The crash in crude oil prices from over $145 in 2008 to below $40/barrel presently, has invariably reduced Nigeria’s export earnings by over 50%; consequently, the significant deflation in dollar income is commonly blamed for the persistent intense market pressure on the Naira exchange rate. Interestingly, this perception is, ironically, against, the actual reality that the Naira exchange rate remained static between N152-N160/$1, even when the foreign reserves in CBN’s custody exceeded $60bn.

Another economic war is about to start in Nigeria. The war will be about Minimum Wage, MW. The states want to renegotiate it, meaning reduce it. Labor also wants to renegotiate it, meaning increase it. Renegotiation seems to be the only point of agreement; it is also the battle ground. On the face of it, one would assume that this is only “a matter of cash”. But, it is more than that. The very existence of states and local governments is threatened by this conflict.

The Senate stands alone. Cold, desolate. and isolated. Open to the elements as showers of criticism rain on it relentlessly from all parts of the country, and even abroad. The Senate’s pains are self- inflicted; it had consciously invited the torrents on its head when it decided to entertain a frivolous bill, “The Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and Other Matters Connected therewith”, otherwise known as the Anti-Social Media Bill.

DURING the presidential campaigns towards the 2015 elections, many people believed that the Cambridge West African School Certificate released by the Katsina College to prove candidate Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s qualification was a “forgery”. Even I wasn’t so sure of its authenticity, many things about it taken into account.

Seldom has a front page report written by a veteran journalist, like Yusuf Alli, been so quickly disclaimed by a party close to the matter as this one. Of the two disputants, Alli and Raji, Alli has the uphill task because he must not only defend himself on the charges made by Raji that he had caused his paper to publish falsehood, he must defend the profession of journalism as well. In a matter such as this one, involving the Federal Government, now under the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Dasuki, Nigerians want to be told the truth and nothing but the truth. There should be no government propaganda served as news, nor media trial of suspects. The facts must speak for themselves.