Nigeria, Jan. 27 -- The celebrated British author, Jeffrey Archer, on July 4, 1993, published a bestseller titled Honour Among Thieves. The novel takes its roots from a phrasal pithy saying. The phrase, honour among thieves', on the surface, underscores the fact that among dishonest and dishonourable people, there are sets of rules and principles which are considered sacrosanct, and all must respect.

A deeper analysis of the phrase takes us to the level where we understand that members of the underworld or those involved in one despicable act or the other always find a means to project one another in positive ways. This tendency is not limited to individuals or groups. Nations and international bodies on the various politico-economic di...