If a week- seven days- is said to be a long time in politics, then seven years must be an eternity. Time enough at least to write your name on marble or on a shifting sand on the beach. It took less than seven years for example for Obama and the US to bring America out of economic depression and start creating jobs and wealth again

I love the thought of a New Year. I love the notion that the good, the bad and the ugly of the past year are behind me and I can start on a new slate. It’s a form of closure and I love it. I also like the feeling of having a blank page, a white canvass to play with. I love the energy of the first few days as I try to plan the year and luxuriate on the purity of my vast, virgin canvass. In many ways, it is like a new birth.

One of the few things that gladdened my heart this yuletide season was an announcement by my Parish Priest that the Lagos Arch-diocese of the Catholic Church had pledged the Christmas day second collections to helping our brothers and sisters in the North East. We were therefore enjoined to contribute generously to the project and those who wanted to do more could send personal cheques to the pool.

We have all moaned about the political landscape in the country. A landscape that breeds corruption, incompetence and mindless greed. We have all complained about the fact that we are ruled in the main, by our second eleven and the decay in health, education, energy to name but a few is an eloquent attestation to our choice of leaders.

It will be Christmas in a few days. Many buildings are already well decorated with Xmas lights as are quite a few streets especially around the Lagos Island. They look quite nice at night and bring the spirit of the season home. The activities of the yuletide season are also here.