IN September 2009, following several years of negotiations between the Nigerian Medical Association and the Federal Government, the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale, CONMESS, circular SWC/S/04/S.410/220 was released by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission. CONMESS is a uniform salary structure initiated by the Federal Government for all doctors in the country.

The workings of their minds may never be known. General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s Provisional Ruling Council, PRC, had an idea of what Nigerians wanted and was very eager and willing to give it to them.

It was a sharp twist for a people repeatedly classed as the happiest people on earth. Nigerians were said to like life so much that they would rather suffer brutal dictators than allow themselves to be inconvenienced by tear gas from demonstrations against bad government. But no longer.

THE 2011 general polls presented interesting scenarios. Those, who got elected had to wage a series of battles on many fronts – intra-party, inter-party and at the law courts.

A look at the direction of the Jonathan administration indicates that the government has good intentions of transforming the nation’s economy.

Nigeria had a uniform electoral calendar until the landmark case of Mr Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Dr. Chris Ngige of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who was initially returned as winner of the 2003 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

Since the enthronement of the Fourth Republic about thirteen years ago, Nigeria’s catalogue of woes appeared to have reached unfinished symphony. Her people groaned under the yoke of repressive successive government, unemployment, dearth of social amenities abysmal demonstration of travesty of justice.

To me, I see the 13years of democracy as wasted years in the sense that, we have not been able to achieve anything for that number of years. Compared to the problems we still have in the government especially, in the area of corruption which is on increase on a daily basis, I do not think democracy has yielded anything good to Nigeria.

Thirteen years into democratic governance after the military handed over political power to elected civilians in 1999, democracy in Nigeria has been going through a seriously difficult gestation period.

In just few days, the PDP and some state governors would mark their first year in power. How has the journey been? The ruling elite, not having much to offer after getting power, continue politicking even when the elections are over.

I think 13 years of democracy has been generally turbulent in this country from 1999 to date. There are many factors responsible for this. One, there has not been transparency in the way and manner we conduct our elections. Secondly, even internal democracy within the political parties also has a lot of challenges. Thirdly, there had been a high proliferation of corruption across the board in all tiers of government since 1999.

The morning of 29th May, 1999 was like the first day in a new recreated Nigeria after 29 years military tyranny. It’s

IN 2005, a young journalist named Ahmad Salkida was living in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria, when one of his mother’s friends knocked on the door. Her son had dropped out of university to study under a local imam. She begged Mr. Salkida to persuade him to return home.

HOWEVER, Southern leaders have picked holes in the Northern leaders’ claim that the North built the country through agriculture.

PIQUED by recurring acoustic remarks, especially from pro-South and southern leaders that northerners were lazy and the North had been sustained over the years by the South, northern leaders penultimate week said they could stand on their own if Nigeria broke up.