THERE is no doubt that Nigeria is in the grip of its worst crisis ever. That is after the pogrom of the Nigerian civil war. What happened in Kano on Friday, January 20, 2012 when nearly 200 Nigerians were murdered in a spate of suicide bombings targeted against offices of security agencies is clearly unacceptable and fully underscored the worsening security situation in the country.

IT is generally acknowledged in Nigeria and indeed everywhere that the law court is the last hope of the common man. After a serious analysis of who this common man is, one comes to the conclusion that he is the highly and lowly placed in the society who comes to the temple of justice to seek redress.

AS an ardent reader of a column written by a former Southeast governor published every Saturday in a national newspaper allegedly owned by the former governor, the first thing I do Saturday morning is log on and read the column.

Clean up the business — In the months (or even years) before the sale process begins, it is essential to take a long, hard, look at all aspects of the business. In the interests of boosting profitability: Consider whether margins could be lifted; Can non-business expenses be reduced at the expense of long term relationships? Can expenditure with a long term payback, such as advertising, be deferred? Non-business or surplus assets should be disposed of.

THE unabating threat to the body fabric of the nation plumbed new depths last Friday with the carnage wreaked in the ancient city of Kano, northern Nigeria.