What is good for General Motors, is good for America.

The above title may seem out of place in the wake of the launch of “Nigeria’s Industrial Revolution Plan” (NIRP) by the Jonathan administration in February this year. The NIRP is clearly a recognition of the embarrassingly modest contribution of manufacturing (less than 7%) to our Gross Domestic Product; conversely, the contribution, for example, of the services subsector has grown from about 23% in 2011 to a robust 52% by 2013 without any significant job creation component!

WE are still discussing matters arising from the emergence of the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as we get set for the frenzy of presidential campaigns. The searchlight is more on the APC because it is the new kid on the block. The party is beset with a number of post-natal problems.

“Once to everyman and nation comes the moment to decide; in the strife between truth with falsehood, for the good or the evil side.”

Have you noticed that under certain circumstances it is necessary to be a Christian? Many people may not go to church all year but on Christmas day we feel the need to do so. We might not have gone to church for five years, but when we want to get married we feel it is necessary to do so in a church. We may not have been going to church at all but now that we have a baby, we need a pastor to officiate at the naming ceremony and baptise the baby.

Ever since the deceased iconic novelist, Chinua Achebe, wrote the little monograph entitled The Trouble with Nigeria, it has become fashionable to blame Nigerian leaders for all the hydra-headed manmade problems of the country. Indeed, he was unsparing in his acerbic criticisms of respected politicians, including Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo, for errors of judgment as political leaders.

The grave impact which insurgency has had on the nation this year, may make many Nigerians think of nothing else that marks year 2014. But there are associated developments that would also go down in history as monumental. Incessant jailbreaks across the country would no doubt be one of them. If we are lucky to have no new cases before the year runs out in a couple days, we can then say we had no less than 5 breaks during the year.

“You can fool some of the people all of the time,and all of the people some of the time,but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time

Nigel Farage’s “New Politics” will one day in the future become a subject of history taught to college students, but before that time he has a lot of groundwork to cover. While he may be “punching” one or two odd supporters of the Tories, majority still believe he cannot be trusted with policies he is pushing. This is a man married to a German wife whom he employs as his secretary yet always screaming murder that EU citizens are taking British jobs. Ironic and classic politics!

It will be Christmas in a few days. Many buildings are already well decorated with Xmas lights as are quite a few streets especially around the Lagos Island. They look quite nice at night and bring the spirit of the season home. The activities of the yuletide season are also here.