Nigeria is the irritant. An irritant may not accept that it is one. But the tag is supplied by those who look at you, watch what you are doing and smile if you vibrate on the same wavelength as they; or you make them want to throw up by what you do.

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria may now officially be said to be under hostage to a foreign power – namely Saudi Arabia- and her local collaborators – namely, those within the Nigerian presidency who have conspired to hide the person of the president, Umaru Yar Adua, to prevent a full accounting to the government and people of Nigeria.

While in the village, I interacted with my relations who I had not seen for sometime. We had meetings where vital issues relating to how to improve my kindred, Umuokwara,was discussed.

A few people are “alive” in the world today but who are on perpetual life support systems. They cannot leave the hospital and are virtually vegetables. The former Prime Minister of Israel, Sharon, has been in coma since 2006; so are about 200 people worldwide. None of them, however great will ever be allowed to govern their nations from their sick beds. As General De Gaulle had said, “The graveyards are full of indispensable people”. Yar’Adua and nobody else born of woman in Nigeria is indispensable.

It is just like yesterday. But it was twenty seven years ago that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as head of the then ruling military junta proclaimed democracy unrealistic in the immediate future in Nigeria.

Since late Monday morning this week, opposing forces in the Nigeria constitutional crisis began to move decisively. Our president in absentia spoke for the first time, and within 10 hours of his speech, the opposition to his constitutional violations was up in arms in their thousands virtually rejecting Mr. President’s excuse for his disregard of the law of the land.

Out of the miasma of what must be a trying period in their lives, the AbdulMutallab family hass emerged with impeccable conduct, sitting astride of the situation and calmly riding the storm, Thank heavens; no blood was spilled, no bones broken. We can soon put all this behind us. And we’d better

Is football failing to be a unifying factor in Nigeria?
Since I started following football in Nigeria, never had I experienced the mixed reactions that followed the defeat of Eagles by Egypt last Tuesday. There were those who felt extremely sad and those who felt happy. There were those who were simply indifferent. They never cared for they have since lost hope in the national team.

LEON PANETTA, the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director had the painful duty of defending the professional conduct of his agents cut by a suicide bomber in Khost, Afghanistan. Humam Khalil Abu-Mulai al-Balawi was a 36-year old Jordanian doctor who was providing the CIA a stream of useful intelligence information. He was being jointly run by the CIA and the Jordanian intelligence.

LAST week, I wrote that I’d heard that a significant percentage of Northerners are bitterly opposed to the idea of Dr Goodluck Jonathan becoming Head of State if Yar’Adua cannot continue. I described such elements as shameless tribalists.

STEPHEN Okechukwu Keshi requires little introduction. I suppose the authorities of Nigerian football need to know him, if they were serious about the things they should do. If not for few hitches that attended his efforts in Togo, he would have taken Togo to the 2006 World Cup as the coach. He qualified Togo for the World Cup then the troubles followed.

Since the Independence ( on the ‘platter of gold‘) of Nigeria in 1960, the sonorous song of our rulers whether civilian or military had been, and it is still, macro-economic stability with full employment and tolerable inflation.

”Even in totalitarian states, the time comes when past errors are admitted. In Nigeria , we fail to establish a climate of inquiry.When power is placed in the service of vicious reaction a language must be called into being which does its best to appropriate such obscenity of power and fling its excesses back in its face.

I DO not know what school of thought produced Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Aminu Sanusi. I know that he read Economics at Ahmadu Bello University before reading Sharia and Islamic Studies in Sudan. So I am not talking about literacy, but education. I am aware he has at least two degrees, but my concern is the degree of his thought process. I am not referring to ideology, but common sense.

Do you know there are seven times the number of women in Angola than men? that will be my focus tomorrow. Dont miss your Vanguard copy. MY MAN OSVALDO ALVARO Yesterday, I introduced you to this column.