For too long Nigerians had lived on the proceeds of crude oil. But, the Age of oil is over at least for a long time to come. Revenue from crude oil is falling everyday while our population continues to grow at about three per cent per annum.

Very few issues in Nigeria had generated so much heat, and so little light, as the recent visit of the Peace Committee to President Buhari and the interview which Bishop Hassan Kukah granted afterwards.

The death of the late Ooni of Ife, like those of many great Nigerians, brought the usual avalanche of tributes from far and wide. Based on the time-honoured principle of never speaking ill of the dead, the tributes were generally positive. I would have loved to join the crowd but, to be honest, I met the Royal Father only once in my life – when he called a small group of Yoruba leaders of thought, to the Palace, to form a Non-Government Organisation

Mr President, permit me, even so late in the year, to congratulate you on your election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially when that historic victory was premised on the promise of change. Granted the contents of the “Change Programme” were not fully spelt out, but, given the emphasis so far placed on eradicating corruption, it is fair to assume that it would also encompass “justice for all”.

Forget wishing anybody Merry Christmas this year; you might as well also dispense with the Happy New Year greetings for 2016. At the risk of being called, once again, a prophet of doom, let me declare right now that given the trend of crude oil prices, Nigerians are headed for the bleakest Christmas in history, and we stand to start 2016 with the worst economic uncertainty in our history.