Nigeria, Sept. 19 -- In Ayn Rand's mystery story, the Atlas Shrugged, there is something Nigeria's Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, can absorb: reason.

Rand's 1957 book remains valuable and useful outside the world of her fiction. She argues that reason is helpful for everyone. It is not only needed by a theoretical scientist in his laboratory, but by all of us, at all times. The heroes of Atlas Shrugged are thinkers. They demonstrate an ongoing commitment to understanding their work, themselves and the world around them. They choose their goals and values through thought, never putting their desires above the facts.

That is a useful standard for anyone running a government ministry. Because the government is where good intentions can b...