This is one of my favourite quotes and one that holds true today and in every aspects of driving growth and progress for women and men around the globe. Sadly, this maxim is one that many governments, including Nigeria, have not striven to achieve. Last Saturday, March 8th marked the International Women’s Day.

Exactly one week ago, I left Nigeria for Dubai to attend the annual international broadcast exhibition -CABSAT 2014. Considering that the Dubai Emirate is a rich country, it was easy to appreciate the magnificent difference between Dubai, its main city and Abuja – our own self-acclaimed fastest growing city in Africa. However, some of my professional colleagues could not help discussing some of the structures that were put in use during the exhibition.

They point to the big brother role Nigeria has played, and still plays, in the West African sub-region and in the African continent as a whole. One can concede all that and still maintain, correctly in my view, that although the country might be beautiful abroad, she is ugly at home. Even so, Nigeria’s standing in Africa, and in the world generally, has nosedived since the 1990s. For instance, the irritating subordinate status accorded Nigeria during the burial of Nelson Mandela is a telling demonstration that things have fallen apart with respect to her rating by other African countries.

Call it calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it; or what you like. But, the Ibibios, who constitute more than sixty five per cent of Akwa Ibom State, have regrouped under former Governor Victor Attah and they have jettisoned zoning. The next governor of Akwa Ibom State will be an Ibibio. Part of the reason for their change of mind on zoning is contained in the allegations quoted above.

The older I get the more I appreciate the wisdom of calm detachment and the beauty of silence. In Christianity, there is a potent fear of little foxes, seemingly innocent faults and weaknesses that could send one to hell and cost one to lose the salvation we all treasure. Lately I have been working on curbing my impulsiveness. When I look at myself and check for little foxes, I easily identify my impulsive nature as fox number one.

Ordinarily, I shouldn’t be the one writing about the outgoing governor of Anambra state being an indigene of the state and a stakeholder. But on the other hand, I think I’m in the best position to write as the ‘son of the soil’.

President Ebele Jonathan is easily recognizable, by virtue of his surname, as a Christian. He is also apparently the church-going variety with an appreciably increasing frequency in his public appearance in churches over the past two years, or so.

The first time I visited the hinterland of any Niger-Delta region was for a funeral. It was over 30 years ago, but that visit has been etched in my memory since then. Dusk, and a light shower, were darkening the skies as we got to Warri.

Last Saturday the world celebrated the International Women’s Day with pomp and pageantry. Wonderful; but what about the continued dehumanization and degradation of the womenfolk? What about girl-child discrimination in our society?

I was very pleased when I heard that Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, had been appointed Vice-Chair of the upcoming National Conference. I know Akinyemi personally and respect him enormously and have long regarded him as one of Nigeria’s best human resources.