As Nigeria rolls out the red carpet today to celebrate 53 years of independence, no other sector can boast of putting the west African state in the limelight as sports has done since she attained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960.

NIGERIA after Independence was on the right path of economic growth and development. It had visionary leaders who were interested in the welfare of the people.

Fighters for Nigeria’s independence must be baffled over what we, today’s generation, have made of our National Day.

Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, politician, industrialist and publisher of Champion Newspapers, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Julia Oyefunke Fortune, author of ‘Chronicle of a Cancer Survivor’ and a volunter for cancer and legislative ambassador for the American Cancer Society, tells the story of her battle with cancer and her campaign against the disease.

HE finds it very convenient to clear the cargo in Lagos and spends about N300,000 or more to bring it to this part of the country and still makes profits.

UNTIL he was seized, four days ago, at about3.00 am, at an undisclosed hotel, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, many people, including security officials, only mentioned his name in whispers. He was simply known as Kelvin, the most wanted kidnapper/armed robbery kingpin in Delta State, who hails from Kokori in Ethiope-East Local Government Area.

Perhaps, this year’s new yam festival in Obowu, one of the largest communities in Igbo heartland, was the grandest. The festival which began on August 16 with an intellectual feast ended on the 17th with the new yam cut and eaten by all in the large square.

AS Nigeria marks 53 years of independence next week, one question that has defied answer is what the actually number of Nigerians is. This question, as simple as it appears, has been difficult to answer in the last 150 years.

Like almost always, mum is the word. But the rage is on. The anger and the public outcry have reached a crescendo. Questions are flooding the streets. Whodunit? But no one, not even the Department of Security Service (DSS) which is obviously, centrally involved in the controversy could lend a more convincing voice. And the Army whose men provided military back-up from Guards Brigade, according to reports, is yet to officially tell their role in the development. The whole thing appears highly shrouded in secrecy. And the result is the festering hearsay in almost every quarter of the society.