After concluding their preparation for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations 2017 qualifying clash with Nigeria, Egypt’s Argentinean manager Hector Cuper announced that he finally reached the final line-up for the crucial game.

On the 20th of February 2016, Nigeria’s President Buhari hardened his stance against devaluing the Nigerian Naira because he believes devaluation will not help the country “as it had few exports apart from oil and depended on imports whose cost would rise with such a move.” This view is shared by Governor Emefiele of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who noted on 17th November 2015 “Our major export commodity which accounts for more than 80% of our income is crude oil…and what is supposed to be the non oil export, we are not producing effectively.” CBN governor, Emefiele, also warned that that naira devaluation would lead to hyperinflation.

The nation was caught in the web of political confusion in 2009/2010 following the protracted illness and consequent long absence of late President Umar Yar’Adua without transmitting a letter to the National Assembly, so as to enable the then Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to steer the ship of state in an acting capacity. Nigeria was in a fix. Then came the Senate with the Doctrine of Necessity, a novel term at the time in our political lexicon. The Doctrine of Necessity is the basis on which extra-legal actions by state actors, which are designed to restore order, are found to be constitutional. It is used to define and validate extra-constitutional issues and actions that fall outside the purview of the constitution, but which are necessary to preserve political stability, as it did for Nigeria at the time.

THE story of corruption in Nigeria has become like the story of tortoise in most Nigerian folklore. Everyday when Nigerians wake up, they are eagerly waiting for the release of next list of names of allegedly corrupt government officials and politicians; be it Dasukigate (the list of persons and companies allegedly involved in the stealing/sharing of the $2.1 Billion meant to fight Boko Haram), the alleged fraud in the Ministry of Defence (which I refer to as Defencegate), particularly the one against the top officials of the Nigeria Air Force, or the alleged fraud at NIMASA or the alleged fraud in Nigeria Customs Service or even the one at the National Broadcasting Commission.

OUR leaders are masters at conditioning, and thus have taken us all for granted for so much since after 1970.They have mastered the art of forcing very hard situations upon us, in a way that when they prescribe their solution, they make old things appear new, and we are left with no options than to clamour and beg for it, whereas there is nothing new under heaven, even in Nigeria.