Whichever side of the divide one clings, the story of the former Nigerian President of the Senate, Senator David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark, his military and political career albeit his steady rise to the top cannot be written completely in one book. This is just an attempt, a line in the intermediate chapter of the still unfolding narrative of Mark’s highly eventful sojourn on earth.

On this historic day, Sixty-Eight years ago in the ancient town of Otukpo, a child was born. As sounds of his cry echoed through the airwaves of the then county town, his mother filled with tears of Joy, smiled, looked down on him and called him ‘Alechenu’ meaning ‘I never expected this’. Names are indeed revelations from God and the true identity of man. This is epitomized by the way Mark rose from grass, went through the ranks to become a political Hercules, a priceless jewel in Idoma land and Nigeria in general.

THE International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. The focus of the celebration in different countries ranges from general celebration of love, appreciation and respect towards women to political, economic and social achievements. The theme for this year is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for gender equality”.

AS soon as an Urhobo man or woman dies the family is thrown into jubilation because an opportunity for social recklessness has been opened. Each member or each gate is asked to pay some money and they go on to erect temporary brothels euphemistically called family booths or canopies.

THE Urhobo people are inexorably obsessed with matters concerning their customs and traditions. They hold on to their tradition with pathological imperativeness notwithstanding the hybrid of Western bastardies and civilisational interfacing (religion and education ).

IN the month of March, some cities and states recorded the first heavy rain. With this drop of rain, the very strategic Igbe road in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu Lagos is as usual condemned till sometime in November or December when the dry season will set in again.

The bedrock of any organization, either philanthropic, political or otherwise is reflected by the role and respect given to the next generation of such establishment.

Millennials will make up half of the global workforce by 2020. This group of adults aged between 19 and 35 in 2016, is set to become the largest generation at work, and is distinctly different to other generations.

Since the inception of the Buhari administration, corruption cases associated with the Jonathan administration have been pursued with vigour. The recent case with the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, in the $2.1 billion arms procurement deal, has raised alarms about the extent of alleged kleptocracy in the administration and management of government services and functions in Nigeria.

The battle for supremacy between South Africa and Nigeria would appear to be age-long, but it wasn’t always like this. There used to be times when both countries were brothers-in-arms, had each other’s backs. My mum, for example, still tells stories of how as students in 1977, they sacrificed their lunch tickets to help South Africans fight Apartheid.

Ondo State is reshaping how public education is being done in Nigeria. As of 2016, the state has built over 50 model primary schools. The schools are categorized into 2 types: A & B. Type A can accommodate 1,050 students while type B can accommodate 525 students. Babatunde Fafunwa, a former minister of education in Nigeria, in his book New Perspectives on African Education, calls for a reappraisal of African education: the structures, the curriculum, the teacher quality— all issues that are being addressed in Ondo’s mega schools. The teachers in these schools have signed up to be lifelong learners, as teacher training is a priority of the education ministry in the state. In a global context, and in the age of knowledge, these schools are equipped with functional computer rooms, and libraries supplied with diverse content- international, and national.

PETER Ayodele Fayose. Two-time Governor of Ekiti State. There’s certainly something to say for this man. Without question he is, for good or for ill, the most talked about State Governor in Nigeria today. He is one of the most controversial, if not the most controversial.

People often say that my friend and brother, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state and I are giving the President Muhammadu Buhari government a run for their money more than any other duo in the country.

SOLUTIONS and ideas sometimes come from the most unlikely of places. A couple of days ago, my wife and I were at the Ogudu GRA residence of my brother Captain Austin Anianu to commiserate with him and his wife on the death of the mother in law and somehow we got talking. The woman who allocated sixty million monthly allowance to herself was in the news. It does appear that those sent to help bring sanity to the pension office are the ones compounding the situation, beginning from Maina and his other accomplices.

I READ with interest an article with the above title written by one Nosakhare Osahon. A proper dissection of the write-up reveals many illogicalities and shallowness. For one, his attack on Ken Imasuangbon, a fellow APC stalwart who has deployed the richness of his resources and goodwill to promote the APC both at national and state levels, shows that Osahon is obviously working for some forces within the party who are uncomfortable with Imasuagbon’s rising profile.