Two news pieces last week have influenced this column which incidentally is the first in the new year.

Similarly, the impact of serial inchoate and generally misguided annual fiscal plans is clearly visible in the parlous state of our economy despite our fortuitous favourable human endowment and abundant natural resources.
Let us, therefore, examine, hereafter, how poor planning and lack of commitment could thwart our expectations for creditable results in two areas; that is, football administration and the war against corruption.

“Power failure will be a thing of the past within six months.” Late Chief Bola Ige, Federal Minister of Power and Steel, June 1999.

It has become necessary to remind Nigerians that our unrealistic expectation about the Nigerian power sector is not a recent occurrence; in fact, it predated the Cicero of Esa Oke, as Ige was then known.

This is the season when the merchants of God tell tall tales about him. They tell us to trust God for all kinds of things this New Year. They tell us God will buy us cars; he will build us houses; he will even buy our pastors jets so they can evangelise and save the world.

In fact, despite the hysterical shibboleths of sycophants, broad sections of Nigerians believe, correctly, I am afraid, that President Jonathan’s administration is among the most corrupt since independence. If religion were a force in fostering good leadership, Nigeria would have been the greatest country in the world, even surpassing the United States, given her incredible human and material resources and clement weather conditions.

The last general elections in Nigeria took place in 2011. Since then till date, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate the pre-election atmosphere from that of national development for which governments were instituted. This is because campaigning for candidates into offices that have already been occupied is still very much on-a dangerous trend which no doubt hinders improvement in the welfare and living standard of the people.

The world is a story, interwoven,inter connected, the tale of one; the story of all. The scientists have their explanations and so do all the religions but whatever tale or theory it still follows the evolution or should I say the story of man. The stories are similar and even when locations are vastly different; the heartache of the rich is eerily similar to that of the poor.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a brighter and purposeful 2014!
On January 1st, Bill de Blasio was sworn in as the 109th New York Mayor, I do not know much about him but, much have been said about his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg . Bloomberg had made his fortune before he became Mayor of New York. What made him outstanding was he rejected the $US2.7 million worth of salary to which he was entitled. He instead accepted just $US1 a year, yes,a paltry $1.

Our collective tendency to think of Nigeria in terms of WA-ZO-BIA (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo) is probably responsible for the enthusiasm with which some of us embrace break-up of Nigeria or even confederation. Some might even think that the British met us neatly divided into East, West and Northern regions. So why not simply return to those enclaves. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not even the Yorubas and Igbos formed one nation before 1914. However, one thing is clear: breaking up along regional lines will leave the nation emerging from the “North” totally landlocked. That unfortunately will be the least of its problems.

The Lepata Mambu – common ly known now as “Vuvuzela” – is a noisemaking plastic horn which football fans now use to cheer on their team. It is South Africa’s contribution to the world of sports, and in many ways is an appropriate metaphor for the self-involved crass called governance in Imo state today under Governor Anayo “Rochas” Okorocha. One of the effects of the vuvuzela, aside from making loud noises, is that it can also cause a loss of hearing. Rochas Okorocha’s use of the political vuvuzela – what the Igbo would call “ndi Otimkpu” – paid, professional noisemakers – has probably caused him loss both of insight and hearing. Imo State is plodding along listlessly under misgovernance.