THE deployment of arms and military operational machinery in the Niger Delta is a clear pointer to the imminent take-off of “Operation Crocodile Smile” aimed at securing the nation’s economic interests in the oil-rich region.

Although all the nine banks –First Bank, Diamond Bank, Sterling Bank, Skye Bank, Fidelity Bank, United Bank for Africa, Keystone Bank, First City Monument Bank, and Heritage Bank — suspended from the foreign exchange market have since been readmitted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the episode points to the need for caution when the regulatory authorities decide to wield the hammer to redress perceived violations.

Within 24 hours of the visit of Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the co-Founder of The One Campaign, David Hewson of the U2 rock group to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, the IDPs went on another street protest, the second within one week, alleging ill-treatment and poor feeding by government and other supposed humanitarian agencies.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Economic Team headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has served notice of its intention to introduce a bill in the National Assembly (NASS) seeking “emergency” powers to fix the economy.

United States of America’s Secretary of State, John Kerry, made a two-day whistle-stop in Nigeria penultimate Monday and Tuesday. His itinerary included a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Northern governors and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III.

ON Saturday, August, 29 2016, the much-dreaded but well-envisaged showdown between the Nigerian Armed Forces and the various militant groups operating in our oil-rich Niger Delta region was formally launched by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buaratai, with military fanfare in Warri, Delta State.

Amidst increasing pressures on the three levels of government to increase revenue generation, albeit, non-oil for the federal government and Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, for states and local governments, more unintended negative consequences are surfacing.

Recent happenings in the judiciary have raised fresh concerns over the sanctity of rulings and judgments emanating from our courts. The conflicting deliveries on political issues not based on sound reasoning especially from the high courts is now the order of the day.

In 2013, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put the population of Nigerians living in poverty at about 112 million, representing about 67 per cent of Nigeria’s 167 million population at the time. Nigeria’s income per capita GDP stood at $1,555. The Nigerian situation, no doubt has worsened since then.

The decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, again, postpone the re-run legislative elections in Rivers State is a serious setback to the consolidation of democracy in the state. It is also a bad omen for the rest of the country.

Reports of South Africa overtaking Nigeria in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rating hardly came as a surprise. Though it indicated that both countries have recorded drops in GDP in the last one year, Nigeria’s case was a huge crash compared to South Africa’s.

ON 24 July 2014, for the first time ever, Nigeria interrupted the transmission of the wild polio virus, leading to its removal by the World Health Organisation (WHO) from the list of countries where the disease is endemic.

President Muhammadu Buhari seized the opportunity of the visit of the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Irina Bukova to Abuja last week, to draw attention to the urgent need to save Lake Chad from imminent extinction.

Minister for Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung, created panic among football buffs in Nigeria when the Rio Olympic-bound U-23 soccer team on a training tour in Atlanta, USA, could not be airlifted to Rio until a few hours to their opening game against Japan. Team handler, Coach Samson Siasia, drew the Minister’s ire when he cried out over the cash-strapped team’s ordeal in camp.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, stirred controversy when he told Nigerians that the Federal Government would import grass from Brazil for ranches and grazing reserves in Nigeria.