NO matter how one looks at it, what happened at the premises of the Umuneke Ngor Magistrate’s Court in Imo State on Thursday, July 19, 2018 was an act of gross indiscipline, lawlessness and unprofessionalism on the part of some police officers. Even though they appeared to have acted out of “righteous rage”, there is no excuse for taking the law into their hands in addressing a perceived wrongdoing. Two wrongs cannot make a right.

IN recent weeks the Federal and Lagos State governments have combined forces in a spirited effort to decongest the Lagos highways, bridges and causeways of heavy vehicles.

The lower tiers of government were virtually coerced to accept payments made by the NNPC despite misgivings over remittances made by NNPC. The states had to take what they were given due to pressures over unpaid salaries and other commitments which had accumulated.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, justified the action thus: “The shift was done in order to give succour and relief to the people of Lagos State and other inter-state road users and support the efforts of the state government”.

IT is curious that nearly 20 years after the end of military dictatorship in Nigeria, elements in the governing circles have continued to explore ways of gagging the media. In March 2016, the Frivolous Petitions Prohibition Bill (also known as the Social Media Bill) was being pushed in the Senate. It was later thrown out due to massive opposition.