About eleven days ago, Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Governor of Lagos State was assigned with a higher national responsibility as Minister of Power, Works and Housing. Before this appointment, many people prominent among them, inhabitants of his own Lagos State worked assiduously to truncate the ambition.

The new Minister of Defence, Mr. Muhammed Dan Ali, has made what might be the first official statement by this administration on the new agitation by Biafrans for a separate country. Nigeria, he noted on his initial statement on assuming office as Defence Minister, is buffeted by “many indices of destabilisation.”

Meanwhile, the National Assembly, the Judiciary, the Army, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the EFCC and several critical agencies of the federal government, are in the hands of Northerners also. Certainly, the President cannot dictate the leadership of the federal legislature and the judiciary.

A man was employed to produce pens. His employer set him a target: he had to produce ten pens a day. He also had three regulations: He must be punctual to work. His lunch-breaks must not exceed one hour. He was to entertain no visitors while on the job.

“Yes, all ministries are equal in status, but do not be fooled, some are more strategic and, if you like, ‘juicier’ than others. Consider the top dozen: Justice, Defence, Finance, Interior, Works/Power, Petroleum, Transportation, Education, Agriculture, Communication, Health and FCT. Not one of these did the President allow an Igboman..”