This year, Aka Ikenga, the Igbo think-tank, celebrated its 25 years in style. Its President, Chief Anayo Uwazuruike, an eminent lawyer, reflected the mood of the day by decking himself out in grand royal raiments.

Even without all the niceties that normally accompany major policy shifts, the Nigerian Judiciary was quietly sentenced to death some four years ago, when President Goodluck Jonathan was yet functioning in an acting capacity.

By March next year it would have been two years since the Inspector General, M.D. Abubakar first unveiled the new camouflage uniform of the Nigeria police to the public.

Several years ago, at a conference on Coastal Piracy in Nigeria’s Territorial Waters, I admonished a senior member of the Nigeria Customs and Immigrations Department that the Customs was the most corrupt sector of the Nigerian public service.

It would have amounted to economic self-delusion of the worst kind if the Federal government had failed to take into account the failure of this year’s budget, largely on account of the shortfall in crude shipments while preparing next year’s budget proposals. By July, revenue shortfall for 2013 had already reached N686bn and are projected to get close to N1 trillion by year end. So instead of N4.925bn proposed for 2013, the nation will be extremely fortunate if N4tn is received. Thus, while the 2014 proposed budget is lower than the 2013 appropriation, it is N495bn more than what can be reasonably expected this year.