WHAT do we want to do with our prisons? Better still, what do we intend to do with our prisoners? Prisons are not a favourite subject of many. Prisoners are outcasts, considered worse than the scum of society. Politicians exclude them from their trite campaign messages.

THE Bank Verification Number, BVN, is another important step the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is using to strengthen the security of banking transactions and to ensure that fraudulent transactions are minimised, if not totally eliminated. The campaign is on, but the public may not realise its importance until it closes in June 2015.

CONCERNS for peaceful outcome of the 2015 general elections have led to two major initiatives to promote peace in the country. The first was the signing of an accord on violence-free conducts before, during and after the election by presidential candidates of 14 political parties, notably President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Peoples Congress, APC, on 14 January 2015.

POLITICS is replacing the attention our country needs to make progress. The biggest casualty is the people. Politics should focus on the collective future of Nigeria, a future that appears to be in abeyance. The consistent and flagrant abuses of individual and group rights, with a veneer of official seal, muddle issues to resolve Nigeria’s unworkable politics. These abuses have become features of our politics. They are dangerous and must be stopped.

FEW elections have had the hype of the 2015 elections, which has created strands of expectations that would be challenging to manage. They are principally on two fronts – expectations of victory and campaign promises to change the country.