I WAS born in September 1960, the last month of colonial rule in our country. I am, therefore, a typical son of an independent Nigeria.

I think that deep down, those who rule Nigerian would rather they had on their hands the peace of the graveyard, where rulers do as they pleased and citizens are subjects.

JUST why don’t our leaders learn the lessons of history? Why are they condemned to lunacy, by doing the same thing over and over and yet expecting to arrive at a different outcome? We have entered the fourth week of the disappearance from the public space, of President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Dame Patience.

I enjoyed reading two pieces on Sunday; first was a tribute to the much-lamented Professor OjetunjiAboyade, written by his biographer, Dr. TunjiOlaopa, Federal Permanent Secretary.

I SPENT last weekend in Kano. My intense love for the largest city in Northern Nigeria is well known by people very close to me.

IT took the WALL STREET JOURNAL, WSJ, last week, to lift the lid on the murky world of payments which the Nigerian government makes to Niger Delta warlords.

FOR residents of Abuja, the past week has been particularly difficult. Before you could pronounce FCT, we returned to a regime of queues for petroleum products in the city. At a point, the black market price for the 4 litre jerry can reached over four thousand naira.

WHEN the Niger Delta toughie, Asari Dokubo, threatened a bloody war against Northern Nigeria, at a press conference in Abuja last week, he hinged that, amongst others, on the threat to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan, by the House of Representatives.

WHEN Blessing Okagbare lined up for the ladies’ 100 meters final, inside the Olympic Stadium in East London, last weekend, she carried the hopes of millions of Nigerians.

The people of this country must not allow whatever sense of frustration, fear and despair we are experiencing now, to supercede our hopes for a collective destiny which lies in our continued existence as a nation.