THE unhappy fate of the 2017 Budget is one more proof that Nigerian government finds it difficult to carry out simple tasks which are taken for granted in other climes. Government in this case means the Executive and Legislative branches which have the joint responsibility under the constitution to pass the annual appropriation bills.

Nigeria’s young, aspiring leaders have a thing or two to learn from the political sagacity of French liberal centrist politician, Emmanuel Macron, who blazed to an emphatic victory after the two-stage presidential election that ended on Sunday, 7th May 2017. He beat his sole opponent of the ultra-rightist National Front, Ms Marion Anne Perrine Le Pen, by 65 per cent to 35 per cent of the votes already counted. Le Pen immediately conceded.

THE football frenzy that turned tragic at a viewing centre in Calabar, Cross River State recently calls to question the authorities’ concern for the sanctity of human lives.

The recent prediction of the end of the ongoing economic recession by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, by the third quarter of this year is a bit hasty though the citizenry could do with the good news to brighten their moods.

Before now, few Nigerians knew the rapidly rising British heavyweight boxing star, Anthony Joshua. But after he “slayed” Wladimir, the younger of the dreaded Klitschko brothers from Ukraine, he became an instant worldwide sensation.

THE recent scarcity of Nigerian International Passport booklets across the country has subjected many intending travellers to untold hardship.

The nation risks a needless standoff between the Senate and the Presidency if the Federal lawmakers make good their threat not to confirm nominees for public office henceforth until the battle of wits between the two arms of government over the fate of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, is resolved.

May Day of 2017, which was celebrated yesterday all over the world by the working class was perhaps, the gloomiest in our recent history. Apart from the good news that the economy would likely exit recession later this year, the catalogue of woes reflected in the banners and placards at the rallies of the Labour unions seemed longer than usual.

THE Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (FMPWH) recently placed advertisements in various newspapers indicating its intention to recover open spaces on Federal roads, setbacks and spaces under bridges, within the Right of Way of Bridges in Lagos.

The Directorate of States Services, DSS, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, the Economic and the Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Nigerians will not forget the trimester of this year in a hurry.

AS the world marks another World Malaria Day today, April 25, malaria remains one of the most deadly infectious diseases. Malaria is still an acute public health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and especially in Nigeria, no thanks to substantial gaps in the coverage of core malaria control tools.

A thing or two to cheer about the present crop of economy management team sprouted from the comments of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, in Washinton DC, United States of America, USA, on the sidelines of the World Bank -IMF meetings.

The confession by the Federal Ministry of Education of its negligence in the diarrhoea outbreak at Queens College, Lagos, appears like a breakthrough in the investigations into the incident that led to the death of three students of the school.

IN a remarkable act of service delivery, the aviation authorities kept to the promise of reconstructing the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, within six weeks.

Referencing recent comments credited to Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to the effect that there was still much work to be done in terms of funding and creating an enabling environment for mining in the country, we have expressed support for this position while admonishing that more action should be seen in this direction than hitherto the case.