Many Nigerians are somewhat disappointed with some of the ministerial match-ups Acting President Jonathan Goodluck made of his ministers designate? Principal among this is his retention of Professor Dora Akunyili in the Ministry of Information; a lady whose can-do-spirit and proven track record would have been more beneficiary used in a more essential ministry to the benefit of Nigerians. Icheoku had advocated for Dora to be sent to the Ministry of Power to give Nigeria the power (light) that have eluded them for so long. But the acting president knows best why she had to be kept in her old ministry, but no reason cuts it for Icheoku as she would have been better utilized where her impact could be felt more? Also the Justice Ministry remained with a Benue State indigene which makes it highly improbable that the atrocities of Micheal Aondonkaa will ever see the light of the day; protected by a kinsman new Attorney General and another Benue stork in the person of the Chief Justice? Needless to add that the head of the EFCC is also from Benue State? Also Icheoku had thought that the joker of a female foreign minister would have been thrown up by Jonathan, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, to hob-nob with America's Hillary Clinton, Mexico's own female foreign minster and other countries that have elevated women amongst their society? But that opportunity was lost with the appointment of a male foreign minister with a jaw-breaking last name that no foreign press would be interested in attempting to pronounce, cover or interview? What a paradox that the hope and change Nigerians thought that Jonathan represented was afterall a ruse, as he has once again proved himself to be the company-man he has always been known as with these ministerial assignments? Of all the six political zones, the South-East seemed short-changed most as they did not get any key ministry except Internal Affairs? External Affairs, Defence, Justice, Finance, Federal Capital Territory, Petroleum, Agriculture and Works & Housing all went to the other five zones? The entire South East zone got a combined total of four ministers only, which begs the question when shall the entrenched marginalization of the zone ever end? Icheoku hopes the Acting President Jonathan Goodluck will redress this imbalance when he fills the Ministry of Power, Health and Water Resources; otherwise the South East should know that they have no inheritance in the house of Jonathan. However, Icheoku is impressed with the redistribution of power out of the Katsina-Kano axis; and also for decentralizing the oil/gas apparatus of control between the north and the south, with a Southern Minister of Petroleum and a northern Group Managing Director of NNPC. It is called fairness and inclusiveness, as the northern Hausa-Fulani alone do not own Nigeria and everything in it. The high profile Minister of Finance comes into office highly regarded in the international financial circle; Icheoku wishes him well and pray that the local bureaucracy will not sabotage his vision for a Nigeria finally on course. Be that as it may, Icheoku is, over-all, satisfied with the caliber of men and women chosen to serve in this reconstituted cabinet. We hope that he will tweak it a little bit to fix noted glitches particularly his wrong choice of ministry for Professor Dora Akunyili? Icheoku had thought that Acting President Jonathan Goodluck would have used this opportunity to correct the anomaly of a Ministry of Information posted Dora Akunyili, but no; instead he sustained the status-quo and re-posted her thereto, in a strange case of continuing her under-utilization and thereby not unleashing her potential ability - a case of a square peg forced into a round hole? Otherwise in the future, Icheoku would rather cabinet-nominees are attached to their designated portfolios respectively, before they go to the senate for confirmation. That way, the wider body will determine whether or not any minister-nominee is a good fit for his/her designated ministry and cause changes to be made where needed, as obtains in more civilized and better functioning countries of the world. Anyway, we wish Jonathan well and hope he can make some positive impact with this cabinet and within the very short period of time left of his Yar'Adua-Goodluck administration! Goodluck to you Mr Goodluck!
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Christy 'Apena' Essien-Igbokwe , the wife of Jegede Shokoya of the New Masquerade and Nigeria's lady of songs is dead; she was 51years old. Although her family claimed that "brief Illness" killed her like so many Nigerians; Icheoku retorts that it was most likely AKwa Ibom voodoo and remote control that was used to arrest her. It is on record that she had fallen out with the governor of her native Akwa Ibiom State and have been having a relentless war for political turf with the governor? So who knows whether she was sacrificed to Ekpe cult or even Alusi-Okija as an offal; afterall African science is still very much alive and portent. May her soul rest in peace.
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