American Philosopher, journalist and poet, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) a transcendentalist in his book Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Economy published in 1854 wrote ‘’I have lived some thirty years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors’’. Would that be the situation of the Group Managing Director, GMD of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Dr. Maikanti Baru who sought the counsel of former petroleum resources superintendents on the present state of the industry?

The Emir of Kano and immediate past governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Muhammadu Sanusi II, last week took a swipe at the government that he believed was subsidizing foreign exchange and creating billionaires in the country. He said businessmen obtain dollars at official rates of N197 and resell at a higher rate of N300 at the parallel market.

John Sculley a U.S. businessman, entrepreneur and investor in high-tech startups in this technology quote said ‘’We try to picture what the products will be and then say, what technology should we be working on today to help us get there?’’ That should be the spirit in finding solutions to complex problems but who leads the symphony orchestra? That is our failing and melancholy as a nation.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rallied between US$43 andUS$46.62 a barrel in the last one week. It gave hope that glimmered in our hearts of a positive signal that the market may witness a bullish run in the low fifties in the fourth quarter, Q4 of 2016. It might have been cheering news for some countriesthat have been threatened by depressing oil prices. Some that have devalued their currencies and forced to austere economic measures may contemplate adjustments in higher benchmarks as they prepare for the 2017 fiscal year.

At the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference last week in San Antonio, United States, ExxonMobil commercial adviser Ken Golden was of the view that the calls for ban on fossil fuels for now were unrealistic. Examining global energy trends, Golden was of the view that though fossil fuels use posedanger to climate change,the clamour for alternative and renewable fuels in wind and solar would contribute less than 3 percent of global energy use by 2040.

‘’Don’t trust anyone over thirty.’’ That is Jerry Rubin (1938-1994),U.S. activist and author’s quote. I do not know whether some will believe himbut itseems to capturethe sour relationship between two assembly pals and ally, Speaker of the House of Representatives,YakubuDogara, and immediate past Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, AbdumuminiJibrin over 2016 budget proceeds. Jibrin in a fit of temper has had what some regard as a childish display of rage. Others say it is good for our democracy.

The Greek mathematician Euclid of the 4th century BC who was responding to Ptolemy 1 if there were an easier way to solve theorems said that there is no ‘royal road’ to geometry. The reality in solving complex problems had never been with impressive generosity and existed since time immemorial. The procedure to tackle identified problem is what makes the difference.

‘’Men I’m checking out. I’m tired of no water, light, and no good roads. You can’t even find a bottle of soft drinks.” That was the 1984 NTA three-sentence storyline promo that had the late actor Enebeli Elebuwa fondly cast as Andrew. Andrew was travelling overseas in frustration that Nigerians had no public good; no electricity, no potable water, no public health system, no telephone, no schools, no roads, no security and no employment.

An anonymous quote has it that self-praise is no recommendation. Once upon a time there was a character out of fable; the widely known and recognized lizard which made a spectacle of itself at the village square when by accident it came down from the heights of an iroko tree. It noticed that nobody applauded it falling from an imagined height of the 200-metre Eiffel Towers in central Paris. It nodded its head three times in self-congratulation.

Walter Bigelow Wriston (1919-2005) a U.S. banker, former chairman and CEO of Citicorp said that ‘’when a system of national currencies run by central banks is transformed into a global electronic marketplace driven by currency traders, power changes hands”. This quote was on Monday, 27th June, 2016 portrayed in President Muhammadu Buhari’s mien in expressing the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN ruthless and rudderless Naira devaluation.