The Malaysian proverb was offered to Nigerians at the second Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja by the Guest Lecturer, a Malaysian, who had worked on that nation’s Vision 2020 programme. Unlike the two fraudulent Nigerian versions – VISION 2010 and VISION 2020 – the speaker made it clear that Malaysia, which was already light years ahead of Nigeria, planned to achieve the objectives of VISION 2020 in a generation – defined as thirty years.

Attrition, social stress and economic losses experienced during extended periods of fuel scarcity would make Nigerians pray that such traumatic situations do not arise. However, we recall the media interview with Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, in June this year; in response to a question as to whether subsidy payments were ongoing, she confirmed that out of N888bn budgeted for subsidy in 2012, N451bn had already been paid out, well before the end of the second quarter!

In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord. However, everything he saw was the antithesis of what is regularly proclaimed in the churches. Everything he saw was the complete opposite of what is esteemed in the world. What Isaiah saw was remarkably different from what obtains in Nigeria.

There are superstitions in some countries, where people avoid Friday the 13th. For the superstitious this day is a harbinger of doom. People avoid going out on this day and call in sick.

For decades, she has championed women causes, either as an activist, gender advocate, community mobilize or as a politician. Her in-depth knowledge on women development and gender equity issues were further manifested when she served as the National President of the National Council of Women’s Societies and recently, as the Director of Women Mobilization of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organization.