THE OBASANJO LETTER TO BUHARI: YOUR TIME IN ASO ROCK IS UP.

"Since we are still in the month of January, it is appropriate to wish all Nigerians Happy 2018.  I am constrained to issue this special statement at this time considering the situation of the country.  Some of you may be asking, “What has brought about this special occasion of Obasanjo issuing a Special Statement?” You will be right to ask such a question.  But there is a Yoruba saying that ‘when lice abound in your clothes, your fingernails will never be dried of blood’.  When I was in the village, to make sure that lice die, you put them between two fingernails and press hard to ensure they die and they always leave blood stains on the fingernails.  To ensure you do not have blood on your fingernails, you have to ensure that lice are not harboured anywhere within your vicinity. 

The lice of poor performance in government - poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condonation of misdeed - if not outright encouragement of it, lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality - are very much with us today. With such lice of general and specific poor performance and crying poverty with us, our fingers will not be dry of ‘blood’. 

Four years ago when my PDP card was torn, I made it abundantly clear that I quit partisan politics for aye but my concern and interest in Nigeria, Africa and indeed in humanity would not wane.  Ever since, I have adhered strictly to that position.  Since that time, I have devoted quality time to the issue of zero hunger as contained in Goal No. 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.  We have set the target that Nigeria with the participating States in the Zero Hunger Forum should reach Zero Hunger goal by 2025 - five years earlier than the UN target date.  I am involved in the issue of education in some States and generally in the issue of youth empowerment and employment.  I am involved in all these domestically and altruistically to give hope and future to the seemingly hopeless and those in despair.  I believe strongly that God has endowed Nigeria so adequately that no Nigerian should be either in want or in despair. 

I believe in teamwork and collaborative efforts.  At the international level, we have worked with other world leaders to domicile the apparatus for monitoring and encouraging socio-economic progress in Africa in our Presidential Library. The purpose of Africa Progress Group, which is the new name assumed by Africa Progress Panel (APP), is to point out where, when and what works need to be done for the progress of Africa separately and collectively by African leaders and their development partners.  I have also gladly accepted the invitation of the UN Secretary-General to be a member of his eighteen-member High-Level Board of Advisers on Mediation.  There are other assignments I take up in other fora for Africa and for the international community.  For Africa to move forward, Nigeria must be one of the anchor countries, if not the leading anchor country.  It means that Nigeria must be good at home to be good outside.  No doubt, our situation in the last decade or so had shown that we are not good enough at home; hence we are invariably absent at the table that we should be abroad. 

All these led me to take the unusual step of going against my own political Party, PDP, in the last general election to support the opposite side.  I saw that action as the best option for Nigeria.  As it has been revealed in the last three years or so, that decision and the subsequent collective decision of Nigerians to vote for a change was the right decision for the nation.  For me, there was nothing personal, it was all in the best interest of Nigeria and, indeed, in the best interest of Africa and humanity at large.  Even the horse rider then, with whom I maintain very cordial, happy and social relationship today has come to realise his mistakes and regretted it publicly and I admire his courage and forthrightness in this regard.  He has a role to play on the side line for the good of Nigeria, Africa and humanity and I will see him as a partner in playing such a role nationally and internationally, but not as a horse rider in Nigeria again. 

The situation that made Nigerians to vote massively to get my brother Jonathan off the horse is playing itself out again.  First, I thought I knew the point where President Buhari is weak and I spoke and wrote about it even before Nigerians voted for him and I also did vote for him because at that time it was a matter of “any option but Jonathan” (aobj).  But my letter to President Jonathan titled: “Before It Is Too Late” was meant for him to act before it was too late.  He ignored it and it was too late for him and those who goaded him into ignoring the voice of caution.  I know that praise-singers and hired attackers may be raised up against me for verbal or even physical attack but if I can withstand undeserved imprisonment and was ready to shed my blood by standing for Nigeria, I will consider no sacrifice too great to make for the good of Nigeria at any time.  No human leader is expected to be personally strong or self-sufficient in all aspects of governance. 

I knew President Buhari before he became President and said that he is weak in the knowledge and understanding of the economy but I thought that he could make use of good Nigerians in that area that could help.  Although, I know that you cannot give what you don’t have and that economy does not obey military order.  You have to give it what it takes in the short-, medium- and long-term.  Then, it would move. I know his weakness in understanding and playing in the foreign affairs sector and again, there are many Nigerians that could be used in that area as well. They have knowledge and experience that could be deployed for the good of Nigeria.  There were serious allegations of round-tripping against some inner caucus of the Presidency which would seem to have been condoned.  I wonder if such actions do not amount to corruption and financial crime, then what is it?  Culture of condonation and turning blind eye will cover up rather than clean up.  And going to justice must be with clean hands. 

I thought President Buhari would fight corruption and insurgency and he must be given some credit for his achievement so far in these two areas although it is not yet uhuru! The herdsmen/crop farmers issue is being wittingly or unwittingly allowed to turn sour and messy.  It is no credit to the Federal Government that the herdsmen rampage continues with careless abandon and without finding an effective solution to it.  And it is a sad symptom of insensitivity and callousness that some Governors, a day after 73 victims were being buried in a mass grave in Benue State without condolence, were jubilantly endorsing President Buhari for a second term!  The timing was most unfortunate. The issue of herdsmen/crop farmers dichotomy should not be left on the political platform of blame game; the Federal Government must take the lead in bringing about solution that protects life and properties of herdsmen and crop farmers alike and for them to live amicably in the same community. 

But there are three other areas where President Buhari has come out more glaringly than most of us thought we knew about him.  One is nepotic deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court.  This has grave consequences on performance of his government to the detriment of the nation.  It would appear that national interest was being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest.  What does one make of a case like that of Maina: collusion, condonation, ineptitude, incompetence, dereliction of responsibility or kinship and friendship on the part of those who should have taken visible and deterrent disciplinary action?  How many similar cases are buried, ignored or covered up and not yet in the glare of the media and the public? 

The second is his poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics.  This has led to wittingly or unwittingly making the nation more divided and inequality has widened and become more pronounced.  It also has effect on general national security.  The third is passing the buck.  For instance, blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for devaluation of the naira by 70% or so and blaming past governments for it, is to say the least, not accepting one’s own responsibility.  Let nobody deceive us, economy feeds on politics and because our politics is depressing, our economy is even more depressing today.  If things were good, President Buhari would not need to come in.  He was voted to fix things that were bad and not engage in the blame game.   Our Constitution is very clear, one of the cardinal responsibilities of the President is the management of the economy of which the value of the naira forms an integral part. Kinship and friendship that place responsibility for governance in the hands of the unelected can only be deleterious to good government and to the nation. 

President Buhari’s illness called for the sympathy, understanding, prayer and patience from every sane Nigerian.  It is part of our culture.  Most Nigerians prayed for him while he was away sick in London for over hundred days and he gave his Deputy sufficient leeway to carry on in his absence. We all thanked God for President Buhari for coming back reasonably hale and hearty and progressing well in his recovery.  But whatever may be the state of President Buhari’s health today, he should neither over-push his luck nor over-tax the patience and tolerance of Nigerians for him, no matter what his self-serving, so-called advisers, who would claim that they love him more than God loves him and that without him, there would be no Nigeria say. 

President Buhari needs a dignified and honourable dismount from the horse. He needs to have time to reflect, refurbish physically and recoup and after appropriate rest, once again, join the stock of Nigerian leaders whose experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the sideline for the good of the country.  His place in history is already assured.  Without impaired health and strain of age, running the affairs of Nigeria is a 25/7 affair, not 24/7. 

I only appeal to brother Buhari to consider a deserved rest at this point in time and at this age.  I continue to wish him robust health to enjoy his retirement from active public service.  President Buhari does not necessarily need to heed my advice.  But whether or not he heeds it, Nigeria needs to move on and move forward. 

I have had occasion in the past to say that the two main political parties – APC and PDP – were wobbling.  I must reiterate that nothing has happened to convince me otherwise.  If anything, I am reinforced in my conviction.  The recent show of PDP must give grave and great concern to lovers of Nigeria.  To claim, as has been credited to the chief kingmaker of PDP, that for procuring the Supreme Court judgement for his faction of the Party, he must dictate the tune all the way and this is indeed fraught with danger.  If neither APC nor PDP is a worthy horse to ride to lead Nigeria at this crucial and critical time, what then do we do?  Remember Farooq Kperogi, an Associate Professor at the Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States, calls it “a cruel Hobson’s choice; it’s like a choice between six and half a dozen, between evil and evil. Any selection or deflection would be a distinction without a difference.”  We cannot just sit down lamenting and wringing our hands desperately and hopelessly. 

I believe the situation we are in today is akin to what and where we were in at the beginning of this democratic dispensation in 1999.  The nation was tottering.  People became hopeless and saw no bright future in the horizon.  It was all a dark cloud politically, economically and socially.  The price of oil at that time was nine dollars per barrel and we had a debt overhang of about $35 billion. Most people were confused with lack of direction in the country.  One of the factors that saved the situation was a near government of national unity that was put in place to navigate us through the dark cloud.  We had almost all hands on deck.  We used people at home and from the diaspora and we navigated through the dark cloud of those days.  At that time, most people were hopelessly groping in the dark.  They saw no choice, neither in the left nor in the right, and yet we were not bereft of people at home and from the diaspora that could come  togetherto make Nigeria truly a land flowing with milk and honey.  Where we are is a matter of choice but we can choose differently to make a necessary and desirable change, once again. 

Wherever I go, I hear Nigerians complaining, murmuring in anguish and anger.  But our anger should not be like the anger of the cripple.  We can collectively save ourselves from the position we find ourselves.  It will not come through self-pity, fruitless complaint or protest but through constructive and positive engagement and collective action for the good of our nation and ourselves and our children and their children. We need moral re-armament and engaging togetherness of people of like-mind and goodwill to come solidly together to lift Nigeria up. This is no time for trading blames or embarking on futile argument and neither should we accept untenable excuses for non-performance.  Let us accept that the present administration has done what it can do to the limit of its ability, aptitude and understanding. Let the administration and its political party platform agree with the rest of us that what they have done and what they are capable of doing is not good enough for us. 

They have given as best as they have and as best as they can give.  Nigeria deserves and urgently needs better than what they have given or what we know they are capable of giving.  To ask them to give more will be unrealistic and will only sentence Nigeria to a prison term of four years if not destroy it beyond the possibility of an early recovery and substantial growth.  Einstein made it clear to us that doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the height of folly. Already, Nigerians are committing suicide for the unbearable socio-economic situation they find themselves in.  And yet Nigerians love life.  We must not continue to reinforce failure and hope that all will be well.  It is self-deceit and self-defeat and another aspect of folly. 

What has emerged from the opposition has shown no better promise from their antecedents.  As the leader of that Party for eight years as President of Nigeria, I can categorically say there is nothing to write home about in their new team.  We have only one choice left to take us out of Egypt to the promised land.  And that is the coalition of the concerned and the willing - ready for positive and drastic change, progress and involvement.  Change that will give hope and future to all our youth and dignity and full participation to all our women. Our youth should be empowered to deploy their ability to learn, innovate and work energetically at ideas and concepts in which they can make their own original inputs.  Youth must be part of the action today and not relegated to leadership of tomorrow which may never come.  Change that will mean enhancement of living standard and progress for all.  A situation where the elected will accountably govern and every Nigerian will have equal opportunity not based on kinship and friendship but based on free citizenship. 

Democracy is sustained and measured not by leaders doing extra-ordinary things, (invariably, leaders fail to do ordinary things very well), but by citizens rising up to do ordinary things extra-ordinarily well.  Our democracy, development and progress at this juncture require ordinary citizens of Nigeria to do the extra-ordinary things of changing the course and direction of our lackluster performance and development.  If leadership fails, citizens must not fail and there lies the beauty and importance of democracy.  We are challenged by the current situation; we must neither adopt spirit of cowardice nor timidity let alone impotence but must be sustained by courage, determination and commitment to say and do and to persist until we achieve upliftment for Nigeria.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained and we believe that our venturing will not be in vain.  God of Nigeria has endowed this country adequately and our non-performance cannot be blamed on God but on leadership.  God, who has given us what we need and which is potentially there, will give us leadership enablement to actualize our potentiality. 

The development and modernization of our country and society must be anchored and sustained on dynamic Nigerian culture, enduring values and an enchanting Nigerian dream.  We must have abiding faith in our country and its role and place within the comity of nations.  Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck.  All hands of men and women of goodwill must be on deck.  We need all hands to move our country forward. 

We need a Coalition for Nigeria, CN. Such a Movement at this juncture needs not be a political party but one to which all well-meaning Nigerians can belong.  That Movement must be a coalition for democracy, good governance, social and economic well-being and progress.  Coalition to salvage and redeem our country.  You can count me with such a Movement.  Last time, we asked, prayed and worked for change and God granted our request.  This time, we must ask, pray and work for change with unity, security and progress. And God will again grant us.  Of course, nothing should stop such a Movement from satisfying conditions for fielding candidates for elections.  But if at any stage the Movement wishes to metamorphose into candidate-sponsoring Movement for elections, I will bow out of the Movement because I will continue to maintain my non-partisan position.  Coalition for Nigeria must have its headquarters in Abuja. 

This Coalition for Nigeria will be a Movement that will drive Nigeria up and forward.  It must have a pride of place for all Nigerians, particularly for our youth and our women.  It is a coalition of hope for all Nigerians for speedy, quality and equal development, security, unity, prosperity and progress.  It is a coalition to banish poverty, insecurity and despair.  Our country must not be oblivious to concomitant danger around, outside and ahead.  Coalition for Nigeria must be a Movement to break new ground in building a united country, a socially-cohesive and moderately prosperous society with equity, equality of opportunity, justice and a dynamic and progressive economy that is self-reliant and takes active part in global division of labour and international decision-making. 

The Movement must work out the path of development and the trajectory of development in speed, quality and equality in the short- medium- and long-term for Nigeria on the basis of sustainability, stability, predictability, credibility, security, cooperation and prosperity with diminishing inequality.  What is called for is love, commitment and interest in our country, not in self, friends and kinship alone but particularly love, compassion and interest in the poor, underprivileged and downtrodden.  It is our human duty and responsibility so to do.  Failure to do this will amount to a sin against God and a crime against humanity. 

Some may ask, what does Obasanjo want again?  Obasanjo has wanted nothing other than the best for Nigeria and Nigerians and he will continue to want nothing less.  And if we have the best, we will be contented whether where we live is described as palaces or huts by others and we will always give thanks to God. 

I, therefore, will gladly join such a Movement when one is established as Coalition for Nigeria, CN, taking Nigeria to the height God has created it to be.  From now on, the Nigeria eagle must continue to soar and fly high.  CN, as a Movement, will be new, green, transparent and must remain clean and always active, selflessly so.  Members must be ready to make sacrifice for the nation and pay the price of being pioneers and good Nigerians for our country to play the God-assigned role for itself, for its neighbours, for its sub-region of West Africa, for its continent and for humanity in general.  For me, the strength and sustainable success of CN will derive largely from the strong commitment of a population that is constantly mobilized to the rallying platform of the fact that going forward together is our best option for building a nation that will occupy its deserved place in the global community.  May God continue to lead, guide and protect us.  Amen."

FULANI TERRORISTS OF NIGERIA: A VERY METHODICAL AND TACTICAL FOE.

ICHEOKU says it has been a long way in coming as this very little and otherwise negligible percentage of Nigerian population has been lording it over everybody, through their adept divide and conquer strategic tactics. It is simply an unimaginable disaster that a mere 6% of the population is controlling 180 million people and you wonder whether the rest of the people are dumb or are under a magical spell which has prevented them from seeking their freedom from this marauding wanderers. 

Their art of using others to fight their wars of conquer and domination is rather legendary; and the evidence is there for everyone to see. From the way they have made so much progress in successfully controlling the entire society, to their unbridled lies and clever manipulation of the people as they cover up their tracts. A people who are just a mere 10.8 million of the 180 million people that make up the Nigerian population, but controls practically everything, from the presidency to the dog catcher in the country, calls for some serious action by the rest of the people to either protest their domination or rise up to stop and push them out. 

As far as ICHEOKU is concerned, the Fulani is a minority tribe in Nigeria and should therefore not be allowed or permitted to dictate to anyone, especially not to the majority tribes of Nigeria. So it is about time the rest of Nigerians ask themselves a very pertinent question, whether their continuing playing possum in the face of these Fulani wanderers atrocious overrun of the country is in anyone's best interest. Is this a poison which they gladly want to take and perpetually partake of; or is it about time they assert themselves and established the rightful pecking order among the various tribes and nations in the society. 

First, they crept in from their Futa Djallon highlands into Sokoto; rebelled against their host Sokoto Hausa Kingdom and captured the formerly Hausa of Sokoto. They used their as their beach-head to fight ahead in overrunning the rest of Northern Nigeria, successfully supplanting their religion and traditions; and forcefully imposed their foreign Islamism on them. During the Biafran civil war, they once again cashed in on their vassal Middle Belt to do the dirty laundry for them, fighting a war against their technical closer brothers and sisters just a few miles down to their South and on behalf of strangers several hundreds of miles away in Sokoto Caliphate. 

Now their latest weapon of warfare, in their yet to formally declare war of domination against the South and Christians alike in the country, is the use of their nomadic cattle rearers or rather terrorists, masquerading as cattle men or herdsmen. First they went into Nassarawa State to purge the State of its Eggon non Fulani community. They were successfully resisted by the native Ombatse cult which fought them to nearly a standstill, until they conspired with the government to send in security forces to kill the leader of Ombaste cult, leading to their effectively routing the indigenous people and firmly implanted their stranglehold on the State. 

From there they moved across into Benue State using the same tactic of isolate the arrowhead resistance and take him out; and through their newly installed Governor Samuel Ortom, they successfully took out the youth leader whose militia has been starving off their incursion. The militia's resistance was fiery and the Fulani were losing all the battles against the local vigilantes, until they strong-armed the governor into tracking down the militia leader. He was summarily executed by the  security forces, thus paving the way for the Fulani free reign in Benue State today. 

Then they turned their sights to the agricultural rich Southeast towns of Nimbo Nise and Anam where tens of people were slaughtered. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB rose up to say enough and effectively mobilized the people to stand their ground and resist the Fulani incursion. But the Fulani blackmailed Southeast governors into proscribing IPOB, leading to the eventual kidnap and disappearance of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Recall that several hundreds were slaughtered prior to this eclipse descending on the IPOB. Today, the entire Southeast is jittery about what probable next move those Fulani marauders could make against them, in their ever evolving chess game against the entire country. The Fulani trouble makers tried the same divide and conquer ploy against the Yoruba Southwest by splitting OPC into two factions, between Fasheun and Adams, in their attempt to weaken them for an easy run-over. 

But the Yoruba people seemed to have successfully outmaneuvered them by recognizing Ganiyu Adams and elevating him to the generalissimo of Yoruba land, their Aare Ona Kakanfo. As things stand now, it will be very difficult if not impossible for the Fulani maga dogs to do anything stupid in Yoruba land with an identified and fully empowered Aare Ona Kakanfo, effectively standing in their way and ready to take the fight to them. Too short of a formal declaration of full war, whatever they throw at the Yorubas will be reciprocated in kind to them. But whether the Fulani people are ready and prepared to go the full hog, knowing their current despicable and nauseating standing before the rest of Nigerians is another matter all together. In the Southsouth, MEND and Avengers have been completely decimated, all in their attempt to weaken the people, capture and subjugate the entire Niger Delta people. 

So who in Nigeria or which tribe or people or nation in Nigeria still stands a chance faced with the Fulani people alone and unaided; and in such a divided place without such incoherent strategy against the more formidable wickedness personified that is the Fulani people. ICHEOKU says if the rest of Nigerians are not united, in one mission to regain and reclaim their honor, against this existential danger and threat to a continuing Nigeria unity that is the Fulani people, they will pay a big price for their complacency. It will only be a matter of time before the Fulani will completely overrun Nigeria if Nigerians fail to wake up now to push back and fight back. Nobody goes to bed with a snake, no matter how innocuous; but for a snake that has repeatedly bitten someone, then do the math. 

Other nationalities in Nigeria must develop a united strategy to form a bulwark against the Fulani incursion and their current hostile attempt to completely take over Nigeria. They must form themselves into a coalition of the willing to resist and fight back the Fulani such that an attack on one is considered an attack on all, inviting a reciprocal attack by all. Only this and this only will stop the ever cunning Fulani, who are as vicious as they are strategic, from totally and completely overrunning the entire geographical real estate known as Nigeria; and imposing their way of life and ancient Islamic religion and sharia law on everyone. 

The time to act to stop them has since come and any further dithering or wish washy approach by other Nigerians will only embolden and make the Fulani people more determined to mission accomplish on their objective to completely rout and take over Nigeria. Enough of accommodating and tolerating their evil intentions and activities, as well as mayhem in Nigeria. If they want war, they should get war; otherwise they must pull back their foot-soldiers from the fields in Nigeria and order them to cease and desist from all further bloodshed in Nigeria. Enough of their plundering of the land and enough of the running away.

POPE NOW UNDERSTANDS TRUMP: KUDOS.

ICHEOKU says President Donald John Trump, the man who saw tomorrow, has a new ally. Pope Francis has finally seen the light on what the president has been talking about for nearly two years now. The Holy See has now come to appreciate what PDJT went through in the hands of purveyors of Fake News, which unfortunately is continuing till today. The pope called them evil and compared them to the Biblical garden of Eden's serpent, which fed Eve with Fake News about what will happen if she and Adam ate of the forbidden fruit. 

ICHEOKU commends the pope for finally turning around the corner. Well done papa for calling out the likes of CNN and co. Bravo Papa.

PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP: AMERICA'S CHIEF CHEERLEADER.

"I believe in America. As President of the United States, I will always put America First. Just like the leaders of other countries should put their respective countries first. But America First does not mean America alone. So together, let us resolve to use our power, our resources, and our voices, not just for ourselves, but for our people—to lift their burdens, to raise their hopes, and to empower their dreams. To protect their families, their communities, their histories, and their futures. A nation’s greatness is more than the sum of its production – a nation’s greatness is the sum of its citizens: The values, pride, love, devotion and character of the people who call that nation home." - President Donald John Trump, Davos 2018.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADDRESS.

Thank you very much. 

It’s a privilege to be here at this forum where leaders in business, science, art, diplomacy and world affairs have gathered for many years to discuss how we can advance prosperity, security and peace. 

I am here today to represent the interests of the American People, and to affirm America’s friendship and partnership in building a better world. Like all nations represented at this forum, America hopes for a future in which everyone can prosper, and every child can grow up free from violence, poverty, and fear. 

Over the past year, we have made extraordinary strides in the United States. We are lifting up forgotten communities, creating exciting new opportunities, and helping every American find their path to the American Dream—the dream of a great job, a safe home, and a better life for their children. 

After years of stagnation, the United States is once again experiencing strong economic growth. The stock market is smashing one record after another, and has added more than $7 trillion in new wealth since my election. 

Consumer confidence, business confidence, and manufacturing confidence are the highest they have been in decades. 

Since my election, we’ve created 2.4 million jobs. Small business optimism is at an all-time high. New unemployment claims are near the lowest we’ve seen in almost half a century. African American unemployment has reached the lowest rate EVER RECORDED in the United States. So has unemployment among Hispanic Americans. 

The world is witnessing the resurgence of a strong and prosperous America. 

I am here to deliver a simple message: There has never been a better time to hire, to build, to invest and to grow in the United States. AMERICA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND WE ARE COMPETITIVE ONCE AGAIN. 

The American economy is by far the largest in the world and we’ve just enacted the most significant tax cuts and reform IN AMERICAN HISTORY. 

We massively cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses to let working families keep more of their hard-earned money. 

We lowered our corporate tax rate from 35 percent, all the way down to 21 percent. As a result, millions of workers have received tax cut bonuses from their employers in amounts as large as three thousand dollars. The tax cut bill is expected to raise the average American’s household income by more than four thousand dollars. 

And the world’s largest company, Apple, announced it will bring $245 BILLION DOLLARS in overseas profits home to America. Their total investment into the United States economy will be more than $350 billion over the next five years. 

Now is the perfect time to bring your business, your jobs, and your investments to the United States of America. 

This is especially true because we have undertaken the most extensive regulatory reduction EVER CONCEIVED. Regulation is stealth taxation. In the United States, like in many countries, unelected bureaucrats have imposed crushing anti-business and anti-worker regulations on our citizens with no vote, no legislative debate, and no real accountability. 

In America, those days are OVER. 

I pledged to eliminate two unnecessary regulations for every one new regulation. We have succeeded beyond our highest expectations. Instead of two-for-one, we have cut TWENTY-TWO burdensome regulations for every ONE new rule. 

We are freeing our businesses and workers so they can thrive and flourish as never before. We are creating an environment that ATTRACTS capital, INVITES investment, and REWARDS production. America is the place to do business – so come to America where you can INNOVATE, CREATE and BUILD. 

I believe in America. As President of the United States, I will always put America First. Just like the leaders of other countries should put their countries first. 

But America First does not mean America alone. 

When the United States grows, so does the world. American prosperity has created countless jobs around the globe and the drive for excellence, creativity and innovation in the United States has led to important discoveries that help people everywhere live more prosperous and healthier lives. 

As the United States pursues domestic reforms to unleash jobs and growth, we are also working to reform the international trading system so that it promotes broadly-shared prosperity and rewards those who play by the rules. 

We cannot have free and open trade if some countries exploit the system at the expense of others. We support free trade, but it needs to be FAIR and RECIPROCAL.

Because in the end, unfair trade undermines us all. 

The United States will no longer turn a blind eye to unfair economic practices, including massive intellectual property theft, industrial subsidies, and pervasive state-led economic planning. These and other predatory behaviors are distorting global markets and harming businesses and workers—not just in the United States, but around the globe. 

Just like we expect the leaders of other countries to protect their interests, as President of the United States, I will always protect the interests of our country, our companies, and our workers. 

We will enforce our trade laws and restore integrity to the trading system. 

Only by insisting on FAIR and RECIPROCAL trade can we create a system that works not just for the United States but for all nations. 

As I have said, the United States is prepared to negotiate mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreements with all countries. This includes the countries in TPP 11, which are very important. We have agreements with several of them already. We would consider negotiating with the rest, either individually, or perhaps as a group, if it is in all of our interests. 

My administration is also taking swift action in other ways to restore American confidence and independence. We are lifting self-imposed restrictions on energy production to provide affordable power to our citizens and businesses, and to promote ENERGY SECURITY for our friends around the world. NO COUNTRY should be held hostage to a single provider of energy. 

AMERICA IS ROARING BACK – and now is the time to INVEST in the future of America. We have dramatically cut taxes to make America competitive. We are eliminating burdensome regulations at a record pace. We are reforming the bureaucracy to make it lean, responsive and accountable—and we are ensuring our laws are enforced fairly. We have the best colleges and universities in the world, and we have the best WORKERS in the world. Energy is abundant and affordable. There has never been a better time to come to America. 

We are also making historic investments in the American military—because we cannot have prosperity without security. 

To make the world safer from rogue regimes, terrorism, and revisionist powers, we are asking our friends and allies to invest in their own defenses and to meet their financial obligations. Our common security requires everyone to contribute their fair share. 

My administration is proud to have led historic efforts, at the United Nations Security Council and around the world, to unite all civilized nations in our campaign of MAXIMUM PRESSURE to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. And we continue to call on partners to confront Iran’s support for terrorists and to block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon. 

We are also working with allies and partners to destroy jihadist terrorist organizations such as ISIS. The United States is leading a broad coalition to deny terrorists control of their territory and populations, to cut off their funding, and to discredit their wicked ideology. I am pleased to report that the Coalition to Defeat ISIS has retaken almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria. There is still more fighting and work to be done to consolidate our gains. And we are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who want to commit mass murder of our citizens. I want to thank those nations represented here today that have joined in these crucial efforts. You are not just securing your own citizens, but saving lives and restoring hope for millions. 

When it comes to terrorism, we will do what is necessary to protect our nation – we will defend our citizens, and our borders. 

We are also securing our immigration system, as a matter of both national and economic security. 

America is a cutting-edge economy, but our immigration system is stuck in the past. 

We must replace our current system of extended-family chain migration with a merit-based system of admissions that selects new arrivals based on their ability to contribute to our economy, to support themselves financially, and to strengthen our country. 

In rebuilding America, we are also fully committed to developing our workforce. We are lifting people from DEPENDENCE to INDEPENDENCE – because we know the single best anti-poverty program is a PAYCHECK. 

To be successful, it is not enough to invest in our economy – we must invest in OUR PEOPLE. 

When people are forgotten, the world becomes fractured. Only by hearing and responding to the voices of the forgotten can we create a bright future that is truly shared by all.

A nation’s greatness is more than the sum of its production – a nation’s greatness is the sum of its citizens: The values, pride, love, devotion and character of the people who call that nation home. 

From my first international G-7 summit, to the G-20, to the U.N. General Assembly, to APEC, to the World Trade Organization, and today at the World Economic Forum, my administration has not only been present, but has driven our message that we are all stronger when free and sovereign Nations cooperate toward shared goals—and shared dreams. 

Represented in this room are some remarkable citizens from all over the world—you are national leaders, business titans, industry giants, and many of the brightest minds in many fields. 

Each of you has the power to change hearts, transform lives, and shape your countries’ destinies. With this power, comes an obligation—a duty of loyalty to the people, workers, and customers who have made you who you are. 

So together, let us resolve to use our power, our resources, and our voices, not just for ourselves, but for our people—to lift their burdens, to raise their hopes, and to empower their dreams. To protect their families, their communities, their histories, and their futures. 

That’s what we’re doing in America, and the results are unmistakable. It’s why new businesses and investment are flooding in. It’s why our unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in decades. It’s why America’s future has never been brighter. 

Today, I am inviting all of you to become part of this incredible future we are building together. 

Thank you to our hosts, thank you to the leaders and innovators in the audience, but most importantly, thank you to all the hardworking men and women who do their duty each and every day – making this a better world for everyone. Together, let us send our love and gratitude to them—because they make our countries run.

Thank you, God Bless You, and God Bless you all

TERRORIST HERDSMEN: SOAKING BABOONS AND MONKEYS IN BLOOD - Chima Ubochi

The time has arrived when patience becomes a crime and mayhem appears garbed in a manner of virtue - Edgar Rice Burroughs. 

If urgent steps were not taken on the issue, it would get to a stage when people would resort to self-help. I say it again, we are moving towards the precipices and the earlier we pull back (the better), and it requires all the stakeholders from the President and this is a bi-partisan issue, all major stakeholders must come together on how to resolve this issue - Governor Mimiko of Ondo State. 

Given the brutality of the slaughter and the intensity of the destruction of homes (including churches), it was clear the Enugu attack was carefully planned and clinically executed. Strangely, the president only broke his silence on Wednesday after the deed had been done. It apparently took the outrage expressed from a section of the country over the latest killings before the Commander-in-Chief formally deemed it necessary to direct a crackdown on these killing gangs - Louis Odion. 

It's very unfortunate that human lives are now worthless in Nigeria. The animalistic killings going on in the country have gotten out of hand. This article is not about the atrocities the Fulani herdsmen are unleashing all over Nigeria, as a lot has been written so far. This article is about unmasking those behind the invasion, the killings, the destruction, and then, deciphering the motive behind all these. Most of those causing pandemonium and deaths everywhere can't be the real Fulani herdsmen we used to know. 

For the undiscerning mind, the upsurge in violent destruction of lives and property are being committed by Fulani herdsmen looking for grass to feed their cattle. But, in reality, those committing those atrocities are not real Fulani herdsmen, but, fake Fulani herdsmen trained for a purpose. This group has nothing to do with cattle. I will explain soon. 

We all know that there have been isolated clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers from time, but, the clashes have become deadly and heightened since Buhari became the president. What's the connection here? Before looking at this point, let's remember that in the 1970s and 1980s the Fulani herdsmen, as nomads, were always moving with their cattle from place to place, and in some places, the nomads made friends and stayed in peace with their host communities. Even children loved to rush out to watch them whenever they roamed across the villages with their cattle. Clashes then were seldom. 

Nowadays, there are frequent clashes between the herdsmen and farmers or villagers, and they are all ending in an orgy of killing, and the innocent farmers or their fellow villagers are always the victims. We're told that the Fulani herdsmen will enter people's farmland by force, and when challenged, they will get belligerent and will go on killing spree. But, most of these attacks took place at night, so nobody will tell me that the so called herdsmen were grazing their cattle at night, and, I'm not convinced that they were moving their cattle at night, because, we were told that the attack in Enugu State happened at night, and when the military arrived after the so called Fulani herdsmen have finished their killing spree in the community, they, the herdsmen, escaped. There's no way the herdsmen could have easily escaped, if they had their cattle with them, it then means that those who carried that attack in Enugu State had no cattle, and, are not herdsmen, but, people on a mission. 

President Buhari only condemned the attack days afterward, and his condemnation was too little and too late, it wasn't a serious one; and, it was only meant to fool gullible Nigerians. The president has failed until now to condemn the actions of his kinsmen. If he did what he was supposed to do all along, may be what happened in Enugu or Benue State could have been avoided. The president has also refused to visit any of the communities where mayhem was perpetrated by his Fulani kinsmen; and, his silence until now spoke louder than words, and, might have meant tacit approval of what his kinsmen have been doing. 

Do I have points to support my assertions that those carrying out the destruction of lives and property are not real Fulani herdsmen? Yes of course! The destruction we are seeing surpasses what ordinary cattle rearers can do. These are trained men unleashing their professional expertise on innocent people. On Wednesday, April 27, the Head, Defence Headquarters Committee on Persistent Clashes between Herdsmen and Farmers, Major General Edward Nze, paid a courtesy call on the acting Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu, at the Benue Peoples House, where he rightly said that attacks on some communities could assume the menace of the Boko Haram dimension if not checked. If those marauding bands of killers and rapists are not stopped, they will metamorphose into something more sinister than Boko Haram, because, they will be using the claim of being herdsmen to penetrate everywhere and run roughshod over all parts of Nigeria. 

Just as General Nze noted, the clashes between herdsmen and farmers were beginning to threaten national security. And then, Abounu, the acting Benue State governor, made the point that the atrocities committed by the so called herdsmen; and, the dimension of the damage caused in Agatu and other communities in the state could not be said to have been perpetrated by the ordinary Fulani herdsmen, calling on the authorities for more investigation. In his words, according to newswire: "In Agatu LGA, more than six large communities were razed down and taken over by the herdsmen; we believe this is beyond some group of people seeking grazing land. We know that the constitution guarantees freedom of movement, it does not warrant burning of houses, killing and taking over the people's land. As we speak, same devastation has taken place in Tarka, Kwande, Logo and Buruku local government areas of the state. They kill in a most brutal manner. They are in black uniform, with AK 47 rifles. They are well trained; we believe they are from beyond Nigeria". 

Killers in black uniform can't be real Fulani herdsmen; and the AK-47 rifles they are brandishing were given to them for a purpose! 

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on Thursday April 28, while condemning the attack on Ukpabi Nimbo Community in Enugu State, which it described as most unfortunate and barbaric, confirmed that the attackers are not real Fulani herdsmen, when it stated that "the traditional Fulani nomads have coexisted peacefully with their host communities and have been grazing their cattle for decades all over Nigeria without any such attacks". The ACF also called on security agencies to unmask the perpetrators of the heinous attacks, and warned that "Nigeria cannot afford to graduate from Boko Haram insurgency to an unwarranted attack by unknown gunmen alleged to be Fulani herdsmen". 

Remember that I wrote this excerpt few weeks ago: "Goodluck Jonathan said that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, and by conceding victory, Jonathan disarmed those, on both sides, who have geared up to fight no matter the outcome of that (2015) election. Those on Buhari's side wanted to go on in their killing spree, if, Buhari didn't "win", and, also, those on Jonathan's side wanted to fight, if, he didn't get a second term. But, Goodluck Jonathan disarmed the two groups by conceding early enough, and, no blood was shed". 

The point is that Buhari never thought he would win the 2015 election; he never dreamt of being the president of Nigeria. Even if Buhari saw the possibility of winning the election, by fair or foul means, but, it never crossed his mind that an incumbent president would concede victory, as that has never happened before in Nigeria, and, not being sure that he will ever be the president of Nigeria, even if he wins the election, was the reason Buhari was unprepared for leadership up till now. So, all Buhari's plan was to wreak havoc after the 2015 election. That was why he created this another group masquerading as Fulani herdsman, when in actual fact it was created and trained to raise havoc with Nigerians immediately after the election. 

Buhari has contested 3 presidential elections prior to the 2015 one he "won". Buhari also claimed that he won all the 3 previous elections he contested (2003, 2007 and 2011) but was rigged out. On May 14, 2012, Buhari, while addressing members of the CPC (his former political party) from Niger State, who paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna, warned that 2015 would be bloody if the elections were not transparent. 

We leant that Buhari painted a gory picture of Nigeria as that of a hound and a monkey engaged in a battle for survival, and, he said: "God willing, by 2015, something will happen. They either conduct a free and fair election or they go a very disgraceful way. If what happened in 2011 (alleged rigging) should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog, the baboon and the monkey would all be soaked in blood''. These groups masquerading as Fulani herdsmen are those Buhari trained to soak the dog, the baboon and the monkey in blood, if he wasn't declared the winner in 2015. 

What happened was that after the groups were trained and equipped for the onslaught on Nigeria and Nigerians after the 2015 election that he, Buhari, was sure of losing, the groups were ready to strike, but, INEC rigged the election in favor of Buhari, and, he was on the verge of "winning" the election. Till this point (before Jonathan conceded through a phone call to Buhari), these heinous groups created, trained and equipped by Buhari to unleash mayhem were gearing up for action, but, were put out of use or were disarmed when Goodluck Jonathan conceded victory even before INEC announced the result of the election. What happened was that the members of the groups became disappointed and dejected, as they will not be useful again to their creator, and, will lose all they have been gaining and would gain from him. The group got disbanded. 

While Buhari still retained control over some of them, majority of the members of the killing groups scattered far and wide and out of Buhari's control. Many of the destruction we have witnessed or heard about were carried out by some members of those groups on the loose and out of Buhari's control, because, they are now fending for themselves, as they are not being taken care of again by the man who wanted to use them to wreak havoc. 

But, the members of the groups still under Buhari's control were those who carried out the attack at Ukpabi Nimbo, a community in the Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State. The attack was well planned and well coordinated and couldn't have been carried out by ordinary Fulani herdsmen. We just read that the Caretaker Chairman, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Mr. Cornel Onwubuya, said he personally alerted the governor, the commissioner of police, and, heads of other security agencies after he received a confirmation from some Fulani leaders in the area that the herdsmen were going to attack the community. 

Hear him: "We had a security report that this was going to happen and I convened a meeting with Fulani stakeholders in Enugu State. Some Fulani leaders told us that the herdsmen were camped very close to our community. I informed the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, who assured us that the attack would be stopped. He (Commissioner of Police, Enugu) said he would get in touch with the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State to prevent the attack. The information we got was credible but unfortunately, they still attacked us". 

You can see, from the above statement, that the real Fulani herdsmen co-operated with the people of the area, and, were not part of the murderous group that attacked the community. Moreover, the governor (I have issues with him here. I will deal with that later) said that even as the governor, he was not in control of the security agencies. Hear the so called chief security office of Enugu State (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi): "At the emergency Security Council meeting, which I convened, we were given all the assurances that the attack would not happen. 

According to information available to the government revealed that the attack was initiated from Kogi State. Two lorry loads of herdsmen landed in parts of Kogi State before the attack". 

That's it: To prove that those who attacked the Enugu community were fake Fulani herdsmen with an ulterior motive, we have to ask why and how they were transported, and, who provided the two lorries which conveyed the killers? Tell me, where were their cattle, if, they were conveyed to do the killing? Where were their cattle when they were unleashing the mayhem? 

The community complained and put the security agencies on alert about the attack, but, nobody came to help them until the damage was done. They noted that the attack would have been prevented had the security agencies acted on information made available to them by the villagers. It then means that those behind the attack also ordered the security agencies not to act to prevent the attack but to do everything possible to prevent a reprisal attack. We read where the people of Ukpabi Nimbo blamed the security agencies for failing to act on "credible" information they provided before the attack. 

The villagers, through their spokespersons told the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, when he visited the community, that they were abandoned even after they alerted security agencies to the plan to attack them. But immediately the attack was done, the army and police, which were waiting orders from above before reacting, flooded the area with their personnel to prevent reprisal acts. 

Also, when the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Enugu, Major General Attahiru Ibrahim, and, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Nwodibo Ekechukwu, who refused to act or give orders to their men to stop the attack because Aso Rock didn't say so, were in the village on Tuesday April 26, security was beefed up in the community, during that visit, with heavily armed military and police personnel positioned at strategic locations. 

Where were those security operatives during the attack, and, why didn't Aso Rock give the order to stop or prevent the carnage, if, it wasn't a complicit? The GOC of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, and, the Enugu State Police Commissioner should tell us if they received the order from the presidency to use those security operatives to protect themselves, during their own visit to that community. So, the presidency did allow the use of military and police personnel to protect two "important" individuals, but, denied such to the people of Ukpabi Nimbo, when they sent out an SOS (a community that was in distress). Who's fooling who here?

POPE CALLS OUT PURVEYORS OF FAKE NEWS: SAYS THEY ARE SNAKES

Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth. Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests. 

This false but believable news is ‘captious’, inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration. 

False stories spread so quickly that even authoritative denials often could not contain the damage done and many people run the risk of becoming “unwilling accomplices in spreading biased and baseless ideas. There is need for “education for truth” that would help people discern, evaluate and understand news in order to recognize the “sly and dangerous form of seduction that worms its way into the heart with false and alluring arguments. 

Fake news is like the Bible story of the devil, who, disguised as a serpent, persuaded Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. She was fed wrong information by Satan. She was given  a fake news that the fruit would make her and Adam as all-knowing as God. We need to unmask what could be called the ‘snake-tactics’ used by those (purveyors of fake news) who disguise themselves as journalists in order to strike at any time and place. 

The role of journalists was “not just a job, it is a mission” and they had particular responsibility to stem fake news. Amid feeding frenzies and the mad rush for a scoop, they must remember that the heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons. Journalism should be “less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts ...a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence. - Culled from Papal document on Fake News:- The truth will set you free - fake news and journalism for peace."

ICHEOKU says this certainly touches and concerns the known purveyor of Fake News in chief, CNN. Hopefully they will do some introspection, change and mend their ways, after reading this papal opinion aka admonition of what they do to falsely mislead the gullible. Yes, fake news is damaging indeed.