I HAVE recently, on two occasions, praised Mr President for his new Niger Delta initiatives. And I’ve been amazed by the number of sour comments I’ve received.

SOUTH Africa has again postponed the target date of its land reform programme. In its post apartheid election manifesto, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) had promised to redistribute 30 percent of agricultural land in its first five years in office. But by 2001, some seven years later, less than two per cent had been distributed.

To many serious Nigerians[someare patriotic]the problems of the country are so diverse and complex that they feel with utmost conviction that only a sovereign national conference would appreciate and be convenient to examine [not cure] the ills of the nation. They perceive that a conference, whether sovereign or not, is an ideal environment to discuss [in truth and in merit] national problems and their solutions.

POOR leadership in Nigeria starts from picking the team list. Nigerian leaders have rarely demonstrated visionary thoroughness in choosing the people with whom to work.

FOR many years, the Nigerian National teams depended on their wingers to produce the goals or to disrupt the opposing defence in order for the rampaging strikers to find the net.