Firstly, the amnesty agreement with the Niger-Delta militants was concluded under Yar’Adua and not Jonathan. In fact, the only militant group, which held out, intensified its bombing campaign under Jonathan. This clarification is relevant to the issue raised as to whether the Boko Haram will respond favourably to a northern President overture. There is no evidence of that. Apart from the fact that the insurgents are virulently against the northern establishment as evidenced by the attacks on several Emirs, there was an attempted assassination targeted the leading northern presidential candidate, Gen M. Buhari.

Mr Akin Osuntokun, a former political adviser to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, responds to Prof Joseph’s interview

Dr. Sylvan Ebigwei (MON) is immediate past chairman, Federal School of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, president emeritus, Aka Ikenga and board member, Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi. He was recently honoured as Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, by the Federal Government. In this interview, he takes a look at the issues affecting the country

Prominent indigenes of Okija community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, have risen in defence of the dreaded shrines in the area popularly known as Alusi Okija in Igbo parlance, saying that the shrines do not kill innocent persons, as being portrayed.

P rof. Sylvester Monye was until recently the special adviser to the president on performance monitoring and evaluation, a job that took him round the country and gave him a vintage position to familiarise himself with the running of government. Before then, he was Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, secretary of NADECO UK, secretary of the National Conscience Party in the UK among other prominent positions.