Growing up, the focus of the young Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan was to be an accountant. The potential for leadership that had been identified during his formative years had been expected to propel him towards top position in the corporate world.

The seed of transformation planted by Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in Delta State did not appear at first dawn. Like a woman in pregnancy, Uduaghan’s manifestation started with some queasiness, the kind of early morning sickness associated with pregnant women before the shaping out of the tummy.

In spite of the persisting gloomy indices portraying Nigeria as a country still mired in backwardness, the year 2013 was full of silver linings on the dark clouds of the nation’s firmament. Our economy was given a healthy rating by many reputable international agencies, though it was generally agreed that little of it is being felt by the people on the streets.

Dr. Dan Mou retired as a Director in Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs. While in service, he served as Special Adviser to three National Security Advisers in the Presidency, In this interview with Vanguard,, the erudite scholar examines the legacies and challenges of the post Mandela era.

In a few hours, residents of Lagos will join the rest of the world to usher in year 2014. This is with hope that the New Year will be better than the outgoing year, 2013, which was full of mixed grills for the Governor Babatunde Fashola-led administration and the over 21 million residents of the state.