The week long Fourth International Conference of Forum For Cities in Transition Kaduna 2013, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Indoor Sports Hall, Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna, came to a close yesterday.

The week which ended yesterday no doubt put Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, prominently in the news and once again, it was for the wrong reason. His wife, Clara, made several damaging allegations against him which were publicised by the media. According to the story, the lady’s fundamental human right on basic issues such as freedom of association and of movement had been breached by her husband for longer than she could bear. She also claimed to have been a victim of forced imprisonment. In his response, Governor Chime insists that whatever actions he has taken have been in the interest of his wife. From the lady’s version of her state of depression and the governor’s diction at a press briefing on the subject, it is apparent that the lady has a peculiar medical challenge.

A controversy of some sort is raging in the National Assembly over the Appeal Court judgment of November 1 that ruled in favour of 10 sacked federal lawmakers from Katsina State. Will frayed nerves be calmed?

Politics or gossip is not my cup of tea and I have enough sense to stay away from religion but lately I do feel that rising above dirt doesn’t make one clean and for a change would like to state the obvious to the leaders who don’t seem to have a clue what leadership means! An emerging democracy takes time and it is true that Nigeria is a young one but youth and craziness are not mutually exclusive.

Not too long ago, we acted as a collective, where we acted as one and believed in the mutuality of the collective. After all, African coined the adage that;” it takes a village to raise a child”. So, where is this village, the collective when some of our vulnerable are suffering in silence and we turn our face and ignore their sufferings? How can we pretend to be religious and pious and yet perpetuate this heinous crime?