In their little but insightful book, A Theory of Corruption, Osvaldo Schenone and Samuel Gregg claimed that “There is perhaps no greater problem that handicaps the flourishing of developing nations than that of corruption.”

Every battle leaves scars; some physical, others emotional. When anyone survives a battle; they come out different than they were before; they are forced to develop coping mechanisms to protect and better defend themselves for what next may come. The truth we all have to face is that life is one battle after the next; we survive one and pretty much get ready for the next one.

Let me use this occasion to re-assure Nigerians and members of the international community that we now have strong leads as to those involved in this terror war against Nigeria and Nigerians. I have directed security operatives to go after them no matter where they may be hiding”.

Wednesday’s raid of the Nation newspaper, and the arrest of six of the paper’s editors by the Nigerian Police brings back haunting memories of the military in Nigeria’s body politics.

“As long as I have any choice, I will stay only in a country where political liberty, toleration, and equality of all citizens before the law are the rule.”-Albert Einstein

The proposition of recreating the old Western Nigeria, now split up under several administrative structures, is intriguing. Those who advocate idea are, of course, of Yoruba descent.

I woke up on Sunday morning and as I performed my morning rituals, I contemplated my country, Nigeria and the attendant hardships that face the common man. I looked in the mirror as I brushed my teeth with water I bought from the store as I cannot drink my tap water and wondered what next lay in store for us. We face an onslaught of negative policies that make us groan more from the weight of the load.

As much as one tries to find succour in the fullness of the socio-political maladies in the country, one gets trapped in the vainglory thoughts of non-performance in all sectors of our economy.

“… Dem name na silly! And because of that, Nigeria go beat dem silly on that day! Ah- ah, ‘ol boy how you go talk so? Why I no go talk so?”… We were walking back from the cafeteria at work and this was the heated debate two of my colleagues were engaged in. It obviously had something to do with football considering how animated they were and though I tend to shy away from football debates especially as it concerns our national team, I couldn’t resist, my curiosity was piqued.

The proposition of recreating the old Western Nigeria, now split up under several administrative structures, is intriguing. Those who advocate idea are, of course, of Yoruba descent. As it is, only Edo State, cannot claim to be Yoruba, though a section of it is ascribed a Yoruba ancestry which, howbeit, has been strongly contested in recent times.

ON the eve of the African Nations Cup qualifiers in Abuja against Guinea, what is becoming a usual task came my way, an international radio station pulled a call through to me on Friday asking me what are the chances of the Nigerian Super Eagles.

It appears as if the present Federal Government takes measurable delight in heightening the tension of the nation at the crucial time. At the time many Nigerians are expecting the National Assembly to be flooded with bills to create employment through infrastructural developments; the nation is being treated to a game of football with a no score result being celebrated by teams which lack creative strikers.

LAST Monday, Daily Trust, a newspaper that is circulated nationally but regarded as “Northern”, published a report titled “Niger Delta Gets 86 percent of FG Projects”.

‘RED HERRING” is a variety of smoked fish (“kipper”) that is eaten for breakfast or as a snack, in Britain and parts of the United States. But in public discourse, the term carries negative connotations. It refers to a diversionary argument or issue that distracts attention from matters of much greater substance.

WHEN Justice MudasiruOniyangi (who presides over an Abuja Federal High Court) adjourned the case sine die, little did he know that eyes were watching.