WHILE writing on the UK riots last August, I had, here, traced some of the impulses that gave rise to the riots to certain economic and social inequities within the British society. I did not stop at that. I had extended my reading of the developments in the British society with regard to the riots to what I saw as related developments in other parts of Europe and America.

THE last few years have been transformative for Nigerian banks. Beginning from the period under Charles Soludo to the last three years when Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has practically gripped the banking sector by the neck and shaken it out of slumber, Nigerian banks have not remained the same.

THE 21st day of September is celebrated around the world as World’s Peace Day, a day dedicated to the promotion of all that is peaceful in human culture. The world sure needs peace, lots of it in these times that try the souls of even the most complacent.

While Nigeria’s crotch bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, continues to hallucinate in faraway USA that Osama bin Ladin is still alive, the rest of Nigeria remains trapped by the not-too-different disease, caused by fear, that seeks to place Boko Haram, the murderous fringe group that engages in the deadly but cowardly game of bomb throwing- we do, by our act of spreading foolish urban myths, become captive worshippers in the temple of lies built by Boko Haram. And this boko nonsense just needs to stop!

It’s been ten years since the AlQaeda terrorist attack on the United States of America. The attack which was executed with an eye for maximum devastation took place on September 11, 2001, hence the reference to 9/11, the shorthand formula by which it is now generally known.

It’s been two week’s since theterror attack on the United Nation’s building in Abuja that left over 20 people dead and many more with serious injuries. During these two weeks the extremist group, Boko Haram, has been front page news.

It’s all ending not with the promised bang but a whimper. After 42 years of what started as a patriotic attempt to return power to the people of Libya from the ruling monarchy of King Mohammed Idris, Muhammar Gaddafi, the one who bore the rank of a colonel but exercised powers beyond those of a Field Marshall was chased away with a $1.4 million price placed on his head- dead or alive. For Gaddafi, it was a case of pride before a fall.

On being told that the generally condemnatory disposition with which many Nigerians received President Goodluck Jonathan’s plan to sponsor an executive member bill limiting governors and the president to a single term of six years effectively killed the presidential initiative, presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, responded that the President’s plan was still on course and nothing has killed it.

The images are not typical of the sorts associated with any part of the ‘civilised’ world. When you saw such pictures you thought of Africa, Asia, the restive parts of the Middle East or such other parts we’ve been told belong in the ‘developing’ or ‘third’ world. If you were told any such image was coming out of any part of the West you’ll call for some form of reality check.

Not even the most starry-eyed protester of the thousands gathered at Egypt’s Tahir Square last February could have imagined what finally played out in an Egyptian court room when Hosni Mubarak and his two sons were put on trial last week.

THE terms in which we discuss what is generally called ‘the fight against corruption’ gives one the impression that that fight itself has become a project in its own right.

IT was supposed to be a fight tothe finish between organised labour, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress on the one hand, and government both at the state and federal levels, on the other hand.

LAST week, on the very ominous 13th day of the month, terrorists struck in India’s largest city, Mumbai, killing 17 people with more than 100 injured.

My father was, however, not a uniform wearing police officer or, rather he did wear the police uniform for a relatively short period. Most times he wore uniform but only to be photographed on attainment of a new rank. In the three decades or so he spent in the Force he worked in the inner sanctum of the investigative arm of the Nigeria Police at Alagbon Close in Ikoyi, Lagos.

THE Boko Haram attack on the Nigerian Police headquarters, Louis Edet House in Abuja, came with an urgency that demanded that the matter be addressed here immediately.