It came a little as a surprise, if for nothing but its loud echo of life under an odious dispensation, one governed by the ethic of unaccountable power- but it was all the same a little surprising to see media photographs of Igbo leaders locked out of the venue of a summit planned to hold at the Concorde Hotel in Owerri.

I understand that is what some misguided Ngwa politicians are dreaming of, a dream that will surely turn into a nightmare. Remember, in 2003, some Ngwa politicians started calling their clan “Ngwa Ethnic Nationality”, and were even insinuating, just like the Ikwerre, that they were no longer Igbos!

Very few Nigerians now believe the flowery promises that politicians make on their campaign trails, but most of us recognize the rapid transformation to opulent life styles of these self_proclaimed servants of the people! We know that the campaign zeal is akin to a personal investment with the assured prospect of a bountiful harvest!

The airline “s in flight magazine Msafiri caught my fancy and as I flipped, my eyes rested on an article entitled “KENYA GOLD_the country, the people”. The introduction to the piece will interest you.

If these occurrences were diseases induced by germs or viruses we would have raised a national alarm for them to be eradicated. Since August 15, 2010 when a loaded trailer sent 42 people to early graves, nothing less than 50 others have met the same fate courtesy of the monsters on wheels.

Hi Readers! Do know that feeling of deflation you have, when on rushing home to report to your mother a clever thing you’ve done, and you meet a blank stare from her, indicating that what you considered ‘being clever’ was actually an act of stupidity? That was how I felt when I got home and told nanny of my encounter with Belinda in the office in Ikeja.

It must be remarked that the overemphasis by Atiku and Babangida on the zoning arrangement of the PDP is disingenuous: it implies that both men are not sure of convincing the party that they are suitable for the job without relying on quota system. The zoning formula is expedient, given our chequered political history.

I doubt that we have done anything different at the end of the 50th year of our independence. The future beginning Oct 2 cannot work if we bring the past along.
Take as another example, the economy. The future will recognize the great mistake we made when we paid good money running into billions of dollars in settlement of debts of doubtful origin.

Somewhere in Nigeria’s new capital city, Abuja, is a street called “Winston Churchill Street” named in honour of Britain’s famous wartime Prime Minister and Nigeria’s former colonial overlord.

Accordingly, the PDP would understandably continue to speak from the two sides of its mouth on the subject until D-Day. It will still win elections because it is the ruling party in a nation where there is no opposition party.

They were both landed with treasonable felony charges. They both represent the redemptive symbols of the southerners. To crush them is to remove the obstacles in their path to the Atlantic.

If a fool at 40 is one forever, it is preposterous then to ask: what is he at 50?! Because the word ‘forever’ has already taken care of that, remember? So at 50, he is simply ‘on course!’ –fated in his ‘forever!’

Marriage is not something you jump into anyhow. We know of a truth that it is not good for a man or woman to be alone, so we agree that marriage is good. Marriage is the foundation of civilization. There are many forces fighting against successful marriages, and everyone, (no matter your religious dispensation), agrees with me.

What is there to fill the hearts of Easterners with joy,after the fratricidal episode that only showed how hardy a people they are, after frittering away a lot of that hardiness just to survive? That only reflects a part of the glorious past that was unable to address the present.

Last week, I recalled Alhaji Atiku Abubakar saying, when I interviewed him many years ago that he regretted the fact that it was very difficult for average citizens to survive or thrive if they didn’t have access to influential people who were willing to help them and that he would be very happy if our society eventually evolved to the point where the government provided safety nets that would enable everyone to get what they needed and deserved.