BARACK Obama was a phenomenon when he turned to politics. His Presidential victory seemed assured that July 24, 2008 day he stood in a street to address over 200,000 Germans in Berlin, in the “Victory Column Speech”. It was a trip to Europe to test if the young Democrat had the presidential stuff to lead the world. He electrified the audience painting a picture of a new world, a new partnership and a new direction towards peace. He displayed the rarity of a genius.

THE tiny island of Cuba with no major natural resources, military prowess or strong economy, produced two of the most famous and charismatic leaders of the last one hundred years; Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro Ruiz

THIS, in Nigeria, is the season of denials and other market stories. There is hardly any main event or issue that has not become controversial or denied. One of the latest occurred in the Office of the Senate Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu.

THE Holy Bible commands humanity “Thou shall not covet thy neigbour’s house, thou shall not covet thy neigbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neigbour’s” (Exodus 20:17) .

OLD friends, like old wine, are usually better than new ones. The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola is an old friend. The state he governs, like most in the country, has been financially challenged to the extent that it took a bail out from the Federal Government to pay salaries. Although almost all states in the country lie financially prostrate like Osun, Aregbesola, perhaps for his vibrancy, oratory and radical views has received the most bashing.