Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), a fiery Lagos lawyer and human rights activist came out of the kidnappers den with a message for those in authority: “ Grant the kidnappers amnesty”.

Peace has always been a much sought-after phenomenon by every living creature. The subject and search for true and lasting peace is one that has transcended every bound, and extended to every human endeavour and concern. Simple as the concept may sound, the exigencies and the mode of life in the modern and civilized world of today make such a search a precarious one, coming only at the behest of concerted physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological effort.

Let me state from the outset that after I read, in between the lines, the piece titled: “PDM, PDP and the Battle Ahead” in THISDAY, the Sunday newspaper of September 8, 2013, I came to an interesting conclusion that there is no battle ahead, after all, between Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, which has just transformed into a political party, and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Nigeria is NOT and was never designed to be a hybrid state where we were meant to forgo our primary identity, forsake the vision of our forefathers and forget our fundamental differences with other nationalities.

Come end of this September, Nigerians will be forced to change their vehicle number plates to new ones. Failure to do this will be an offence punishable either by imprisonment, or fines, or the impounding of the said vehicle with payment of penalties.

The stow-away saga involving Daniel Ohikhena has since evolved into a melodrama. Not surprising, armchair analysts are falling over themselves to help justify an action which the protagonist himself has regretably admitted he took without being mindful of its implication.

The improvements the present Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei has spearheaded and brought to bear on the Assembly premises have been described severally and variously as ‘impressive’, ‘remarkable’ and ‘unprecedented’.

By Chukwuma Onah IN an era in which some state governments are yet to organize a single Local Government election with few months to the end of their tenures, Enugu State under Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime sets the pace as it conducts her fourth council poll on November 2, this year. Only last Saturday, the […]

On September 10, 2013, I was going through The Guardian newspaper and saw an advertorial on pages 72 and 73 placed by Abia State government which detailed the 244 recipients of free vehicles courtesy of Abia State Youth Empowerment Programme.

Whenever we take a cursory look at democracy, we hardly fail to see the visionary import of the philosophy and precept of liberal democracy which makes it tower above other models because of self-evident advantages. It is indeed a credit to the clairvoyance of the originators who fittingly gave the legislature a prime position as the first arm that is pivotal to the optimal functioning of democracy. What probably makes it so critical is that when it efficiently performs its constitutional duty, the legislature could provide the compass to the executive and judicial arms of government.

The story has been told often enough and is now old: A response from Chief Orji Kalu to the recent forced removal of some Nigerians from one part of their country to another vexed and caused Chief Fani Kayode to write a series of essays, one of which he termed, ‘The Bitter Truth about the Igbos’.

THE recent aggression on some Itsekiri communities in our Warri North Local Government Area by some Ijaw militants in which a number of Itsekiris were killed and their houses razed down, to my mind, was an unfortunate development and it was uncalled for. Although those who perpetrated the dastardly act gave their reason as political marginalization in the LGA, it was however, a good thing that Ijaw leaders were unanimous in joining their Itsekiri counterparts to condemn the attack in its entirety.

Expectedly, Nigerians, especially those whose cherished pastime is to pick holes in the activities of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, even where none exist, unsuccessfully tried to give unsavory interpretations to the federal cabinet reshuffle which resulted in the exit of nine serving ministers.

THE question of whether Nigeria can break up still lingers 53 years after our independence. I will start by answering the question first. Yes, Nigeria can break up if we choose to and are willing to pursue and execute policies that will lead to its break up. The choice is ours as a people.

The old adage has it that the taste of the pud-ding is in the eating. Indeed such should be the apt description for the recent giant strides recorded by Abia State government in the education sector. Just recently, the state came out tops in science and mathematics exhibition ratings organised by the Science and Mathematics Teachers for primary schools in the country. The event held at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.