PRESIDENT Obasanjo’s poison letter to President Jonathan laid everything bare, except the full intent behind its title, “Before it is too late.” On the face of it, the title suggests that Obasanjo’s blistering survey of all the ills of Jonathan’s personality and administration holds out the hope that the President can fix himself and his administration in a manner that will save the nation from a looming disaster.

Pope Francis is Time Magazine’s 2013 Man of the Year. But to the vocal acolytes of the conservative creed in America, the man of God from Argentina is no more than another Fidel Castro dressed up in holy robes. Yes. Less than 24 hours after Time Magazine made the announcement, the far right quickly unleashed their tirade against the pope.

AS we celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela, it is important to highlight what makes him so exemplary, especially on an African continent so bereft of good leadership. Why are there so few Nelson Mandelas in Africa?

IN my years of watching current affairs in Nigeria, particularly the role that former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has been playing in it, I have developed a profile of him that never fails to click each he makes his public outings. He has perfected the chicken approach to foraging.

We have regrettably remained loyal, as a country, to a culture of late budget approval and partial implementation annually. Indeed, since the beginning of our civil dispensation, no fiscal plan received legislative approval and presidential assent before December 31.