psychotropic drugs that helped me overcome my depression as always, my eyes catched a glimpse of this exceptionally beautiful lady from afar, above average in height, very light-skinned, with curly hair smeared with an extravagantly soft haircream. Her smile was so charming enough that it could melt anyone’s heart within a blink of an eye. Her voice, a tune with beautiful symphony, was pleasing enough to cast hypnosis on a person. “I am talking too much. But at least, her features are worth the hype!” I muttered at the glance of her curvy body. I suddenly stopped moving and held tightly on to my cap; I was wearing a face cap, one that looked more like a scarf than a cap. Lols! “Where will I get the courage to approach this angel?” I asked myself as I looked at my shabby dress, quite unscrupulous and conspicuous. “Although, it’s good to be a feast for the eyes sometimes. Smiles.” I wanted to give up everything and head straight to my target destination but this tantalizing lady won’t stop mesmerizing me. “O boy, c’mon get a grip and face your fears head-on! What you need at a time like this is to remind yourself of how daring you are.” I said in soliloquy, raising up my right shoulder as an indication of confidence. Eventually, I decided to muster up courage to give it a shot and see how it pans out. Each step I took as I propelled myself towards the damsel was acutely reminding of my fear. I moved as though in hesitation towards her; “Are you sure you can do this?” I asked myself as I was approaching her; “Even if you did succeed in getting her attention, will you be able to say anything to her at all?; C’mon cut the damn crap and push forward with your sh|t!” The shortcomings in my dress were as obvious as the midday sun. Yet, I could not back off after getting to that point. After a while, I appeared like a lizard before the lady (after making mouth to approach her like a blizzard) standing all cowardly in front of her, clutching tremulously at my loosen pant, just finding a way to strike a pose. For some minutes, I could not spill a word, but maintained a calm demeanor, trembling really hard as though I was going to jump out of my skin. Let me say I have never in my entire lifetime felt that way before. “Hello beautiful damsel! My name is Tom and you are my Jerry which means we can never be set apart once we come together.” “Huh! That was incredible!” I said within myself. She gazed at me with a deep sigh and asked “Who are you?” “My name is Toheeb and your name is?” I answered with a pride. “I am Tracy!” She said, accompanied by a bombastic side eye. “Oh, wow! Nice meeting you.!” We shook hands and I started talking. “You know, as per one Yoruba Adage which says: “Nígbamî, òrò ó wa sùgbón kòní sáyè. Nígbamî sì rèé, àyè ó wa, sùgbón kòní sórò.” In English, paraphrased: “Sometimes there’s something to talk about but no time. And other times, there’s time but nothing to talk about.” But right now, I have a lot buzzing my mind and I can’t help but spill them out to you. I will so much appreciate you if you could spear me some minutes from your busy schedule…” I quitted being reticent and threw a ball into her head which I believed left a strong impression on her – I am talking about my opening remarks! To my greatest surprise, the lady responded with a heartwarming smile, showing less concern about my shabby dress. She minded my appearance the least of all criteria for falling in love with a partner and that gave a touch of completeness to my courage-forming process. You know as a talkative guy I was who had learned to chatter so much, I began to clutter up her brain with loads of data embedded with prevarication. And soon enough, she gave in and agreed to my dating proposal. Ohw! At first, she wanted to play hard-to-get, but I cornered her from thinking too hard and eventually fell into my net – a net so strong that she would never be able to escape from my clutch. I know you’ll call me a bad guy. Whatever you call me, so i am; Lols! I made sure to verify and block all potential instances that could possibly be a slump in our relationship. And I didn’t forget to obtain her digit before leaving the spot. Lols! In a nutshell, we embarked on an unending trip of love. Tracy brought back all my lost hope and moulded me into the perfect man she liked. (You don’t need to look for someone perfect before starting a relationship, just find the one you like and mold the person into the perfect version of your choice). Lessons: [1.] Don’t give up hope. What doesn’t work for you might be sinister to your life journey. Drift past it and chase after what truly belongs to you. [2.] Imperfection should not be a slump in your relationship. Build and mold your partner into your choice of man/woman and live happily ever after. [3.] Don’t be afraid to take new steps, attempt new things. Because, new things come with new glory and bring a more brighter light to your life. Toheeb Omotayo is an Ilorin-based writer. He can be reached via +2348139703167 or toheebomotayo12@gmail.com ⭕Copyright infringement is subject to severe punitive penalties. Avoid plagiarism and get a written permission from the Author before using.
Dec 1
Dare Akogun On The Peak Of Promoting African Culture
Oct 2
THE PERILOUS NATURE OF WAR, WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON AFRICAN COUNTRIES This work of fiction emphasizes the perilous nature of war, portraying a Fictional story of two Warring locales in Africa fighting with a black rob and rod. By Toheeb Omotayo (DaPenWarrior) My heart aches whenever I see people, who ascribe themselves as ambassadors of peace, planting the seeds of discord, fueling the flame of disaster, and stocking up the fire of disunity. The truism about war is that, it’s perilous nature is second to zero. When the first fire is being shot, it becomes hard to tell when the battle will end or how the burning flame will be quenched and human lives are mere blips on the canvas of eternity. However, don’t be surprised when two people, from different factions, become stone-head-insistent on putting an end to a mayhem after making the blooming flower loses its shammer in the eventide. Sometimes, those strong-headed viciously violent individuals (mostly appeared to be concerned with the people’s welfarism) are the ones pulling the string from behind the scene, provoking the spirit of violence in their blinded soldiers and at the same time Living off, feisting on the altercation. They never wanted the chaos to stop. Never interested in making peace! An African Proverb says “Where two elephants had a fight, it is the surrounding grasses that suffer the ultimate droughts.” It is the people of the communities that are always at the receiving end of every violent outbreaks which, thus, leave them with broken hearts and memories of the pain of bereavement over the lose of their beloved ones, properties and source of livelihoods. The results of a war are generally known for breaking the hard-built bridge of peace and harmony between two communities, ethnic groups, religious factions, countries among others which amount to absence of ecstasy, anaesthesia and lifelong integration between the people. A man of knowledge was asked: “if you found yourself in a position where your task alone is to proffer a lasting solution to an ongoing blazing war, how will you achieve that?” The man, first of all, gave a deep sigh, grasped a fresh breath and said: “within the smaller frame of my knowledge, I’ll just muster up courage to consult the leaderships of both the two Warring factions and preach peace to them.” Huhn! “It’s just as simple as that.” Smiles; Another sociological Analyst was asked the same question just as the first person and he muttered few words which goes thus; “If only the war has not become a full-scale one can I, as an ordinary person, decide on what could be done to stop the war from getting even worse than bad.” This clearly shows the power and how immensely difficult it is to put a stop to an already escalated war. A fire that dances in the chimney after being lit is easier to put out than a burning flame that has already engulfed the farmland. In most cases, the root cause of all war is from deprivation of a person access to their certain inherent properties, specifically a bequeathed feudal right upon a community by their forebears (peculiar to African countries). The fight over a borderline (a demarcated location indicating the land polaris between two neighboring communities) is intimately peculiar to the nature of African localities starring the usage of violence as a method of solving a conflict while seeking emancipation for the people of the societies and lots more. In this, consternation is always attached! Even though self-defense is not considered a crime, it can still wreak serious havoc between two parties and cause it to last a longer period. Telling someone who is never interested in making room for peace that “The best form of defense is counterattack” is like throwing human flesh, in batches, to a lion inside its den and expect it to give up on feeding on human beings. That’s ironically insensible! I would like to tell you a story from the past so you can savor a corresponding imaginative understanding of the whole missive. Long time ago in Yoruba land, there existed two neighboring communities that shared a very tiny borderline. The communities are Koroade and Asaoke kingdoms. The forebears (sometimes referred to as founders, ancestors) of the two communities had lived together in the same piece of pod as one. There was complete absence of disintegration, war, rift, pandemonium between them. Everything was going in order until a very ominous moment of consternation came in to the scene of breaching the Age-long peace between the two communities. (At this time, generations had already passed away and new generation had surfaced) It all started when one village indulged in large farming system and the other lived off of it. Koroade kingdom had young, vibrant and promising youths who worked hard for the prosperity of their kingdom, while Asaoke cultivated little, but never sufficient farmland and enjoyed very little harvest period. As time passes, Asaoke kingdom grew to develop jealousy and hatred for their neighboring village, Koroade. They wondered if they were suffering from a spell of dry land or probably being neglected by their ancestors that begets their suffering from lack of surplus farm produce. This had them wondering about the kind of sin they could have possibly committed to their ancestors for a long time and after they couldn’t pinpoint any potential possibility, they resorted to waging war against Koroade community. They began to claim Koroade’s good and fertile land as theirs and tag the people of the community as vandals and usurpers who had come to usurp their land from them. Koroade kingdom was too hesitant and reluctant enough to fireback at Asaoke for being scandalous toward them. It was during the kingships of Oba (a king in Yoruba land) Alemokako and Onikunmekun that this turmoil began. The illegal and provoking proclamation went on for years, purely without any form of physical attack. Yet, the spirit to instigate a war was manifesting in the people of Asaoke kingdom. After they could no longer stand the sight of their neighbor enjoying their hard-earned fortune, they began paying onslaught visits discreetly to the people of Karaoke at their respective farmsteads. Killing, seizing and looting the farmland and its properties from their rightful owners was the hoodlums’ watchwords. They took solace in seeing buildings burning down to ashes and people covered in cold blood. What a wickedness that was! The Karaoke people, after being pushed to the wall, could no longer stand to be taciturn and tolerant of being trampled over by their enemies, then decided to counterattack and seek freedom for their society and the people Living therein. Permit me to define ‘WAR’ as the absence of peace. And that was how the war escalated across the two communities. Invaluable numbers of innocent lives were sent to heaven in the most brutal way possible, including the lives of young children and promising youths who were considered to be the future of the kingdoms. Even though it is forbidden for the king of a kingdom to brood, the Onikasa of Kasaoke kingdom could not stop regretting and beating himself in the butt for his unscrupulous action. So did the Alasa of Asaoke kingdom could not have a peaceful night rest, brooding, sobbing, and pondering the possible ways to quell the crisis. If only the two kings could meet and have a dialogue on finding a way to stop the ongoing war, there could be a higher chance of them succeeding in the course. The truth of the matter is that, the war had gone beyond fighting over mere land and freedom alone. There was a group of people investing and benefiting from it unknown to those taking front in the battlefield that they have been caught in the line of puppeteers, dancing to the music they set them to and that they were nothing but marionettes in the hands of the people controlling the war from behind the cloak of anonymity. Another obscuring truth of the matter is that, majority of those fighting over the land, especially Asaoke soldiers, had no knowledge of the real cause of the fight. They were only told stories that the Karaoke forebears were vandals who fled their ancestral homes to make a living on the land they had amassed to themselves. They regarded the people of Karaoke as their kinsmen, weaklings and cowards. Moreover,the fight went on for years before the perpetrators fueling the flame of war were discovered and nabbed. Many people had been killed, children became parentless, husbands lost their wives, many women had turned to widows in both Warring communities. That’s why I said earlier that, a war is easier to start, but to stop it is a herculean task. Surprisingly, the perpetrators that were apprehended were the right handmen to the two kings. They supplied the soldiers with firearms and assorted ammunitions to make the war nonstop, while they also took charge of the commercial activities and farmlands of the towns. In the end, they got arrested, quizzed and subjected to the law of the land which orders the killing of every perpetrators by bodily dismemberment. It is imperative to make it clear that this act of violence in the name of fighting and seeking liberation is still taking a toll in Africa. And beyond Africa, it’s still reigning in almost all the parts of the world. Russia/Ukraine unending war is a typical example to be considered in this regard. Nevertheless, it is very appalling that, Africa is being looked at with streams of tragic historical events. I am reminded of Somalia, Sierra Leone, Gabon and Niger Republic (where military coup dêtat have just taken place) and the remote history of Biafra. Were they to have power and means, they would protest in the most violent way possible, about the terrible fate that has become their lot. It is clearly not by their own design. No! They are the casualties (Talking about the people of two Warring factions). When ammunitions are being distributed, it is merchants that smile to the banks. At this juncture, let’s be sincere with ourselves. Are we being fair to our society, family, children? In this era of the world, the answer is NO! We really are not. Family threads are broken. Considering the so much abundance of small arms all over the sub-region of West Africa, killing and maiming innocent lives. What exactly is wrong with Africa that we can not embrace peace in our midst? When out of greed and love of power, we turn brothers against brothers, and force people that hitherto have been Living together in peace and harmony; we turn them into sworn enemies. What do we want history to say about Africa? What legacy do we want Africa to be remembered with? In everything we do, the children who are regarded as the future of the continent should be put at utmost priority. To Nigeria political leaders, let’s try to hearken to the calls of the suffering citizens as they cry out to us in their loudest voices and help them heal the world and make it a better place for them to live in. Apparently, we have nothing to profit from war. When the first fire is shot, no one knows when the battle will end. We should come together as one to wage war against ethnic, religious and tribal division. Red is never the freedom road. We should embrace a clean white space and make room for peace to reign! God bless you all, God bless Nigeria and God bless Africa! Disclaimer: The story portrayed in this article is Fictional. All the names mentioned in here are, in no way, pointing to any specific individual or a society. Toheeb Omotayo is a Nigerian-based writer, public speaker and peace consultant. He can be reached via +2348139703167
Jun 7
Misinterpretation of God’s will
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