STATE OF THE NATION I

At times you have to leave "Nigeria" for those who would die if they don't control "Nigeria" - & face your business.If controlling the center improved living standards, I'd be bothered - but it doesn't. It just makes a few & their families rich. The Niger Delta is saddled with an environmental disaster that will take 30 years to deal with - irrespective of whether they control Abuja. The North probably has serious human development issues - this is irrespective of whether they control the center or not.

The South East has to deal with issues like erosion and competition for land - this is irrespective of whether they control Abuja or not. The South West is many ways, the "one-eyed man in the land of the blind", but that is little consolation in a nation with no direction.

They say "an Englishman cannot open his mouth without another Englishman despising him". Applies to Nigeria too. Speak, nonetheless.

The Works budget (in a good year) is around $1 billion, SURE-P isn't much more. There's a limit to the infrastructure the FG can build. As the population grows & crude revenues/capita continue to drop, the relevance of the federal government is assured.

There's a governor (I won't mention names) - he's been running around looking for funding for irrigation &
support for SMEs. What "concessions" can the federal government give your region when the works budget is less than $1 billion. "Concessions" means making a few rich.

Everything Chisco has achieved has been achieved without "his brothers controlling the center", so why should we be worried or bothered?

And no, I'm not voting in the most divisive general elections since independence.