We must guard against sliding into a nation of political extremists

If there is one thing I came to learn early in life about human survival, it is the futility of fear. Fear changes nothing. It blows up mountains of strife out of molehills. Talking of the molehills and anthills of the Savannah, growing up in the African countryside means you must be courageous to survive.

At least that was the wisdom in our childhood days. You had to take every challenge to a totally unnecessary duel with feigned superciliousness; otherwise you became the coward everyone sought out whenever they wanted to punch something. Looking tough, arrogant and unyielding was the done thing, even for closet cowards who ran for the hills whenever fists were clenched.