ONE of the most disturbing problems of the health sector in Nigeria is the high rate of maternal, neo-natal and infant deaths associated with pregnancy and child birth. Current statistics reveal that over 500 women die in every 100,000 live births; 40 neo-natal deaths in 1,000 births and 75 infant deaths in 1,000 births.

IN November 2004, during the may-hem at which parts of Anambra State were burnt down, it was difficult for me to believe that people from Anambra could inflict such violence on their State. But have we not seen brothers committing fratricide and sons committing patricide.

THIS is a post-mortem. The 2011 election have come and gone, but it will go down in our lore as one election in which the fabled ‘masquerades” of the Nigerian politics were thoroughly demystified.

The 2011 general elections have come and gone, and judging from the comments of local and international observers including Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka the processes, especially the National Assembly and the presidential polls, were in many respects free, fair and credible.

Now that the elections have come and gone, we turn our searchlight and focus on Ondo State, where the Labour Party (LP) has continued to ‘rule the roost’ and has now taken over from the PDP as the dominant party in the state by flooring both the PDP and the Action Congress (ACN) in the National and State House of Assembly elections, thereby consolidating its firm foothold on political power in the Sunshine State which was triggered off in 2009, when the courts declared Governor Segun Mimiko winner of the gubernatorial polls of 2007.

IT is now clear that the supplementary elections for governor conducted Friday last week in Imo State was an ego massage; the elections were duly concluded on Tuesday April 26 and a winner, Chief Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, clearly emerged as the winner. But like Chief Okorocha has said, it was still alright to ‘fulfill all righteousness’.

IN the past couple of years, there has been increased media attention concerning reproductive health and rights in general and abortion in particular.

SOMETHING of a big argument has surfaced on the recently conducted presidential election. Who delivered the Igbo vote to President Goodluck Jonathan? The governors of the South East have those who give them the credit. But it is one credit that must be mediated by the Governors’ showings in the rest of the general elections.

BEFORE the April governorship poll in Abia State , Chief Ikechi Emenike was in court challenging the candidature of Governor Theodore Orji as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, in the election. Emenike lost the case at the Federal High Court, Abuja and many had expected him to close rank with Orji like other major stakeholders in the State to move the State forward. Before the election, he had a reconciliatory meeting with Governor Orji who happens to be his brother and kinsman. In the meeting, he agreed to work with Orji for the success of the party in the elections.

Intelligence is variously defined as a whole gamut of evaluated and processed information needed to make policy decisions with regard to business, security, economy and politics.

GOODROCK! That is how Nigerians who have problems managing the letter “l” would pronounce your first name. And I strongly suspect they hold the clue to the attributes you require to succeed as President of the Giant of Africa. Reason: Thus far, good luck could carry you, but no further.

LET me state from the outset and without equivocation that I disagree with a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, Mr. Sunny Uyigue, on his claim that Edo PDP problem started when a leader from outside some senatorial districts tried to impose his authority on them.

IS it indeed a new dawn on the horizon for Nigeria’s tourism? In the past, President Goodluck Jonathan would have chosen to go abroad with a large entourage to burn tax payers money, add value to foreign economies and tourism while Nigeria’s economy, including tourism, depletes.

THE much awaited April 2011 general elections have come and gone. We must therefore congratulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a job well done and all the contestants, winners and losers alike.

IT was not a surprise. It was expected, considering the situation on ground, that Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State would be coasting home to victory in the election in the State even before the election was conducted.