JANUARY 2012 began with an ill-timed fuel tax, called removal of fuel subsidy. That act inflamed passion and caused a nationwide conflagration that nearly consumed the government. It seems that in the absence of such drama this year, some people tried to create their own drama by pasting President Jonathan’s campaign posters in some parts of Abuja.

TODAY, New Year day, is supposed to be a happy one. Last week was Christmas which was expected to be merry. But many of our countrymen were weary and in excruciating grief as we celebrated Christmas. Many went to Church—if they did—with their hearts in their mouths because of terror bombers. And for sure, the demons with who we share a country sent many to their graves and their relations into mourning. Instead of singing soul lifting carols, many sang elegies to loved ones. Many donned black cloths as they lowered to mother earth loved ones who should have been sitting at lunch and dinner tables with them. Instead of passing the salt across lunch tables, many passed shovels of sand for the dust-to-dust rites!

THE seriousness and the power of any country can be gleaned from the quality of the roads it builds for itself. You can never be in doubt of America as the most powerful nation on earth or of South Africa as the strongest economy in Africa, once you leave their airports and hit their road! Driving on the roads of these two countries, for example, you immediately come face to face with nations that love themselves; nations that have respect for their citizens; nations that are sincere with themselves; nations that do not cheat themselves and nations that want to be taken seriously among serious nations. Have you heard of any scandal associated with South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup? No, you won’t!

AFTER leading a delegation of African National Congress, ANC, to visit President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, told State House correspondents that his party was worried about the growing insecurity in the country.

IN recent times,Nigeria has preoccupied itself with the review/amendment of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Yes, as amended! It is less than three years since the constitution was amended, you remember?

I DON’T know why it took so long for the clarification to be made; that neither the National Assembly, nor the Committee on the Review of the Constitutional can create states with fiat. That era belonged to the military!

With the euphoria of the election over and ahead of his second inauguration as governor of Edo State, it was tempting to ask Comrade Adams Oshiomhole if he would fall into the trap of second term governors who do nothing in office.

There is something eerie and surreal about the rationalisation by Awo and General Gowon that the use of mass starvation was a means of quickly ending the war.

THIS is not a defence of Chinua Achebe. He does not need one. No amount of abuse can dent his global standing. Ban or burn all his books, as someone suggested, he would only feel sorry for you, not angry.

THE nation is currently wallowing in two types of floods and we are wondering how we got there.

I ended the first part of this article on how Ghanaians helped rebuild their broken country. The foundation for Ghana’s rebirth was laid by Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings, a military dictator who used strong arms, including the execution of three former Heads of State, to sound the death knell for corruption in Ghana.

Last week’s celebration of our 52nd independence anniversary offered us another opportunity for national moaning. I consciously avoided joining the bandwagon to pontificate ex-cathedra about our shortcomings.

Since he became the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has ruffled a few feathers. He has attracted controversy the way sugar attracts ants over some of CBN’s policies. The most recent controversy concerns the currency restructuring exercise codenamed “Project CURE”.

Reading Dr. Jide Oluwajuyitan’s column in The Nation newspaper of September 13, 2012 aroused again in me an idea I have been nursing for a long time now.

A FEW years ago Nigerians were voted the happiest people on earth. We did not reject the Award which lumped all of us, happy and unhappy ones, together. However, that is no longer true today.