*Says Jonathan is focused on development
In this interview, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Reuben Abati, speaks on the administration’s successes, but, more importantly, on the security situation in the country. Excerpts:

Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) have asked the Inspector General of Police and the state commissioner of police to obey the judgment of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, by vacating the premises of Obi/Akpor local government area of the state.

Renowned cardiologist, Dr.Kingsley Kolapo Akinroye, was, in November 2012, appointed the Honourary Consul of Finland, following the opening of the Honourary Consulate of Finland in Lagos by the Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Her Excellency Mrs Riitta Korpivaara. Prior to his appointment, he had pursued medical studies and a research fellowship in Finland and notably acted as the Secretary General of the Finland-Nigeria Friendship Association for years.

Since 2009, there have been bloodletting in the North on the grounds of Islamizing the country by Jama-‘a Ahl al-sunnah li-da’wa wa al-jiha-d, also known as Boko Haram. In this interview, the Bishop, Diocese of Kubwa, Anglican Communion, and National Treasurer of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, the Right Reverend Duke Akamisoko, speaks on the national insecurity created by the activities of the group and other pertinent issues that need to be addressed if Nigeria is to move forward. Excerpts:

As the rainy season picks up, the North Central Zonal Office of the National Emergency Agency (NEMA) has embarked on a disaster risk management campaign in order to mitigate the effect of the flood predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) this year. In this interview, the NEMA Coordinator in the zone, Mr. Mohammed Abdulsalam, speaks on the preparedness of the agency in the zone to avoid a repeat of the 2012 flood disaster.

PROLOGUE
What is evil? Where is evil? Who is evil? When does evil strike? How does evil strike? We may ask these questions, not necessarily as rhetoric. But more as a function of a sense of hopelessness and helplessness! And not because we do not have an idea of what it is; but much more because the mere thought of it evokes a feeling that would make you shriek in fear.

AFTER 178 days of legal gymnastics, the three-member Election Petition Tribunal, led by Justice Andovar Kaka ‘an which sat over the October 20, 2012 governorship election in Ondo State dismissed the 190 paragraph and 403 pages petition of the Action Congress of Nigeria, A C N, candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), as well as the 1,480 paragraphs statement on oath and 248 page petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, likening their failure to prove their matter convincingly to a game of soccer in which the players had no goal to show for their 90 minutes of play.

NOTE: The two columns below were started on Sunday, May 12, 2013 – before the President’s declaration of Emergency Rule in three states of Nigeria. More than ever, and despite the risks and dangers which could result from the measure taken by the President, I still believe that he needs our support to bring this war to an end. If for no other reason than that the opposition has failed to offer a better proposal.

All this indicates that those who look up to religion for guidance on the issue of marriage are liable to make serious mistakes. There is strong evidence from psychology most especially psychoanalysis that obsessive and irrational condemnation of sexual freedom by most founders of religion is due to a combination of superstitious beliefs about sex and thwarting of natural sexual impulse in early life.

For some time now, armed robbers and kidnappers have taken over an area referred to as “Evil Forest” located along the Benin-City bypass, and seen as a haven for criminal activities. Luxury buses plying the East-Lagos routes have on many occasions been attacked, passengers robbed and women raped in the area. Those who resist are killed. Families of many kidnapped victims are asked to go to the ‘Evil Forest’ to drop ransom. In the past, policemen dared not go near the place because they may not come back alive to tell the story.

It seems the Teflon Don is finally getting his judicial just desserts or so it seems. On Monday when the Italian prosecutors demanded that the former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi, should be handed a prison sentence as well as a life time ban from politics, outside the court building the judgement was greeted with equal measures of cheers and jeers. Such reaction is typical Silvio he, often divides the emotions of Italians over the years and it seem that whatever he does or says, he gets away with it.

Following the high rate of poverty ravaging the country, Tunji Lardner, a social commentator and a convener for good governance had lamented how corrupt leaders had caused abject poverty for Nigerians.

Barr. (Mrs.) Olayinka Oladunjoye, the Honourable Commissioner for Education in Lagos State, is the visionary behind the mind-blowing reforms on-going across the state’s education sector. In this exclusive chat with Vista Woman, she talks about her ministry’s strides since 2011, and also its plans for the future. Excerpts:

Different write-ups attract different readers. While some people prefer light-hearted articles that relax the mind, other persons that are often described as ‘serious’ readers are hardly interested in storylines. Rather, they want the point to be quickly but logically made. What such persons tend to overlook however, is the ease with which stories enhance the quality and opinions being made by writers. Indeed, stories can help readers to easily comprehend the issues in focus in a write-up. This is why today’s article is softened with a few stories on prosperity and vanity.

Swimming is a sport that looks deceptively easy; it employs hitherto lazy muscles to labour and the water tricks the joints into acrobatics that is impossible other wise. I find moving underwater the most fun and I stay under as long as possible but I come up for air because I don’t belong there. I am a creature whose primary domain is land. I walk and swimming is but a break form walking.