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.

THE road to President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory in the presidential election of April 16, 2011, although divinely scripted, was littered with obstacles, dangerous precipices and, even, minefields. Indeed, from the controversy over his acting presidency, Jonathan’s political route had been a very bumpy one, dotted by intrigues, manoeuvres and conspiracies.

THE Presidential debate which was introduced into the 2011 general election campaign in Nigeria was very exhilarating and expository.

IF the recent comments of all-three sound reasonable to them, certainly they don’t to this writer. Can they now pretend not to know the genesis of all this? Can they deny their roles at the beginning?

TUNDE Idiagbon was not around to see it. And if he were to still be here but didn’t see it he would have doubted the news about it. But it happened. Muhammadu Buhari (who with Tunde Idiagbon once overthrew democracy and held Nigeria with iron-stiff hands) ‘bathed’ us with tears recently.

AS a staunch supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State, I strongly believe that it is now time for the party leadership to act decisively and strategically by undertaking a massive re-organisation of Ondo State PDP and render powerless and irrelevant, all the yesterday’s men who contributed absolutely nothing to the party’s triumphant re-entry into mainstream of Ondo politics, defined by PDP’s positive performance at the presidential polls in the state.

FOR a country where crookedness and cheating in public life has become a norm, Nigerians are busy passing off Professor Attahiru Jega’s hollow ritual as a great success and a testimonial of credibility and integrity in conducting national and state elections, where virtually all the elements of fraud that have characterised general elections in Nigeria since independence, were present and in no diminishing order.

BUT for post-election crises which engulfed most parts of Northern Nigeria, the April elections were free, fair, credible and peaceful. Nigeria has once again demonstrated her capacity to do things right when inclined. The election has set at naught the sham that was the 2007 election.

LATELY, fresh winds of positive change seem to be blowing through the rank and file of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS. A new orientation seems to be taking place in the entire operations of the Service.

THE violence in the North is not surprising. That half of our society is perpetually on tinderbox; the result of widespread poverty coupled with mass illiteracy and, in too many cases, religious fanaticism.

A PEOPLE’S language is part of their identity. If a people lose their language, they have practically lost themselves.
The English language is supposed to be our second language but now, it has become our first language.

THE Customs Command, as we all knowis the hub of international and local businesses in Nigeria. In fact, as the first port of call for most Nigerian and foreign importers and exporters, the happenings in this Command will either affect Nigeria positively or negatively.

IT is, I believe, generally understood that the achievement of true development in Nigeria must entail the building of our own endogenous domestic capabilities and capacities to produce and manufacture modern technologies and globally competitive industrial goods.

THE 2011 general elections debates may have been over with the on-going elections across the federation and the citizens’ anticipation of more election results. But the drama and controversies caused over the debate are worth examining, especially for future elections and debates.

NIGERIAN motorists daily face the dilemma of which instruction to abide by regarding the use of tinted motor glasses.