I LOST a friend Oluwasegun Kokumo Agagu (1948-2013), five years ago. To honour his memory, I attended his fifth memorial lecture at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday, September 13. The lecture was organised by members of the board of Trustees of Segun Agagu Foundation made up of Dr. Deji Adeleke (Chairman), Chief Pius Oluwole Akinyelure, Marie Ekpere, Prince Yemi Adefulu, MFR, Mr. Kayode Fawole, Alhaji Kashim Imam, Ms. Solape Adefala, Dr. Olumuyiwa Aliu, Mr. Akin Aruwajoye, Mr. Kayode Falowo, Mr. Femi Agagu and Mr. Feyi Agagu-the first and only son of Dr. Segun Agagu.

DR. Joseph Wayas (77) is the first Senate President to act as President of Nigeria. That was in 1983 following the absence of President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (93)and his vice, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (1932-2017)who both travelled outside the country.

I WANT to share with you the  conclusion in 317 page book titled, Making Africa Work. The book was authored by former President Olusegun  Obasanjo and three others. The other authors are Mr. Dickie Davies, a retired Major General in the British Army, Mr. Greg Mills, who is an adviser to several African Presidents and Mr. Jeffrey Herbst, president and CEO of the Newseum and the Newseum Institute, Washington, DC and also the president of Colgate University from 2010 to 2015.

OF all the books written by or on  Kofi Atta Annan (1938-2018) none is more controversial than the 442 page book, The Best Intentions by Mr. James Traub, a New York Times magazine journalist, who enjoyed unprecedented access to Mr. Annan and his top aides for three years from 2003-2007.

ON November 19 this year, it will be 10years that the Makama Bida, Alhaji Shehu Ahmadu Musa, CFR, (1935-2008) passed on . He worked almost his entire life in the public service culminating in his appointment as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by President Shehu Shagari in 1979. His last appointment was as INEC Commissioner. He was a quintessential public servant.

IN attendance at the enthronement were the deputy governor of Ondo state, Chief Agboola Ajayi, Ondo state Commissioner for Information, Mr.Yemi Olowolabi  and those who made the enthronement possible, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, Mr. Wole Okunfulire, Mr. Gbola Akinola, Sir Olu Okeowo, Dayo Egbeyemi, Otunba Solomon Ayodele  Oladunni and others. Also present were Bishop Ephraim Adebola Ademowo and his wife, Mrs. Ranti Ademowo, the Bishop’s mother and his wife Professor Motunrayo F. Olumokaye, who is from Ondo city in Ondo state and the Bishop’s elder brother Henry Kole Olumokaye who is the Olu of Onisere in Idanra local government.

ON Monday July 30, I witnessed the enthronement of the Right Reverend Dr. Humphrey Bamisebi Olumokaye as the 8th Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). It was a colourful ceremony held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos and attended by sixty-two Bishops from all parts of the country and many clergy men from different denominations.

TILL date Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan (82) had the shortest tenure as Head of State of this country. He assumed office  on  August 23, 1993 and was overthrown on November 17, 1993. Recently, he spoke in Abuja on political parties, the media and the integrity of the electoral process. He declared: “The end result is that rather than seeing themselves as adversaries, both the political parties and the mass media should henceforth see themselves as partners in progress in our march to building an enduring democracy. Perhaps, our starting point is to first have a working idea of what democracy is and what it is all about in a federal setting like ours.

MR. Chairman, I will then turn to the section of the Constitution which deals with the executive presidency. I believe, and I intellectually accept, that the recommendations made in that regard are in the interest of this country. The fear of its opponents is that there may be dictatorship. This is the problem of Constitution makers through the ages. You want your country to be run effectively, yet you are afraid because you assume the person who is going to run it is going to usurp the right of individuals.

In the calculation of hermajesty’s government, Nigeria is still a British colony

Deliberate efforts should be made by the Federal, States and Local government to properly engaged our youth in profitable ventures

Conflicts that have occurred in Plateau particularly Jos and environs cannot be divorced from the impact of colonial rule and tin mining

If true democracy is to be indigenised in Nigeria, INEC must play interventionist role in party structure and organisation

General Babangida again threw open the Presidential race and many showed interest

Nigeria is an interesting country and our tragedy is that we know what is right and we never do what is right