It does not matter again if Nigeria is categorized as a failing or failed state by economic and political pundits. To many Nigerians, this country has refused to show the traits of political and economic progress envisaged by the founding fathers and some foreign friends – Europeans and Africans.

ELECTIONS rule and ruin us. Things would remain in that frame for some time. The massive hurricane of poverty sweeping across Nigeria expresses itself through several anomalies.

DURING a press conference that took place in Pretoria earlier on this week, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retired), the former military administrator of Lagos State and our current High Commissioner to South Africa, told journalists that he could show them the results of a recent opinion poll that proves that most Nigerians are not bothered about zoning issues and are more interested in leaders who can deliver than in where they come from.

THE House of Representatives, yesterday, passed the N87.9 billion budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

JUSTICE Morenike Obadina of a Lagos High Court, yesterday, restrained the Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, from arresting and detaining the sacked Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke pending the determination of her suit before the court.

EVERYDAY, Nigerians are inundated with reports of kidnapping and other crimes. It has been established that the use of cellular phones aid these crimes. It has also been agreed that if phone users register their personal details with the service provider, it would be easier to track those who use their phones for criminal purposes.

ACTIVITIES were paralysed for over two hours, yesterday, along Akpakpava Road and Ring Road of Edo State, when thousands of market women protested against what they described as the alleged misappropriation of N15million by the Women Affairs Ministry.

THE National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, ratified the decision of the Board of Trustees, BoT, and its extended caucus to sustain the zoning and rotation arrangement of the party, just as it said that President Goodluck Jonathan should contest for the 2011 Presidential election.

THE Federal High Court has so far received two suits challenging the amendment of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly.

The director general of the National Sports Commission, Patrick Ekeji, like the three impeached top executives of the Nigeria Football Association will continue to visit the federal government’s anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, until investigations into the finances of the NFA are concluded.

For 50 years the world has looked for magic bullets to tackle world poverty, an issue which gnaws at the conscience. What we have learned is that there is no single recipe for health and well-being, and that the complexities of development vary everywhere.

Austin Eguavoen was keen to take positives from Seoul after a 2-1 friendly defeat by South Korea on Wednesday.
The former Nigeria defender handed debuts to four players in his starting eleven in the international friendly, and he admitted that the hosts were the more coordinated side.

To be the Attorney General of the Federation at this point in time requires courage, single-mindedness, clear vision and uncompromising commitment to the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy. This stems from the fact that Nigeria is going through fundamental constitutional and electoral changes and challenges. The Nigerian people and the international community are waiting, watching and following these changes with keen interest.

However, the difficulty the proposition presented was its inherent stricture, its narrow interpretative perimeters that appeared to overlook the broad concept of legislative jurisdiction over general matters that could only be legislated by the National Assembly, because it then extend beyond the boarders of individual states. Secondly, Sections 4(3) and (4) of the Constitution in my view do not provide an exhaustive, limited definition of the scope of the legislative powers of the National Assembly given the fact that subsection (4). Section 4 (4) (b) which provides as followr.- “any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provision of this Constitution”.

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governorship candidate in Osun State, Engr Rauf Aregbesola has assured the people of the state that he would soon become the governor of the state.