The saying goes: “Give me a child until he is seven, and I will give you the man”, the memo obviously got lost in transit prior to getting to Nigeria. If we cannot mould and prepare our young for the future then how can we then prepare them for adulthood or mould them into useful and productive citizens?

President Goodluck Jonathan’s reply to Chief Obasanjo’s celebrated letter left me nonplussed. I wondered if I was reading an abridged form. I expected a response enlivened by some pungent statement of repudiation and counter-accusation, laced with some vitriolic flavour. Perhaps it was far removed from the influence of one or two of his well-known aides who shall be nameless here. Their input, which would’” naturally be of an acerbic nature as usual, could have generated some heat but also added a bit of feeling to the reply.

I was listening on the car radio to an artiste being interviewed the other day, and had to smile at his response to what Christmas reminded him of.

So, President Goodluck Jonathan finally responded to Obasanjo’s letter after sixteen days of receiving it and when many Nigerians were already thinking he had nothing to say or that the allegations made against him were true. Some mischief makers even suggested that perhaps, the President was waiting for Dame Patience Jonathan to respond on his behalf or give him the go-ahead to do so.

In the course of my encounters with some young adults preparing for marriage, I am often amazed at their prioritization. So much emphasis is placed on wedding apparels, venue and decorations, food and drinks, gifts, etc. to the detriment of fundamentals like prayers, learning how to be a good spouse, contemplating on parenthood, and the vows they are about to take.

A sporting accident prevented me from a sporting event I would have given anything to attend last week.

This happened on a Monday evening. I had gone for my usual game of squash — please don’t say again—when it happened. We were on the last game, and despite my vow to take things easy on the court, my competitive spirit took over. I went for a ball I should not have gone for and crowded my opponent in the process. He also wanted the point (badly?) and tried to hit the ball when he should have held back.

AFTER the initial attempt at putting up a disclaimer by an impostor Nigerians including her befuddled father must now be reconciled to the fact that Iyabo was the author of the letter that exploded the burble created by OBJ’s own letter to Goodluck Jonathan. It was beginning to look like a comedy of the absurd of the Baba Sala variety when the impostor purported to be Iyabo sent out her disclaimer denouncing the letter which was the equivalent of a public flogging of her father as a fabrication and threatening legal action.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN has finally responded to President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter. The nation will pour over its language, nuance and content, to see whether it represents an end or a beginning of a relationship between two of the most powerful people in Nigeria today. There is one point which will not be disputed.

Oftentimes American media pundits seek solace in discussing issues you might think rightfully belong to a kindergarten class. This is especially true of times when there is a dearth of serious issues to talk about. Or, there could be some serious issues on the table, but some media organizations prefer to shove attention away from such important matters.

NIGERIA is a country of thieves and robbers. Anybody in the country can be a thief and a robber, from your plumber, to your doctor, to the traffic-warden on the road. But the biggest thieves are government officials. Whenever you are dealing with Nigerian officialdom, be on your guard; you are going to be robbed.