At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood and cried out, saying: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-39). However, no one seemed to be interested in what Jesus was offering. No one asked him for a drink of this so-called living water.

When I mildly protested, he smiled and said, “Oyinbo man, you are not working hard enough. I will buy you a drink after doing what I asked you to do.” About twenty minutes later, the waiter placed a chilled bottle of Star lager in front of me and said “from the VC.”

Mortality is given, life is terminal by nature. I wouldn’t qualify as anyone’s comedian though my family would say I was raucous and fun loving.

Back to the issue of permanently delayed flights, we sought to compare the harm to the nation by our unconscionable commercial airlines with that of those opting for chartered flights. This led us into a long conversation on the intriguing relationship between Minister Diezani and the National Assembly – a discussion that was greatly illuminated by reports in the media the night before.

The Igbo are conducting what I call the inward gaze. I went to Chicago, therefore to articulate the following positions: that the Igbo must come to terms with their historical role and task as builders of a modern polynational state. In this task, they are in partnership with other nationalists for whom the Nigerian state built on justice, equity, and freedom is a historical imperative.