THERE was no way that Professor Maurice Iwu would have been a credible electoral umpire. His naked political adventurisms before, during and even now after his sojourn as the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) suggest that he could not have been an unbiased umpire.

OUR former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo claims he was tricked by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Bode George to attend his grand thanksgiving service to mark his release from prison.

FOR the Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi pride went before a fall. When in the middle of February Egyptian youths decided to send their long time leader, Hosni Mubarak, packing Ghaddafi, it was, came out to say he felt sorry for Mubarak.

THISDAY’S February 10, 2011 report on the Senate Confirmation meeting on President Jonathan’s choice for ICPC Chairman provides a perspective on legislative decision making on anti-corruption legislation. In that report the reasons for the Senate’s rejection of the President’s nominee were given.

Faster than we ever think or visualize.

I have been reminded that though we are celebrating the second anniversary of the awards, it should have come three months ago.

THERE is hardly a better word for the phenomenon than tragedy. The two organs of the Federal Government created to construct and maintain federal roads nationwide have, in their abject failure to deliver on their mandates, thrown the nation into untold misery, and oftentimes mourning.

My attention was drawn to a rejoinder by a Lagos based communication outfit, who described our above article as untoward.

The title of our discourse is cloned from the book of Daniel, Chapter 5, Verse 25. According to the biblical story, Belshazzar, king of Babylon and son of the infamous Nebuchadnezzar, was enjoying a feast with his lords, princes, wives and concubines to celebrate “the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood and of stone.”

Future historians writing about Nigeria might be forgiven for observing that the slave trade in the country lasted until 2011 – the year David Mark was the President of the Senate. Mark is ably supported by the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the GMD of NNPC, whose tenure had been elongated – probably to help get the atrocious bill passed as it is. The country’s number three citizen might eventually have an accomplice in the Federal Government – if the Presidency signs the bill before May 29, 2011.

Since a couple of days back when the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, made public his threat to frustrate the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill, many people have reacted violently against him. I don’t think they know what Abba-Aji is capable of doing. For me, I have chosen to fervently beg him not to carry out his threat in view of the pedigree of his ingenuity.

My father, Abul-Lateef Adisa Animasaun, worked for Chief Okupe for some years until he decided to go on his own. He handled cash and credit for the man that Nigerians knew wide and wide as Agbonmagbe. He was also known as Agbonmagbe Bank.

Agbonmagbe ran a good bank that the Western Regional Government bought it off him and then it became the Wema Bank. Till the end of the time of Chief Okupe, the chief and my father were good friends. My father would seek advice from him. My father died many years ago at 82.

I felt sad when I read on the internet that a young lady in her 20s attempted to take her life because her boyfriend left her a note saying that he was ending their relationship because he no longer found her attractive.

The political campaign season is upon us. That four-year cycle that pumps up adrenaline, and is the bull-pulpit equivalent of the thriller in Manila allows us to see not only much political theatre but also real blood on the sand. In this republic, as we strive to make it, to borrow the terms of another clime, a kinder and gentler society, the powerful animus of self-interested and deeply entrenched private hatreds will come to fore and indeed clash with the public interest.

There is a loose cannon rattling around the corridors of Aso Rock. They call him Mohammed Abba-Aji, but we know what we would like to call him.

Adekunle Salami has, in his column, asked that the huge money they took to Sudan be refunded.
His grudge was that they knew it would be a wasted journey but they still embarked on it.