COLLABORATION between private industry and the various levels of Government has, therefore, wrought substantial reductions in gas flaring—although how much is open to question.

As the massive row about fuel subsidy removal rages from one discussion arena to another, the thing that strikes me most forcibly is the sheer weakness of the Federal Government’s communication efforts.

MANY people probably missed the story, especially the audacity of the challenge. But it led Blueprint newspaper of Wednesday, December 7th, 2011. The nut and bolt was that DIG in charge of operations, Alhaji Audu Abubakar, apparently perplexed about persistent complaints against the police: eternal extortions of N20 from relays of commercial vehicle drivers; those alcohol-laced: “Oga your boys are here” solicitations, etc.

I AM not a frequent visitor to Abuja and on the few occasions I’ve been to our capital city since General Ibrahim Babangida hurriedly jumpstarted the transfer of Nigeria’s administrative capital from Lagos following the June 12 troubles of the mid 1990s, memories of my visit have always been dim.

GENERAL Abdusalami Abubakar, himself at a seminar on the same subject as the present one, spoke on this question of reversible and irreversible shift in the balance of power between the ruling factions, the Military and the Civilian. Quoting Graham Allison, the former Head of State said: