Everyone talks about love and how much we need to cultivate a love for people of all races and ethnic groups so that the world can be a better place and we can all live in peace. That is all good and fine. But I think love is grossly overrated.

A lot of people do terrible things, in the name of love, to people they claim to love. The truth is true love is difficult to plant and even more difficult to cultivate because the conditions in our society are hostile towards that kind of love. And because, as everyone knows, love does fade. It is important to understand that it is far easier to plant and grow hate. Which is why this piece will suggest how hate can be used as a force for good and for progress.

Hate is a powerful emotion. It can start quickly and burn like wildfire. Hate is easy to find everywhere, both online and offline. It is seen in something as seemingly little as hate speech, to something as big as the different wars currently being fought across the world. But before you begin to think bad about this thing called hate, think of this: Hate is the reason some persons choose not to drink alcohol – they just can’t stand the taste! They hate it. Hate is also the reason men and women of integrity choose not to cheat or defraud others – they just can’t stand the thought of doing that to another person!

Since hate appears to be so abundant in our world, wouldn’t it be easier to achieve our goals of human progress if we all properly channeled that hate inside of us? What if we all grew that hate inside of us and directed it towards corruption, towards not getting along well with a fellow human, towards waste of our human and material resources on an individual and on a global scale, towards placing material gains over and above everything else? That would be a terribly good thing, all driven by that feeling we tend to deny is somewhere within us – hate.

The closure of Nigerian borders has lingered longer than expected by Nigerians and West Africa as a whole. The Nigerian Government has been criticized for what is seen by many as a deliberate attempt to inflict more suffering on Nigerians.

The cost of food items has moved up since then, and the Government has insouciantly maintained that the border will remain closed until a permanent solution is served on smuggling of banned and substandard goods and services.

Smuggling has been fingered as the biggest sabotage to President Buhari’s economic policies that is centered on domestic production of goods and services.

The Government is also concerned about the inflow of counterfeit goods through land borders. These concerns have resulted in partial closure of the borders until the porousness is contained.

In a statement on Friday, President Buhari assured a delegation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Nigeria and West Africa of its administration’s readiness to put an end to it all. 

Here is the full statement:

“Today I met with a delegation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Nigeria and West Africa. I assured them of our administration’s readiness to work with them to bring an end to smuggling and the dumping of substandard items in West Africa and on the continent.

It is regrettable that there are traders who simply do not play by the rules; who choose profits over patriotism, and whose selfish practices in perpetrating smuggling and counterfeiting help keep foreign factories working while closing ours. We have all heard stories about the dangerous and sometimes, fatal impact of fake drugs and foods on our citizens. We have also seen how fake electrical items have led to fires in homes and markets thereby destroying lives and property.

Most of these substandard and illegal items are smuggled through our land borders. After many years of diplomacy and aggressive regulatory oversight which has yielded few results, we decided to close our land borders for a limited time to assess the impact of this measure. Within a few short weeks since the partial border closures began, we are already seeing a decline in the volumes of counterfeit smuggled goods in some of our major markets across the country.

This validates our actions as a Government when we insist that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) must not only promote free trade, but legal trade of quality made-in Africa goods and services. We will soon finalize the National Action Committee on the implementation of the AfCFTA. We expect the organized private sector to continue to support us in achieving a Free Trade Area that employs Africans to produce high-quality made-in-Africa products.

Let me also thank NACCIMA for the honor done to me with the investiture today as their Grand Patron. I will not let them down. Trade is central to our economy, we are a nation of traders, and have been for centuries. I will ensure that we continue to give the sector full support.”

Beautify your Home Interiors with Unique Styles.

Since you are about to decorate your house, there is a need to find a perfect style that will match your style. By focusing in on your preferences, options, and elements, it will permit you to achieve your dream room or home. And when you achieve your dream room, it will transform your house into a home.

Finding your style should be hassle-free with the advent of so many products in the market which means buyers have many options available to them. There is an abundant variety of finishes, colors, decorations, and prices. Listed are the four major styles you can choose from:

• Casual Style

This style aims to bring comfort, warmth, and relaxation to the home. You can make use of this style with rectangular elements, rustic design, and soft furniture with textured fabrics. Lovers of simple setting will love this style. 

• Formal Style

By making use of this style, it will invite elegance, symmetry, and exquisite furniture. There is a need to consider an elegant style with high ceilings, polished wood, and tall windows, imported rugs, antique accessories, and decorative trims, because they are compulsory for this type of interior. Lovers of sophisticated setting should go with this style. 

• Contemporary Style

It should be noted that modern styles keep present trends alive. Even though current trends changes, typically, the contemporary look includes a fundamental, simplistic, and subtle sophistication. More often than not, neutral colors are involved, structural elements are made available, and furniture pieces that are smooth and geometric are made use of. 

• Traditional Style

When you take a lot at traditional styles and compare them with some of the latest decorating trends, you will notice that nothing is truly new. Rather, they have been revamped. However, you can see how old favorite themes, fabrics, and details adapt to a fresh new look. 

Final Word…

In conclusion, you can beautify your home interiors when you make use of the aforementioned major style. You can combine them with colours and flair.

Make your home a heaven on earth.