Apart from the presumption of innocence until proven guilty mantra, I have been asking myself what is so heinous or felonious about the agitations of Nigeria's secessionists. Axiomatically, the root motivator of these agitations is entrenched, systemic and protracted injustice plus the desire for political and economic inclusion. Even in modern times, secessionist grumblings have found their chair on the Democratic round table, including the UN, with dignity and aplomb. After several decades of painstaking consultations, debates and research, the United Nations General Assembly in September 2007, comprehensively defined and declared the “Rights Of Indigenous Peoples.” This basket of rights…

This is not a good time to talk about medical doctors, especially when those in the public sector are on strike to press for better conditions of service. But I didn’t choose this encounter; the encounter chose me. And, in any case, my own experience was not at a public hospital. I have heard of all sorts of patient-doctor stories before and taken a good many with a pinch of salt. Too often, we hardly get to hear of the extraordinary courage and devotion of doctors and other medical personnel who give so much under extremely difficult - and even…