I am proud to highlight the fact that Engineer Abiye Membere – a consummate professional and highly respected son of my home state, Rivers – was, this week, conferred with a Fellowship of the distinguished Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Meanwhile, a Fulani friend gloomily informed me two years ago (we were discussing President Goodluck Jonathan’s unimpressive performance and wondering whether he would up his game before he completed his first term) that his people often say that one can tell by Wednesday what kind of weekend one is likely to have. Both statements, though contradictory, make sense. Wilson’s implies that political outcomes can never be accurately predicted because anything – ie, all manner of unexpected developments – can happen during any seven-day timespan. The Fulani one implies that most outcomes can be predicted on the basis of recent occurrences.

EX-PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, are at it again. These two grand old men have been at each others’ throats for years; and it doesn’t look as if their colourful verbal battles will end anytime soon.

At the time of writing, APC delegates’ votes are still being sorted at the APC Convention venue in Lagos, so I cannot offer Vanguard readers any comments about the APC’s Presidential candidate because I don’t yet know which of the aspirants will win. And if I hang on any longer to await the result, I will not be able to complete this column before the printing deadline for Friday’s paper.

I AM in Paris at the moment. The editors of a foreign publication invited me here because they want me a) provide them with professional advice about the best way of covering the upcoming Nigerian elections and b) to add my voice to wide-ranging discussions about the publication’s African coverage in general.