ACCORDING to a report that was recently published in the Washington Post newspaper, Nigeria is the worst country in the entire world to be born in.

As many Nigerians do often forget memorable events, it is necessary to remind ourselves that 1st of January 2014, Nigeria will be 100 years old as a nation and in 2015, the life of the present Federal Government would need renewal in another national election.

THE beginning of a New Year has become very instructive in understanding the Jonathan presidency. Last year as Nigerians were coming to terms with expenses incurred during the Christmas/New Year festivities, President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a punishing increase of prices of petroleum products on the country.

It was intended for publication last October. Incidentally, there was a glut in political activities at the time hence this piece went into voicemail. Even if it is coming after the Town Hall meetings orchestrated nationwide by the House of Representatives last November, as they say in local parlance, nothing spoil. William Shakespeare puts it more succinctly, “love’s night is noon”.

MRS. Obioma Imoke is 50 years old and I wish her well, just as I wish all the fellow citizens who marked their golden anniversary on earth that same day. Mrs. Imoke is the wife of the governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, formerly a senator. The whole world knows about her birthday because half of the eighteen local governments in her state bought full-page adverts in a national daily on Saturday, 5 January 2013, to congratulate her.

Britain’s blue chip index fell on Monday for the first time this year, balking at technical resistance levels having reached its highest close for nearly two years in the previous session.

THE next presidential election in Nigeria is in 2015, more than two full years away but already the seat of government in Abuja is flooded with campaign posters of incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, in a pitch for four more years. The presidency has washed its hands off the posters but said it would not order their removal. Very correct response, as that would amount to abridgment of the right of the campaigners.

JANUARY 2012 began with an ill-timed fuel tax, called removal of fuel subsidy. That act inflamed passion and caused a nationwide conflagration that nearly consumed the government. It seems that in the absence of such drama this year, some people tried to create their own drama by pasting President Jonathan’s campaign posters in some parts of Abuja.

WHAT is the context of the present security condition of society in Nigeria? Is it one of continuity from the colonial to the post colonial or is it one of transition between the colonial and the post colonial? The process of decolonisation in Nigeria was one of change of the officeholders of the British colonial government. The statecraft of the Nigerian Independence Politicians, or more cryptically phrased, the Nigerian Political Class, from Independence to the present has been one of governance adaptation of the institutions of British Administration for the colony of Nigeria. Independence was instituted by both Britain and colonial Nigeria as succession in office. In the gallery of succession in the offices of heads of ministries or agencies, there is first the picture of the last British Office holder and then the picture of the first Nigerian successor.

It was a welcome departure from tradition when the national assembly received the 2013 budget proposals in early October 2012! Thankfully, the early submission allowed the legislature to effectively sharpen its oversight functions on a host of government ministries and agencies, and in the process, uncover huge shortfalls between approved budget sums and actual implementation in 2012.

Furthermore, we are already aware of the provisions of the 2013 budget. The totals are not much different from the aggregates for the last three to four years; which yielded 6.5-7.5% GDP growth. The Federal government itself had projected growth of 5-6% for the next year – figure which the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, IMF regard as ambitious.

Most Christians do not bother with the words of Jesus.  If they did, they would not be Christians.  Churches carefully avoid Jesus’ words.  They are not words on which a large congregational empire can be built.

When on Friday December 7, 2012, I read the headline ‘SENATE KICKS AGAINST EXTRA 9 billion naira for Vice-President’s residence’, in one of our national dailies, I felt very frustrated and disappointed, and I began to doubt if our rulers are really aware of the myriad problems Nigeria faces, and how to combat them. Or perhaps they do know, but don’t know which are of utmost importance to the nation.

Unprecedented levels of violence and public insecurity or disorder have marred the Nigerian social space, so much indeed that Nigerians at every level now live with a siege mentality. A significant level of this state of siege is encouraged and maintained by irresponsible political leadership.

On Friday December 28, 2012, the Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada was seriously injured in an auto crash. The accident reportedly occurred at Emi Woro village in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state when one of the tyres of the governor’s official car, unexpectedly burst in motion. Wada’s aide-de-camp (ADC), Idris Muhammed, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), lost his life in the crash.