The inevitable happened on December 18, seven days before Christmas, amidst the mad rushing around that is synonymous with this time of the year. Parents going to pick their wards returning from school, shoppers jostling about for last minute bargains, travellers heading to the airport and other sundry movements on the road.

I find contradictions not only in the ‘big things’ but in the small things of life as well. The other day she (my last daughter) was whistling. Some new skill she has acquired. When it registered, the first thing that came out of my mouth was “stop whistling!”

THE passing year started on a sad note with the controversial death of Uche Okafor, in the USA. The former Eagles defender was found dead in his apartment. The initial impression was that he committed suicide. Investigations later vindicated those who believed that was not Uche – he was murdered.

A STRIKING feature of the Nigerian political landscape is the low visibility of ideas and principles in the conduct of party activity—particularly in the selection of candidates for public office.

I remember the late Howard Cosell as the man they loved to brand and label for expressing his gut feeling about the multiplying deliberate effort at restructuring the true essence the pro boxing sport conveys.

I have met General Aliyu Gusau Mohammed only once; and that was sometimes last year. He was an aspiring presidential candidate; one of the four vying to be the Northern consensus candidate.

NIGERIA must have some of the best laws in the world. Ironically, Nigeria lacks the will to implement the laws. See what we have done with our numerous Constitutions and the governmental systems. In the beginning, our British colonial masters bestowed the parliamentary system of government on us.

A LOT of heat with little or no light has been generated by the gay rights bill before the National Assembly. The general impression if one is to go by media reports is that most Nigerians are against same sex relations to say nothing of same sex marriage.

THE National Assembly is reported to be planning to procure full body scanners, which are equipment used to detect bombs and other weapons on people, but only by exposing a person’s full nakedness. The equipment had caused much controversy in Europe and the United States when it was first introduced, despite the overwhelming clamour for better security for citizens.

DEMOCRACY for the Civilian Elite was the subject of General Abubakar’s address. This is not the Project of Democracy for the Masses, Democracy for the Majority may preserve constitutionalist governments and therefore civilian constitutionalist governments, Not so for Democracy for the Civilian Elite.