TWENTY years ago on November 10, 1995, more than two years after he made this grim prediction, Ken Saro-Wiwa, renowned writer, TV producer, newspaper columnist and irrepressible minority and environment rights campaigner did indeed die. But not a natural death. He was executed along with eight others by a Nigerian state in the grip of military dictator Sani Abacha who felt he had run out of patience with the man that pummeled Nigeria for her tragic ecological record in the Niger Delta notably, Ogoni land

In the wake of what we described as the simultaneous invasion of the homes of Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abuja and Sokoto Gestapo-style by men of the Department for State Security (DSS), this writer wrote an essay titled “Dasuki: Are We Back to the Dark Ages?” which appeared in ThisDay newspaper of 25th July, 2015, wherein the writer expressed fears that the operations of the DSS against individuals possibly classified as political enemies of government was leading us back to the dark ages of citizens’ brutalisation, disrespect for citizens’ rights, flagrant disregard for our courts and the rule of law.

On May 13, 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill into law.

Some mischief must be at work when a person sees a cup half full and declares with glee that it is nearly empty! Some ignominy must be in the offing when a man enjoys today’s clement weather but declares that yesterday’s showers still constitute a blight on the bright day. Some hatchet work must be in place when a foreign magazine writes a timid analysis that acknowledges only a quarter of the good work on the ground in Lagos state, Nigeria’s economic powerhouse.

In the light of the horrendous events that took place in Paris last night I believe that it is time to eliminate and exterminate every single Jihadist terrorist on the face of the earth. We must show them no mercy and we must hold no quarter.

I am constrained to respond to the article with the title above by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, published in the Vanguard of Sunday, November 8, 2015. Ordinarily I don’t join issues with people, but to allow concocted and sensational lies and falsehood, mischievously and deliberately aimed at and capable of rising one section of the country against another, heaped on the nation in the name of truth is to be complacent in the destruction of society; more so given the level of the author’s intellect, educational attainment and the high position he held in the country as a minister. They say when evil is done by the wicked, silence of the righteous is complacency and God shall not find the latter guiltless. To this end, a simple deed of drawing attention to the facts of the past to lay bare the lies in the write-up can very well catalyze the removal of the evil therein. This, in itself, I believe, is a huge service to the country.

“I am still thinking about it, actually. I don’t know whether to congratulate them or to commiserate or to pity some of them. They have merged Ministries that need not be merged. Some Permanent Secretaries are now floating. Six months and this is it?”

THE establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in 2004 marked a watershed in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. For the first time, Nigeria had all previous laws and enactments on different aspects of financial and economic crimes consolidated under one agency in order to achieve a seamless and co-ordinated detection, prevention and prosecution of financial crimes.

SIX months after this government was inaugurated, we are getting an administration amidst challenges created by the government through politics of body language, propaganda, and mixed messages. The president, says one thing, the media, opinion commentators, pick it up, write, shout, reason and argue over it, and the man goes ahead to do what he wants to do, no matter what the people say, and so we have a team of ministers comprising professionals, the old, the not too old, the young, the corrupt and not too corrupt, whom we must look upon to deliver the change agenda of the APC, until when we will have to assess their total performance to decide what to do with them as a political party.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has prognosticated a possible economic recession in 2016. This possible worst outcome of the present slump is something I am sure President Muhammadu Buhari would do everything to prevent. No president wants to be known in history as a ‘Recession President.’ However, this undesirable economic situation can sometimes become a reality, even in spite of the best efforts of a well-meaning leadership.