Among the (depressingly few) lights that twinkle in the firmament of Nigerian sports, none shone brighter in 2013 than the so-called ‘beautiful game’.

Curiosity they say kills the cat. Yet curiosity is a major attribute to good journalism. I often hide my curiosity, or need to know as I quaintly put it, under this guise. So when Cornelius Tay, an old friend, invited me to the funeral of his mother in Ghana, I felt it was an opportunity to know how the other side handles funerals.

Ex-President Obasanjo’s leaked “Letter Of Appeal” to President Goodluck Jonathan has made huge waves and will surely go down in our history as one of the most controversial high-level communications Nigeria has ever witnessed.

IT is a matter of fact that the great statesman is gone, and gone also with all his attributes recognized throughout the world. Never in African history has such array of dignitaries (including 91 Heads of governments) ever assembled in African soil to honour a departed soul. The other great African, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana became dictatorial in his last days before he was ousted in a coup organized by his country’s military adventurers.

Last minute changes in space allocation killed this column last week. I serve it today. But let me briefly touch on two things that happened after that.