Crude oil prices wobbled alarmingly, well below Nigeria’s modest budget benchmark of $38/barrel, for several weeks, but, unexpectedly flexed above $40 in early April to rekindle hopes that the fortuitous price spiral will be sustained to partly fund the 2016 projected deficit and partially also satisfy the clearly bloated excess market demand for foreign exchange.

Nicodemus was a bible teacher of the Jews. But when he saw the manifestation of the spirit and power of God in the ministry of Jesus, he started having second thoughts about the value of his degree in theology. He came to Jesus in secret and at night, in order to broaden his knowledge about the kingdom of God from this strange preacher from Nazareth.

They can still be called a cabinet now; but, if care is not taken they will be regarded as a circus. Buhari had created a world record – five months — assembling “a dream team”. Five months is a long time to accomplish what other global leaders historically had finished in less than a month. So, something extra-ordinary was expected from the delay. Instead, what emerged was a team which is remarkable for the ordinariness of most of its members.

Since the second instalment of the series I completed in this column last Sunday entitled “An unbeliever’s interpretation of Easter” was published, I have been bombarded with stupid, completely irrational, irresponsible and even threatening text messages because of my critical stance towards Christianity.

For some time now, there has been ample opposition to the policy initiatives of the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is perhaps the governor’s fiercest critic with respect to a proposed law to regulate religious activities in the state. The bill is aimed at banning the usage of loudspeaker for religious purposes “other than inside a Mosque or Church and the surrounding areas outside the stipulated prayer times.” Governor el-Rufai wants to legally stop the playing or circulating of “all cassettes, CDs, flash drives or any other communication gadgets containing religious recordings from accredited preachers other than inside one’s house, porch, Church, Mosques and other designated places of worship.” The bill also seeks to ban sales or playing of any cassette containing “religious recordings in which abusive language is used against any person or religious organisation or religious leaders (past or present). Any person found guilty of preaching without a valid licence and other offences under the proposed law “shall be liable to two years in prison or a fine of N200, 000.”