Two dates always cause me to be melancholy, Nigeria’s Independence and Democracy day. I reflect on how many years we have been in existence as a nation, and how many leaders we have had who have promised to lead us out of Egypt, and into a land flowing with milk and honey… .It is over 50 years; at the very least half of a human being’s lifetime on earth. If at this age, one is yet to chew strong meat with well formed teeth but continues to feed from a bottle then more is the pity.

A FRIEND sent me this woeful, whimsical little piece in which it is imagined what the plane that recently crashed might have said if it could speak for itself:

In the past week marked by grievous losses arising out of the DANA plane crash and the gruesome slaughter of christian worshippers in Bauchi and a former Deputy Inspector General of Police in Kano, the time calls for a moment of sober reflection while expressing condolences to the families of the departed innocent souls.

THE purchase of old, and possibly defective, Alaskan Airline stock is not the only Dana anomaly to surface in the wake of the crash. “The ownership structure of Dana Airlines Limited and its registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) are fraught with gross irregularities,” The Will reported.

Die, Eagles die for Keshi was the title of Ade Ojeikere’s column on the eve of Nigeria’s match with Namibia in Calabar.

THESE old men atThe Hague, with their goggles dropping on their noses, carefully calculate the relative life span of the accused and to make up for error factor, they just add about 10 years, and that’s the sentence. Where they are not sure, it makes the job simpler: The accused bags a life sentence.

ABIA State is unlike many of its peers around the country. It was one of the states created by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida on August 27, 1991. All the new states (like Abia) which started off on virgin capital cities did not have Government Houses. But all of them now do, exceptAbiaState, which is still being operated from private residences acquired from individuals.

PARDON me please, but in a manner of speaking, the s..t has hit the ceiling fan ofNigeria’s political and business elite; and the dangers are real, that a lot of well-starched apparels are likely to be soiled. Big time!

THERE is no better way to state the point but to put it as starkly as it is: Nigerians are a suicidal lot. A traffic caution broadcast through social media in the wake of the DANA air disaster in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, captures this aspect of the Nigerian character very well.

THE crash of the Dana Aircraft last week in Lagos raises many issues regarding the manner our government relates to its citizens. It provides an opportunity to highlight basic flaws in the structure and operations of governance institutions in Nigeria, and identify critical areas where genuine improvements must be made.

“I boarded a Dana Airline on my way back from Abuja. First, the flight was delayed for about two hours. Passengers were frustrated. Thank God I had my laptop with me to do some work whilst waiting at the stuffy departure room. When eventually we boarded I discovered to my great surprise that the plane was a very old one.

THE problem in the Concept of Peer Review is the notion of Peer. Once who is a peer is understood, then the process of peer review can be evaluated.

I seek permission from Demola Olajire, the NFF Media officer for using his coinage as the title of my column today. Saturday evening, when I got Demola’s lengthy and exhaustive report from Blantyre, the phrase stood out, first as excuse for our not getting the maximum three points at stake, then as a commendation for the draw.

It is now clear that over 150 innocent souls perished last Sunday as a result of the Dana air crash. These unfortunate souls may have since been joined by many more, who have tragically lost their lives nationwide as a result of the inertia in one government agency or the other.

“This is what the truth is. Going behind what you hear first. Asking a hundred questions until you make up your own mind on the basis of real evidence.” James A Michener in Hawai.