THE recently held International Youth Day Conference in Abuja was an occasion for President Goodluck Jonathan to address economic, political and other issues with specific relevance to the Nigerian youths.

FIGURES from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, show that for 2012, the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, for the 36 states of Nigeria was about N555 billion, out of which the 19 states of the North generated N87 billion or 15 %; the South West generated N261.2 billion or 47%; the South-South accounted for N150 billion or 27% and the South East N45 billion or 8%. In other words, the South generated N 468 or 85 % of the total IGR for 2012.

FOR many football lovers, the mystery fire that gutted the NFF Glass House in Abuja, almost destroying the Accounts Department, has already been tainted as an act of man, not of God, although proper investigations will tell us which is which.

NIGERIA’S former military dictator, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida recently attained the age of 73, and he chose to celebrate it by dwelling on national issues such as states creation, insecurity, politics and of course general state of the nation. While I relished IBB’S interview in two newspapers, Thisday and Daily Trust, I however took exception to his view about state creation, mostly as it concerns the South East.

ALL truly concerned stakeholders, honest observers and indeed, dispassionate analysts, are already dilating on not only who takes the baton from incumbent Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, but how he/she will emerge as preparations gather momentum by the day.