When Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria’s Minister of State (Health) resigned his appointment last month to assume the position of Professor in an American university, President Goodluck Jonathan, was reported to have seen it as evidence that “his star-studded cabinet was attracting global attention”.

On Sunday June 30, 2013, Governor Danbaba Suntai marked his 52nd birthday in far away New York, USA where he is recuperating from the injuries he sustained from a plane crash in October 2012. On the occasion, his deputy, Garba Umar who is currently acting as Governor of the State sent him a goodwill message on behalf of himself and the people of Taraba State.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President of Nigeria lived in the Presidential Villa for 4 years (1999-2003) in the first instance. While seeking reelection in 2003, he left his residence in Abuja for his home in Abeokuta to vote. Could that be a sign of ethnic jingoism?

Some few years back, a bosom friend who wanted to get into partisan politics after retiring from the Federal Public Service pleaded with me to sleep over the subject and come up with the most suitable political party for him. I promptly replied that he had no option but to pitch his tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – the only national political party in Nigeria. Of course until the recent merger arrangements by some groupings, every other Nigerian political party always operated like a small regional party. For me, my friend was too big to swim in any of the little streams when a big river was available.

Like an anniversary celebration, this year’s edition of the annual closure of Nigerian Universities began on Tuesday July 01, 2013. As usual, no one knows when it will end. Indeed, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Dr Nasir Fagge says members of the Union are resolute that, only a complete resolution of the issues at stake would bring the current strike action to an end.