I try as hard as possible not to be pessimistic because I have never thought or believed that creating a Nigerian nation would be easy; I have always known that it was going to be a very tough job. But I never really thought that it would be this tough. And what's going on now, which is a subjection of this potentially great country to a clique of military adventurers and a political class that they have completely corrupted - this is really quite appalling. The suffering that they have unleashed on millions of people is quite intolerable.

As our fathers said, you can tell a ripe corn by its look.

Travellers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves

One reason why I am quite angry with what is happening in Nigeria today is that everything has collapsed. If I decide to go back now, there will be so many problems - where will I find the physical therapy and other things that I now require?

When a man is at peace with his gods and ancestors, his harvest will be good or bad according to the strength of his arm.

Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am - and what I need - is something I have to find out myself.

I think not just Nigeria but I think the whole of Africa has to turn back to the rural areas and that's where the majority of the citizens are and that's where the engine of of development has to be found.