MINISTER of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, is alarmed at the depth of corruption among university graduates. He wondered about the situation during an assessment visit to the University of Lagos. Does Mallam Shekarau live in Nigeria?

BETWEEN November 2 and December 6, criminals struck at prisons in Koton Karfe, Kogi State, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and Minna, Niger State, leading to escape of 695 convicted criminals. A similar break in Akure last year, freed 175 criminals.

FIDELITY is not an attribute of Nigerian politicians. The ease with which they jump from one political party to the other removes all doubts that the politician believes only in himself and causes that foster his expansive interests.

CORRUPTION is a global problem with various dimensions that many do not realise. The United Nations, UN, admits that much in its attempted definition of corruption and its consequences.

THE All Progressives Congress, APC, had to extract an undertaking from its aspirants ahead of today’s APC presidential congress at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. They have promised to remain APC members no matter who wins. Our quick sand politics has latitudes that accommodate tendencies, especially changing camps when we lose positions.

THE “Memorandum on Interaction and Cooperation” which Nigerian government officials signed with their counterparts from the Russia Federation should mark a turning point in efforts to confront internal security challenges, which the international community, at the instance of the United States of America, refused to pay any attention.

OUR politicians are the same. They want to serve us. They seek any platform to serve us. They insist on serving us. To achieve their burning desire, they break rules, even the rules of the parties through which they want to access power. Their understanding is that power is so important that they should do anything to acquire it.

MORE than two years after he was impeached, the Supreme Court on 21 November ordered immediate reinstatement of the former Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Sanni Abubakar Danladi. The court was unanimous in its judgment, that the impeachment panel the Taraba House of Assembly set up to investigate allegations against Danladi violated his rights to fair hearing.

WHEN cocksure governors complain about others obstructing their political space, we are again reminded – as if it really matters for more than a few moments – that we are all human, with needs, including the need for others. The issue at stake is the seemingly small matter of representation at the Senate, where some governors want as retreat after eight years of executive control of their States.

THOSE aghast at attacks on judges in Ekiti State seem not to appreciate the implications of impunity. Criminals – of all shades – act mostly in the comfort that the law would not inconvenience them. Where they are able to intimidate law enforcement agents, they become more brazen.

EMERGENCIES have their place even in politics. What emergency could have necessitated last minute loans some States are obtaining? How would the burden sit with in-coming administrations, especially in the light of the financial burdens dwindling oil prices pose?

JUSTICE Ademola Johnson’s ruling that struck out the charges against bomb blast suspect Aminu Ogwuche, “for want of diligent prosecution”, opens an opportunity for the judiciary to examine many cases before courts, where prosecution has not been diligent, resulting in suspects awaiting trial for years.

JUST a couple of months after the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, arm of the public sector health workers ended its protracted strike, the National Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, and the Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, again, withdrew their services. You have a right to wonder how often they are at work in a year. The fresh strike followed even after the Federal Government approved their demand to be allowed to become consultants, just as their peers, the medical doctors.

DEBATES about the barricade of the National Assembly are more about the infringement of the rights of one arm of government to assemble.

What some consider offensive was that the executive invaded the territory of the legislature. People are aghast. We are anticipating various consequences to this abuse.

UNLESS we do more than we are doing now, the 2015 elections would produce the same unsatisfying outcomes we have had since 1999. We complain loudly without addressing our concerns. The lengthening complaints about politicians have little to do with political parties.