IT was relieving to see President Muhammadu Buhari meeting with the 21 Chibok girls alongside their families at the State House, Abuja, recently. The girls were part of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls who were allegedly held captive since April 2014 by members of the notorious Boko Haram terrorists. According to the government, the girls were released after successful negotiations between the sect, the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, as well as the Nigerian and Swiss governments.

DURING a seminar in the UK attended by the author, a paper on Nigeria and piracy was presented by a DPhil researcher who had never been to Nigeria but who spoke so passionately (to a mainly European audience) about Nigeria’s incapacity to transform itself. Although the presentation was brilliant, it was marred by a few inaccurate and somewhat exaggerated assertions and statistics; not surprising considering that the presenter carried out a three year long research exercise on Nigeria based mainly on secondary data.

From a global perspective, the girl child is generally considered highly vulnerable to several societal ills, especially in developing countries where it is believed that effective policies and calculated efforts are needed to safeguard the girl child from the detrimental effect of violence, limited access to education, neglect, abuse, gender disparities, among other challenges.

Sometime in November 2013, 5 governors elected on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was an unprecedented move in Nigeria’s political history and formed the foundation for APC’s victory at the 2015 general elections.

REUBEN ABATI’S widely published piece, “The Spiritual Side of Aso Villa,” deserves very critical attention for its implication for accountability. That implication, which I consider harmful, is that it creates grounds for anyone who has operated and may operate from Aso Villa, our country’s seat of power, to argue their exoneration for any wrong attributable to them on the grounds that the villa, as Abati would have us believe, is a place where “the forces of darkness” hold sway and control the actions of its inhabitants. Indeed, if we accept that people act under the influence of such forces which they cannot resist, why hold them accountable for their actions even by law, which considers acting under duress – in this case the duress of demons – as a basis for the exculpation of an accused person?

Romans 12:2 says “do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed”. When, as a Christ follower, you celebrate Halloween, what do you think you are doing? You are conforming!

DR Eruani Azibapu, a Nigerian businessman signed into existence Azikel Refinery with Ventech Engineering LLC in Houston Texas. Dr Eruani, who is the group president of Azikel Group, signed on behalf of Azikel Petroleum Nig Ltd, alongside with Director of Investment and strategy, Mr Richard Howarth, the Executive Director Operations, Mr Presley Asemota, the contract for the manufacturing and construction of a 12,000 BPSD Hydro-skyming Refinery with the world global leaders of Modular refinery construction/manufacturing, Ventech Engineering LLC in the United State of America.

AGE 51 (in Nigeria), a country famous for celebrations, does not necessarily elucidate merry making though enough to show gratitude to the Creator for adding yet another one year to one’s life. Jane Odessa, a colleague asked me why I always come back to Hon. Ejaife. Good question but hear this reason for the symbiotic attachment. Once I was at his residence, amongst the many visitors was his former high school classmate.

When Africa’s richest man speaks, the world listens. Aliko Dangote has proved his mettle in business in one of the most difficult terrains in the world, by not only setting up businesses but turning them into multibillion naira organisations. Naturally, you would think Dangote would be pro-business in every way because of how much success he has achieved in business.

THE chickens of destiny have come home to roost. In October of 2007, the Supreme Court in a fit of indignant anger reached a decision that puzzled most Lawyers. They decided that one Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who did not in fact receive any vote from the good people of Rivers State, has been elected the Governor of Rivers State.