THE TALE OF IMPROPER FRACTION By: Extradallenum Olusegun Akinsanya

A few days back, I tried to explain fraction to a bunch of kids. I told them about the proper, the improper and the mixed fractions. As I explained the concept in very simple layman terms, it dawned on me that improper fraction actually explains the present political and religious situations in the world.

For an improper fraction, the weight of the number on top is more than that of the number at the bottom. That is why it's not proper. It would be the other way round if it were to be proper...

I followed the discourses of religious and political critics on social and news media and the major bone of contention is that the leaders, both ecclesiastical and political, enjoy the juice while the followers scramble for the husks. In Nigeria, a senator pockets 36 million Naira a month; in a nation where workers in some states are owed 5 - 6 months (of the 18,000-Naira-minimum-waged) salary. While the bishop is cruising in the fog-conditioned airspace, in a goldplated airbus, the congregants are sandwiched in half-alive, half-dead land-snails in heavy traffic and heat from both within and without.

That is the parable of the improper fraction. The common wealth is not evenly distributed. The political elites are buying off all the lands and choice properties, while the hapless citizens have their ancient lands either reallocated for public construction project or gazetted as government acquired property.

The instrumentality of political and religious offices have been turned to stripes in the hands of those whose principle of leadership is based on the mathematical expression of improper fraction.

The world can't keep on running on this negatively skewed ideology. The systems that thrive on this ideology can not bring the world close to paradise. There would always be constant divisions until the improper fraction is restructured to a mixed fraction, at least.

© EXRADALLENUM OLUSEGUN AKINSANYA

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