In an interview with the Punch newspaper on 30th November 2013, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, a great nationalist, a two-time former Commisioner of Education of the old Western Region, a former Governor of Oyo state, one of our few remaining elderstatesman and a man that played a prominent role in the politics of both the First and Second republics said the following-

It is not often that I am left speechless and at a loss for words. Yet this is how I felt yesterday as my friend and brother Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo state took me on a 5 hour personal tour of his state and showed me some of his landmark achievements. As they say, seeing is believing.

Eagles do not hide when they see a storm gathering, lions do not retreat when the enemy threatens and kings do not run when they hear the sound of battle. Rather the eagle flies boldly into the eye of the storm without a trace of fear but with power, majesty, grace and passion. The lion rises and roars with courage and strength as his adversary approaches. The king does not yield one inch of the field to the marauding enemy but rather he gallantly and boldly leads his captains and princes into the most bitter part of the battle. This surely is our calling and the essence of our lives.

''Do people shape society or does society shape people?'' This is the question of the century and my answer is as follows. The sheer power of vision, creativity and strength that the human mind harbours and is capable of harnessing is truly remarkable. If properly channeled and developed it does not only have the potential of shaping sociey but it can also change it and alter destinies. This ethos and philosophy is well enunciated in William Ernest Henley's 19th century poem (which happens to be one of my favourites) titled ''Invictus''. It's most famous line where he confidently asserts that ''I am the captain of my ship, I am the master of my soul'' resonates deeply with me.

Nigeria is in the grip of fascism again. The G7 governors met at the Kano states governors lodge last night in Abuja. As they were holding their meeting the DPO of Asokoro police station burst in with his men and tried to stop them from meeting citing ''orders from above''.

In Nigeria politics and the power game is a terrible business which, more often than not, comes with pain, anguish, humiliation, hardship, death and tragedy for those who reach the top. It is rather like playing Russian roulette. Let us look at the facts.

The word of God is immutable and unassailable and He is faithful to keep it to the very end. If I know nothing else, this I know to be true. I know that scripture cannot be broken and that whether we live or die tomorrow is in the hands of God alone. I also know that injustice and deceit can never last and that persecution only fuels dissent. There comes a time in the life of a man when he must be a man and stand up and speak the truth, even where others are too timid and intimidated to do so. And he must do this in the knowledge that whatever the price that he may have to pay, whether it be assassination, arrest, detention, harassment, persecution, prosecution or utter destruction, he is ready to pay that price and take the glory and the honour that goes with it.

I was born on October 16th in the year of our Lord 1960 and consequently I celebrated my 53rd birthday last week wednesday. It was a quiet low-key affair in which, as is customary with me, I spent most of the day in fasting, prayer and sober reflection, surrounded by my loved ones, thanking the Lord for granting me yet another year of life and for delivering me from the hands of my numerous detractors and enemies.

Permit me to begin this contribution with the words of Senator Femi Okorounmu who is the Chairman of the President's Advisory Commitee on the National Conference. In the February 12th edition of the National Mirror Newspaper he said the following about President Goodluck Jonathan-

I have immense respect for Senator Femi Okunromu, Professor Nwabueze (who has since dropped out), Col. Tony Nyiam, Mr. Tony Uranta, Senator Khariat Gwadabe and many of the other members of President Goodluck Jonathan's National Conference Advisory Commitee and I have interacted closely with some of them for the better part of the last 20 years. I can testify to the fact that those of them that I know are honest, decent, serious-minded and credible people who, though I may not agree with all the time, I have tremendous respect and deep affection for.

Last year on June 3rd 2012 there was a plane crash in Nigeria in which over 163 people were killed. The plane was owned by Dana Air. The day before that on June 2nd 2012 a Nigerian cargo plane owned by Kabo Air left our shores and flew to Accra, Ghana where it overshot the runway, crashed into the main road behind the airport and killed many Ghanaian motorists. What made this all the more tragic was the fact that Ghana had never experienced a plane crash at Kotoka International Airport before this incident. It is a pity that it had to be a Nigerian plane, with a Nigerian crew and cargo that had to break that enviable record.