When the felicitous presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, gave hint of a New Year presidential broadcast billed for Monday 1 January, majority of Nigerians hissed and heaved in utter despondency. Even the robustly complacent claque in the nation’s corridors of power must have yawned and looked at one another in pampered aloofness knowing that the presidential broadcast would cut no ice. A few days earlier, presidential sidekicks had aired an absurd documentary unimaginatively woven around what they called the human side of President Muhammadu Buhari. The video ran on major television channels to the indignation of Nigerians. The promoters of the documentary must have set out to pull a public relations stunt for a regime whose popularity has plummeted.

President Muhammadu Buhari no doubt celebrated Christmas with sadness and a broken heart. Whereas most Nigerians had joy to the fullest amidst the country’s bad economic shape, the imbalance in the country’s socio-economic position and perhaps some family challenges deprived the number one person the joy he should have had during the yuletide.

The annual general meeting of the people of Koko   has come and gone. Regrettably, the august meeting   failed to calm frayed nerves. The annual meeting had in attendance such names as Prof. Benson Bafor, Dr. Alex Ideh, Tony Akiya Ejoh, Dr. Martins Ogharandukun, Dr. Ayu, Dr. Edema Okonedo and this writer.

From Kaduna to Rivers and Benue states as well as other parts of the country, the stories of woe over the senseless killing of Nigerians abound.

In July 2012, clashes between natives and herdsmen reached a head in Plateau state leading to tens of deaths on both sides. Then President Jonathan, when briefed about the situation insisted that there wouldn’t be such impunity under his leadership and immediately ordered the army to go to the affected communities and fish out the perpetrators and bring them to book.