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.

As health services remain grounded in Federal and state hospitals in Lagos in the wake of an indefinite strike by doctors, doctors under the auspices of the Medical Guild have decried a monthly financial shortfall of N33, 477, 508.00 in the implementation of the full Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, in Lagos state even as they are alleging they were tricked into entering agreement with the state government.

Despite the sacking of 788 doctors on May 4, 2012, the face-off between the Lagos State government and the Medical Guild continues unabated. Rather than wane, the discord between the two parties appears to be waxing stronger.

Like the common saying “all things work together for our good,” so it was for 32-year-old single mother, Mrs. Kikelomo Ilori, who after making several attempts to abort a pregnancy, ended up giving birth to a boy in a Cherubim & Seraphim Church, clinching a Holy Quran in his right hand.