Wonder of wonders! We claim to have all these powers in Africa and yet we are so poor and backward,” said Steve. Didn’t you hear about what happened last Wednesday at Ijaiye where a woman called two children to come help her read a text message on her cell phone.

“No, I don’t believe that. To prove that point, the report said that those arrested included daughters of serving senators and state assembly members, and one of the customers is a driver of a General in the Nigerian Army. So tell me, was it poverty that drove them into this?” asked Tosin.

“O boy, read it out loud please,” a number of commuters pleaded with Iyke who said tongue-in-cheek: “You guys should not disturb me. After all you saw the vendor or do you think the papers are for decoration? They are for sale, so go and buy your own,” thereupon he began to read the story aloud to the hearing of all.

THE parliamentarians today decided to air their views on a potpourri of issues, starting with the activities of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

The notorious weekend traffic jams in the Lagos metropolis seems to be subtly creeping back after a forced absence. Traffic along the Egbeda – Iyana-Ipaja axis in the Alimosho area stretched for over one kilometre and nobody seemed to know the cause. Restless commuters were urging the driver to make a detour and rejoin the main route later so as to avoid the heavy traffic and save time and fuel.

Wednesday was yet another black day for the building industry in Lagos. An uncompleted storey building at Adenike Street, off New market in the popular Oniru Estate, Victoria Island suddenly came crumbling.

“To meet the new demand, they will need N15.1billion as against the current N10. 044 billion,” replied Mark.
“So we’ve got all this money in Nigeria and yet our roads are bad, the power situation is getting worse, industries are shutting down, the unemployment market is swelling, our pensioners are not finding it easy, neither are the workers; yet our so-called representatives are there representing their pockets,” noted Ugo, visibly angry.

ONE of the most vexing issues in Nigerian politics today is rotational presidency and the parliamentarians decided to bare their minds on the issue.

“What is with this IBB of a man? Why is he fighting tooth and nail to get back to Aso Rock?” asked Tony this Monday evening as the commuter bus moved slowly along the Ogba – Ikeja road. He was reacting to a statement by a commuter, Mr Laz who said that IBB will be the next president if we are not careful.

The atmosphere was electric, as it was expected to be. After all the two biggest clubs in the English Premiership and the archrivals for the league shield for the 2009/2010 season were each engaged in a final match that would determine who emerged winner. The commercial viewing centre was filled to capacity with fans or supporters of both clubs who boastfully praised and cheered their team of choice at the top of their voices.

Traffic along the Ikeja-Oshodi road this Monday morning was unusually light most probably due to the public holidays declared by the Federal Government to mark the 2010 May Day which fell on a Saturday.

They say planes can’t fly now because a kind of smokey ash from a vulcanic eruption has covered the sky in Europe making it impossible for pilots to see their way to the airports they want to land.

“I believe the world is at last coming to end,” so declared a parliamentarian at a bus-stop gathering in Obalende, Lagos last week. Prompted to explain what he meant by this ominous declaration, the parliamentarian who gave his name as Franklin had said thus: “Ah-ah, are you not aware that the whole world is almost at a standstill now because no airline is presently operating in Europe. No plane is flying from anywhere in Europe as I’m speaking to you now.

IT’S like every new day in Nigeria comes with new surprises, each tending to outdo the previous day’s in its degree of absurdity. When you think you’ve seen and heard it all, our politicians spring more bizarre surprises on us, saying to us ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet!’

THIS was one of the news items in one of the national dailies which sparked off the debate of the masses this day.