JUST when the number of days he has left in Abuja could be counted off one’s fingers or reeled off without much thought, President Goodluck Jonathan finally did what any leader who is in control of his turf does: takes the hard decisions. He ordered the suspension of the permanent secretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

OCTOBER 1 was the most significant date on the Nigerian national calendar. It is, in a sense, still the most significant date in our national history. It was the day, in 1960, that Nigeria gained independence from Britain. It has ever since remained Nigeria’s national holiday during which Nigerians celebrate freedom from colonial bondage. Given its special status, important events in the life of Nigerians and Nigeria are often attached to that date.

AS the Jonathan administration winds down its activities and gradually goes into the ages, one thing Nigerians cannot balk doing is giving their assessment of the administration. One area that must get Nigerians debating in their assessment of the Goodluck Jonathan government is the power sector, particularly the issue of power generation and distribution. As far as this sector is concerned, the Jonathan administration has performed far less than it promised. We need not go into quoting statistics that only members of the administration believe to know this.

EVEN if nothing else comes out of the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party in the presidential election of 2015, Nigerians should count themselves lucky once the defeat can lead to the consolidation of our politics by way of giving room for the formation of viable political parties. But this is if our politicians would allow it. From the look of things, however, Nigerian politicians are not prepared to see our so-called nascent democracy grow into something more enduring.

IT’S been a week since Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of the 2015 presidential election. After what seemed like an impossible mission having tried a number of times to be president without success, Buhari now becomes one of two individuals (the other being Olusegun Obasanjo) to occupy the office of an elected president after holding office as a military dictator.