It’s going to be a long ,long year. I can see it coming. From this point to election time next year, we shall surely have exciting times. The handwriting is on the wall, and on the ground, and even in the sky. A merry time is sure to be had by all.

THERE were attacks from last week at the border areas of southern and northern Sudan, Africa’s largest country. The clashes were between the south-based Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and Arab marauders from Darfur (the Janjawid) aided by the northern army (SAF) Raids by the latter group are not new. In fact, their murderous raids against the people of Darfur which resulted in about 400,000 killed and 2.5 million displaced, has been classified by the international community as genocide.

I DON’T know what to tell sports minister, Ibrahim Isa Bio. But I will prefer that he talks less especially on technical matters.

As my esteemed media colleague, Simon Kolawole of ThisDay newspaper pointed out in his column last Sunday: “The PDP crisis…is not about food on the table for ordinary Nigerians. It is not about roads and water and electricity and schools and hospitals. It is just about intrigues and self-interest. We have seen this before. Those who benefitted extensively from the ‘impunity’ in the PDP become reformers when things don’t go their way.”.

President Jonathan was the proverbial breath of fresh air to Nigerians who listened to him in Washington DC two weeks ago. Perhaps that hapless country may yet go somewhere with the kind of optimism which Jonathan exudes and projects. Did he recently say that money for Nigerian leadership echelon who go overseas for medical attention will no longer be accepted.