A MAJOR lesson the political class refuses to learn is that politics that excludes interests of the people would never work. The seasonal need for national conferences like the one that commences today confirms that past efforts failed to address issues that hurt Nigerians, yes majority of Nigerians.

IT is obvious the Nigerian economy is in a precarious situation. Is it anything new? Even oil theft, and the unclear accounts of oil receipts, coupled with corruption that are speedily draining resources available to governments, are not new.

THE increasing cruelties our society harbours have moved to insistent assaults on children by guardians, who descend on their wards with themost puerile excuses.

HERODOTUS, the father of history, would be astounded about Nigeria’s decision to remove history from its school curriculum. Bourbons, who disappeared because they did not learn from history, are the best example of the perils of ignoring history, especially dedication to studying it.

SCARCITY of kerosene has become a part of the daily challenges many Nigerians face. Unfortunately, their sufferings in sourcing kerosene, a fundamental cooking energy for a majority of Nigerian families do not enjoy the sort of prominence that a day’s shortage of petrol does.

Following the successful completion of the recently revitalised Nigerian University Games (NUGA) hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) emerged as the surprise host of the next edition of the bi-annual Games, which will come up in 2016.

THE Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has decided that candidates in the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, would compulsorily register only one university, one polytechnic, one college of education and one innovative enterprise institute. It is considered a solution to challenges with admissions to higher institutions.

IT is tiresome keeping track of the killings in the North East. It is almost impossible to have accurate figures of the death toll in four years of the war with terrorists. Neither the official reactions, nor the justifications adduced for the crisis, can bear out the attacks that have become daily, almost routine, with school children as major targets.

NIGERIANS woke up last week, panicked so much that they collectively agreed to purchase more fuel than they needed. Before the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation realised the ploy, fuel scarcity had overtaken the country.

ONE of the most urgent bills before the National Assembly is one seeking amendments to the 2004 Passport Act. It has gone through the second reading at the House of Representatives and it is a matter of time for the amendments to become law.

ANYONE attempting to guess the outcome of the National Dialogue, or rules out its possibilities for charting a new course for Nigeria, is under-estimating the challenges facing Nigeria and the urgency required in dealing with them.

NIGERIANS would witness the most formal event of the centenary today when President Goodluck Jonathan hands out 100 awards to 100 individuals – more than 50 post-humously – who made their marks in Nigeria’s first 100 years.

DOES it really matter how many die daily from Boko Haram attacks? Who cares who the targets are? Who is interested in the body count? What difference does it make if 500 die today or 100 the next day?

WE are in a landmark year. We mark the centenary. The National Conference is Nigeria’s future. We are building the future with minimal attention to children who the United Nations Assembly started celebrating in 1954, 60 years ago.

IT is gratifying to note that the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has finally taken action – or so it seems – over the dangerous behaviour of hundreds of commuters who sit on the roofs of trains, especially in crowded metropolitan Lagos.