CAMARA, ANOTHER CRAZED-OUT AFRICAN BUTCHER?

Africa the cursed continent, has once again sprout up another petty blood-thirsty dictator? A man who would spill the blood of so many of the people of Guinea he swore to protect, without bating an eyelid? As usual, he came heralded into Conakry as the long awaited and expected messiah, only to now morph into a blood-sucking vampire, feasting on the blood of the innocent citizens of the country?

It would appear he is walking the same forbidden path, previously threaded by other African dictators of yore? From Milton Obote to Idi Amin to Mobutu Sese Seko, to Yoweri Musevini, to Charles Taylor to Nigeria's own Sani Abacha; the list is just endless! Urchins who forced themselves on the peoples of Africa, and visited on them untold mayhem and hardship! Today, the same monstrous mother of 'Africa-nemesis' has reared one of its children from hell, in Conakry Guinea; his name, Moussa Dadis Camara (MDC) and he evil!

On Monday, the thugs and goons of Moussa Dadis Camara in uniforms, and using weapons bought with Guinean tax-payers' money, murdered 158 innocent Guinean citizens in cold blood! Their offense, what other civilized peoples of the world take for granted - peaceful assembly and a pro real-democracy rally?

Added to the tally were another 1200 citizens who suffered from one form of injury to another; including mangled limbs, gorged out eye-balls, broken noses and lacerated body-parts. It was also alleged that security forces stripped some female protesters naked and raped them publicly in the streets just to 'teach' them a lesson? Some of the women, according reports, were also sexually molested with rifle-butts? Majority of the protesters were stabbed with knives and bayonets.

According to reports reaching Icheoku.com from Conakry, Army Captain Moussa "Dadis" Camara's Presidential guard troops opened fire on about 50,000 protesters, chanting "we want true democracy;" people who were merely protesting the juntas' intention to stand for election in the forthcoming January presidential election in Guinea? Icheoku says, may be Nigerians would have borrowed a leaf from these brave Guineans, and protested Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo's ill-fated second coming to Nigeria's presidency? But with the massacre of Monday, at the main football stadium in Conakry, it would appear that dictators merely engage in shifting-chairs games in Africa? It is now apparent with the insidious massacre of Conakry on Monday, that another dictator has just succeeded the bygone, deceased dictator Lansana Conte; thus shattering to smithereens, the hopes of many Guinean citizens that at last, the yokes of dictatorships are being shed?

In the marauding government's usual contriving, lying manner, Guinea's Interior Ministry claimed that "only" 4 out of the 57 dead were actually killed by their own government-thugs' bullets; while the rest of the 53 died as result of trampling and asphyxiation? Icheoku says, whether by bullet or asphyxiation or trampling, no Guinean ought to have died just for protesting; it should not have happened in the first place but for the junta of Conakry, who went out of his way to forcibly silence peaceful democracy-rally organised by the opposition?

If according to the crocodile tears presently being shed by Moussa Dadis Camara, that "those people who committed those atrocities were uncontrollable elements in the military," Icheoku asks, why is somebody who cannot control 'his' army as their commander-in-chief, still holding court in Conakry? In his words, "Even I, as head of state in this very tense situation, cannot claim to be able to control those elements in the military." Really, what a shame and he is head of a functioning government?

It will be recalled that Moussa Dadis Camara is the third dictator to preside over Guinea since independence! He forcibly succeeded President Lansana Conte, who died in office after a 25 year dictatorship, last December 22, 2008. Conte had himself succeeded Ahmed Sékou Touré who died in 1984, having ruled himself since Guinea's independence from France in 1958! As is often with his ilks, Camara came to power on a populist yearning, but has since shed his coat of humanity and in its' place, adorned his true color's coat of a menacing prowler - another infantile African mean dictator!

Now there is tension in the land as a result of his rumoured lack of desire to get off the stage in Conakry; insinuating that he will run in presidential elections scheduled for January 31, 2009? Not helping matters at all, Camara who initially debunked the rumour, has recently said "he has the right to run if he so chooses." Icheoku says, do you smell any rat here? The usual double-speak of an emerging dictator, who is deftly plotting and consolidating his soon to be 'vice-hold' on the people of Guinea? It is only through strong-arming the people of Guinea will this man ever preside over Guinea peacefully, as he has murdered sleep and cannot sleep any more. In the words of one Guinea man-on-the-street, "Dadis Camara's political career, if he had any ambition, is gone. He has made an own goal; the killing of all these innocent protesters can only mean doom for his political ambition." Icheoku says, what a summation of a people who are fed up with the muzzle of dictatorship, and now want to be free!

It would appear that the dictator has had it up to his neck with the restive people of Guinea, being on edge, acted out to bare his fangs? Late last month, Camara's policemen fired tear gas to disperse a demonstration in the capital Conakry; again, just last Thursday tens of thousands of residents in a town north of Conakry took to the streets but with no serious reprisals from Camara's goon-bahs; but unfortunately, the Monday protesters miscalculated as they ended up not being as lucky; their attempt to voice out their dissent was met with ferocious clamp-down by Moussa Dadis Camara's armed thugs, resulting in the massacre of 158 Guineans! Icheoku says, what a "Bloody Monday in Conakry!"

Coincidentally, the strong-man of Guinea has rather strange likeliness to so many erstwhile Nigerian dictators; some of who have been incontrovertibly compared to him? Like the late Nigerian henchman, midget Sani Abacha, Moussa Dadis Camara is nocturnal; he is a night-owl and being a vampire, hates the sunlight! He also wears very dark sun-shades similar to Abacha's trade-mark goggles; should he venture out before sunset! Like Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Moussa Dadis Camara is vainglorious, and has several very expensive and commissioned life-size portraits of himself, adorning virtually everywhere in his "presidential" palace? Finally, like Olusegun Obasanjo, Moussa Dadis Camara is not particularly pleasant to behold, he is rather very ugly and is also alleged human he-goat! What coincidental traits, he shares with three Nigerian dictators.

Icheoku says, like every other African country suffering from the curse of bad and inept leadership, Guinea is not spared. Since gaining independence from France in 1950, it has been pillaged by its ruling elite which props the juntas, ruthlessly suppressing the people ever since. Guinea's 10 million citizens are among the world's poorest people, despite the abundance of mineral resources underneath their soil, including diamonds, gold, iron and half the world's reserves of base-aluminum. Icheoku asks, what is it, how can it be explained or possibly reconciled; two conflicting positions that in great abundance, many are still suffering; but to blame it on the curse of Africa! As Guinea mourns her 158 dead, killed by her own government armed-thugs in uniform, and under the watchful eye of her Army Captain Mousssa Dadis Camara, Icheoku says, take heart, we share in your sorrows!

BABANGIDA, A DRAMATIC U-TURN?

Is it for real or just another one of his 'maradona-istic' curve-balls, being thrown at Nigerians? Did he just repent and change for the better, or is the Nigerian-Maradona up to something sinister? Is this the final awakening for the toothy Machiavellian "Prince" of Minna, Niger State, Nigeria? Is it the usual "the more you look the less you see and understand" gimmickry of the mirage of Minna, that Nigerians are once again witnessing? What finally struck this 'Saul on his way to Damascus,' to warrant the soothing-heavenly statements currently coming out of his mouth? What is attributable to the sudden change of mind of Mallam Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB)?

Icheoku ponders whether a man with IBB's capacity and propensity to ferment mischief and cause vicious atrocities, is capable of ever changing and for the better? What actually happened to induce this epochal epiphany in a man as ruthless as IBB, whose toothy smile always masquerades a heart of very cold steel? IBB, who was once aptly framed in an unflattering phrase, "with a friend like IBB, no one needs an enemy"? Really, and the same man is now feigning ignorance of the vicious clamp-down visited by his regime on the people of Nigeria, some of who eventually paid the ultimate price with their lives? May be IBB is counting on the fabled short memory of Nigerians who are always in the present, forgetful of the past and indifferent about the future? But would it work? Icheoku says, not this time! Is his present newly discovered, more civilized and pragmatic perspective on a broad range of issues real or merely a symptomatic ecdysis of a conniving, contriving piece of humanity, a dictator and a killer? Should Nigerians start jumping for joy that at last, the devil-incarnate IBB has repented of his dubious evil ways and turned a new leaf; or should they continue to be very wary that the leopard never changes its spots? If the later is the case, who is he targeting now; with this current germane positions on how things ought and should be, in an otherwise properly-functioning Nigeria?

When, where and why did the present epiphany of Nigeria's only known and self-acknowledged 'evil-genius' take place? Was it on his Minna Hill-top mansion or in one of his estates at Monaco? Was it in a Parisian hospital bed, or while airborne in one of his private jets, which corruption made possible for him to acquire? If only this toothy "evil-prince" of Minna had respected the wish of majority of Nigerians and sworn in Chief MKO Abiola as the then duly elected president of Nigeria; may be and only may be, he would not need all these 'pontifications on rehabilitation', as he would have become the most revered Nigerian statesman now living? But no, his character-flaw made him do it, and now, not all the confessionals from his conceited dark heart can remedy what he had irredeemably damaged - his reputation before Nigerians!

Our recent observations of IBB suggests a man who has 'changed'; or at least, his utterances and apparent new-found humility appear to project that? But whether it is 'a change we can believe in' is totally a different matter for another day's discourse. Or did IBB just recruit new 'on-top-of-their-game' advisers to re-make and re-package him, in a deft manoeuvre to manipulate gullible Nigerians into putting him back in Aso Rock in 2011? Icheoku says, despite all his denials to the contrary regarding his possible come-back, the man IBB is capable of anything including a daring dash for Aso Rock in 2011; afterall a coup plotter and an alleged drug-runner is capable of anything under the sun? Although not scientifically tenable, IBB was recently accused of 'masterminding the cancer that killed Gani Fawehinmi?' So much for a man that Nigerians cannot trust. Granted that a slippery-eel IBB is hard to understand or trust, Icheoku says, provided all the present sanctimony are not geared towards clearing the grounds for another Aso Rock misadventure, Nigerians should consider his confessions and repentance, with a view to granting him a conditional forgiveness based on the understanding that he gets out of active politics forever and for good! Recently, our close marking on the occupant of the 50-room Minna Hill-top mansion, found IBB saying things which sounded self-contradictory to the then 'notorious' IBB? Things which would have then amounted to treasonable felony and could not have come out of his mouth?

Imagine IBB advocating for Nigeria to discard 'federal character' quota system, which enabled his lazy northern-folks to play catch-up with and possibly surpass southerners in Nigeria? It is on record that IBB and his other prodigious renegade comrade, the midget of Kano, late Sani Abacha, through their crass nepotism, widened the gap between north and south in Nigeria? They caused such a loopsided imbalance throughout Nigeria federal service and the armed forces, including the police, customs and immigration that the north practically controls every institution of note in Nigeria? During the last streamlining of Nigeria's federal permanent secretaries it was discoverd that Kano State alone practically have more federal permanent secretaries than the five eastern states combined? And the imbalance permeates throughout other spheres of the Nigerian bureaucracy, courtesy of IBB and his northern cohorts, the adventurous coup-plotters? Look at who is talking - Nigeria's IBB? According to one observer, "IBB's sudden out of the cloud policy-somersault, is very fishy and needs to be thoroughly investigated? It is a bait and Nigerians should not bite it, because it is poisonous?" Suddenly IBB now wants meritocracy as opposed to "northern-ocracy" and/or "Islam-ocracy" to be the guiding principle of the Nigeria of the future, where merit and not a person's last-name or method of worship rules? Icheoku have nothing against it, it is progressive thinking; provided it cuts through all the strata of the society including the presidency, whose present occupant would not have qualified had IBB's position come alive before 2007's charade of an election?

Further IBB canvassed for devolution of powers from the central authority to states and local governments in the spirit of true functional federalism? Icheoku asks IBB, was Nigeria not an absolute "Federal" republic when he was in the saddle of power at both Dodan Baracks and later at Aso Rock? Why did he wait until now to seek to correct a generational aberration of a totalitarian-unitarianism, disguised as a federalism in Nigeria and for so long, since 1966? Icheoku says, this sudden change of direction is suspect; it must be for a reason and there is an intended target somewhere, may be the Igbo presidency of 2016? The Igbos of the south east Nigeria should therefore be very vigilant as the Hausa-Fulanis are up to something, some game to water down their presidency in 2016, and must resist any such devolution of power at this time? If Nigeria wants to devolve the powers of the presidency, which Icheoku strongly favors, they should wait until other zonal blocs in Nigeria have had their 'executive presidencies,' doling out the oil-money however they may see fit.

The Yorubas have had their Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo-led 8 years? The Hausa-Fulani led northern Nigeria had their ways severally since 1960, with some few intermissions and continuing uptil now, and possibly through 2015? Therefore the next in the line of succession, the Igbos, should and must be allowed to enjoy the 'executive presidency in Nigeria' without any let, hindrance, condition, yoke or attenuation of powers whatsoever! After them, then the northern Hausa-Bastards of the north-east, followed by the restive militant South-South minorities and lastly the northern Middle-Belt minorities? Thereafter, at the completion of the assizes, then whatever devolution or reformation of power that IBB is dreaming about, can genuinely come into effect; but it must not be seen as a targeted-ploy to diminish some other people's power over the federal purse? It is called fairness!But any attempt by the northern oligarchs to otherwise, try to change the horse mid-stream, as a forensic interpretation of IBB's suggestion reveals, is totally unacceptable and shall be resisted.

Also IBB harped on the necessity for state police, a position we do not find any fault with and adds, it is about time states in Nigeria are allowed to control their own local security. It will help a lot when a chief security officer of a state, the governor, has a stake on the apparatus of controlling the security of lives and properties within his geographical jurisdiction?

However an over-riding federal police should equally be in place to checkmate excessiveness and/or arbitrariness by some state executives; and to serve as an instrument to forestall and protect any potential abuse. Akin to what obtains in the United States of America, there should be varying tiers or levels of policing in Nigeria with clearly defined functions; and this will greatly help in better and improved policing of the citizens and their properties. The question however is, why didn't IBB take the initiative when he was in power; may be, as a maximum ruler, he desired absolute powers to control his cowering subjects? Just a penny for your thoughts!

Another aspect of life which the occupant of Minna Hill-top mansion touched on, was the rule of law? In his own words, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, said, "Indeed, no society can survive if its citizens are not bound by law, the true observance of due process and have confidence in the rule of law?” Icheoku says, ironically, Dele Giwa would have still been alive today if IBB is not a hypocrite; and so was Gloria Okon, Mamman Vasta, Gideon Orka and a host of so many other unlucky victims of IBB's state-terrorism, had this awakening come earlier during his 8 years in power from August 27, 1985 - August 26, 1993? But no, after depriving so many Nigerians their human-rights, jailing and even killing some of them without any trial for any offence whatsoever, IBB's guilty-feelings is now forcing his lips to sing praises for the rule of law? Who in Nigeria really believes any word that comes out of this toothy man's mouth, after their nightmarish experiences of eight years with him as the head-honcho in Nigeria? In short, IBB and the rule of law are at permanent loggerheads, locked up in a mortal enmity; two rival arch-enemies who are in a battle for survival, the death of one being the only assured security-guarantee or panacea that will keep the other alive? Icheoku says, IBB is simply the wrong person to talk on the subject of rule of law; he is not qualified, having murdered rule of law in Nigeria and does not have the moral authority to now advocate its unassailability or its supreme position in the society? Simply put, IBB is the wrong man to do any public relation job for rule of law; he is not 'the one' Nigerians are expecting to talk on that subject area.

IBB also emphasised and reiterated Option A4 as the best political solution for Nigeria's political problems? Icheoku says, this is the same man who annulled the election of Chief MKO Abiola in June 12, 1993, the first ever successful "graduate" of his famed 'Option A4 School of Politicking' in Nigeria? Icheoku says, Nigeria has never had such a bifurcated and conflicted human personality as Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida; who regrettably is his own worst enemy? It is comparable to having a whore preaching about virtue or virginity? Or better still, the $50billion dollar-fraud, Bob Madoff preaching about frugality and prudence? Or even finding Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo preaching against sleeping with one's own daughter in-law, Mojisola Gbenga Obasanjo, if you catch my drift? It is self contradictory for IBB, who is now being dribbled by a strange fate which has held him hostage to himself and for so long, to once again be blabbing his mouth, pretending to have solutions to every imaginable Nigeria's problems, majority of which he brought about?

In summation, Icheoku says, all that has left the mouth of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in the recent past sounds plausible, and would have been nicely received but for the strangeness of the man IBB? Who knows if he is merely playing the devil's advocate and for some vested northern interest, preparatory to the eventual power shift to the Igbos of the south east Nigeria in 2016? Who also knows if he is merely taking some pragmatic positions towards repairing his badly damaged reputation, geared towards a planned second missionary journey to Aso Rock in 2011? But whatever be the case, IBB should be aware that Nigerians are waiting, trigger-alert, to protest the daylight out of any come-back attempt, he may or plans to make in the future? Such an added insult will be unacceptable to Nigerians and will be resisted with the last breath of many Nigerians. To many Nigerians, IBB is a bad dream that should just go away and disappear into oblivion. Icheoku says, enough of IBB; and Nigerians should in unison, say to him, none of his confessionals will be enough at his rehabilitation!

JANE BOCKSTRUCK, WHAT A MAN CAN DO A WOMAN CAN DO BETTER?

When the world taught they have seen it all with the jumping off a flying airplane by then 82 years old former President George H. Bush; a New Hampshire great grand-mother shrilled, 'not just yet!' She was airborne and before you could scream 'holly-molly,' she too jumped off a flying plane at 13, 000 feet altitude! She is 92 years young!

What a record that had just shattered the former president's then enviable record of, a very old man jumping off a flying plane, a thrill of a life gradually drawing its curtains? Icheoku wants to salute the courage of this granny, who heeded former President Bush's advise that 'just because you are old does not mean that you have to sit in one corner, drooling; just get up, go out and do something!'

Icheoku says, Jane Bockstruck of Swanzey, New Hampshire has just answered the call and today will be remembered as the gutsy 92 years old great grand mom who jumped off a flying plane at 13,000 feet. Will President Bush be jealous that a woman beat and smashed his record as the oldest person to ever pull such a feat; Icheoku does not think so, as President Bush is a known sportsman and would rather see it that "he inspired the New Hampshire woman to follow her heart!" Once again congratulations Jane; and we want to ask you, are you going to ever take to the sky again and when? May be at one hundred which will guarrantee you the 'mother of all records' title?

ANGELA MERKEL, WINS A SECOND TERM!

Icheoku congratulates the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on her well deserved and duly earned victory, in which she out-rightly won the center-right majority that eluded her four years ago!

The matronly leader of Germany has charmed her way into the minds of many Germans as well as the world at large, with her very proactive head-on approach to issues, that her re-election was a fait accompli just formalized at the polls, today.

Angela Merkel adequately fills the shoes left by the former Iron-lady, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, upping the feminist anthem that 'what men can do women can do better?' Although Thatcher was less amiable and hardly smiles, but this Berliner is somewhat warm and inviting. Recall her reaction during the infamous President George W. Bush unsolicited masseuse service? Now there will be a continuity of her good policies geared up towards establishing a new world order as it affects the environment, world economic recovery, green energy drive as well as tackling the challenges of global warming.

Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats' victory was made possible by their stellar performance at the polls coupled with the help of her new coalition partner, the Free Democrats; and ended the four-year "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats. With this victory, the most powerful woman on earth can now continue to forge ahead with other world leaders towards establishing a more peaceful harmonious world. Icheoku says unlike the sickly president of Nigeria Umaru Yar'Adua who wants to be and is president for just his Katsina-axis Fulanis, Angie Merkel in her statesmanlike magnanimity, said, "My understanding was, and my understanding is, that I want to be the chancellor of all Germans!" Way to go, Angie; and once again, congratulations on your election victory!

PRESIDENT UMARU YAR'ADUA, A RELIGIOUS ZEALOT?

Reports reaching Icheoku.com confirmed that the sickly mallam from Katsina State and the man Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo used to punish Nigeria for aborting his third term bid; Nigeria's nemesis and unfortunate president, Umaru Yar'Adua has just sneaked back to Nigeria from his inexplicable visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Talk about priorities of a president? The Nigerian president would rather be cavorting amongst mullahs in Saudi Arabia, reading the Koran rather than be among the comity of nations, devising a way out of the present world's economic woods? He was too sick to fly to New York on behalf of Nigeria and thus, cost Nigeria the golden opportunity of 'shinning' before a tuned-in world audience and being heard; but hale enough to zoom into Jeddah to felicitate with a bunch of gown-wearing men with turbans on their heads? Icheoku asks President Umaru Yar'Adua, which one is a more important state function - Islamic allegiance visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or what should ordinarily have benefited Nigeria more and thus constituted a Nigeria's best interest at the United Nations and Pittsburgh, hanging out with the world's finest? His subterfuge for the trip was that he was going to the opening ceremony of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology? Icheoku says, tell that to a pack of hungry gullible hyenas?

Icheoku says, Nigerians should blame Olusegun Obasanjo for the nuisance of President Umaru Yar'Adua! An inconsequential former governor of very remote Katsina State and a teacher who never wanted any spotlight, but was forcibly conscripted by the devilish Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo and imposed on Nigerians? Now the man is using Nigeria's tax-payers money to propagate his allegiance to his Muslim faith by abandoning Nigeria's top priority and jetting on a frolic to just pledge allegiance to the custodian of the Muslim religion, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia? Should Nigeria treat this aberration with levity, Icheoku says, we do not think so and urge the National Legislature to caution such misplaced priorities of a sitting Nigerian president, irrespective of his illegality coming into office? At New York and Pittsburgh, at least he would have spoken to the world on behalf of Nigeria in NYC; and at the home of the Steelers, he would have emphasised the plight of African economies and ask for a bail-out! But none did he do, instead it was off to his holy-land to shake the hand of his "Almighty King Abdullah?

Icheoku asks, to who does this mallam owe allegiance - the Kingdom of Saud or the Nigerian people who he purports to represent? His shuttle to Saudi Arabia was a complete frolic which was uncalled for and could have been excused, assuming he was invited in the first place? Imagine, President Umaru Yar'Adua abandoning the 100 heads of states and governments who converged in New York for Saudi Arabia, to hurdle with a few 'yes-men' who do not necessary matter in political calculations in this world? Like the Igbo of South east Nigeria would say, "President Umaru Yar'Adua left where the 'ozo' (chief) title is being celebrated and instead went to where exorcism is being performed" and he is still president of Nigeria? What manner of people are Nigerians who are never moved or are incapable of ever being moved by the intransigence of their leaders?

This present miasma from this visit becomes more evident and thus deplorable, when one recalls that the same scarecrow President Umaru Yar'Adua, lamented Nigeria's non invitation to London's G20 Summit? A reasonable person in his position would have jumped at the second opportunity to participate, but now that Nigeria was invited, he chose to "snub" them back? What a "smart" man this Yar'Adua is? And this is despite the fact that Nigeria was formally invited to the summit and given a speaking slot, which many countries would die for; instead he chose to throw caution to the winds and escaped to Saudi Arabia. Since many pundits have failed to properly decode the sudden change of mind of President Umaru Yar'Adua with his scheduled appearance at the United Nations 66 summit as well as the G-20 at Pittsburgh, Icheoku has one theory - may be the president hates his sobriquet as an 'imposed president of Nigeria' who never won any election and hence still ashamed of how he got to the office and uncomfortable with the starring eyes of delegates to the conference? Just a theory! May be Umaru was simply too ashamed to mount the podium?

The irony of his Saudi trip is that whereas Umaru Yar'Adua's education-house is literally on fire, he was pursuing rat, attending the formal opening of Saudi Arabia's trumpeted citadel of learning? A shameless mallam and former university teacher who does not care if Nigerian students are not in school because of ASUU's unending strikes and work stoppages? According to one commentator, "if President Umaru Yar'Adua likes the hospitals in Saudi Arabia, he should try to replicate them in Nigeria? If he likes the magnificence of the newly opened King Abdullah University of Science and technology, he should transform the aging and dilapidated Nigerian universities to be their mirror-image? If he likes the ever present power supply in the Kingdom, why not import the expatriates to power Nigeria; after-all Saudi Arabia practically imports everything and every manpower they need?"

Now to the mother of all disappointments associated with this ill-advised trip to the Kingdom of Saud, Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua got only 5 seconds of the King's attention in the form of a passive handshake? Icheoku says, so much for the Nigerian tax-payers' money wasted to fuel the presidential plane and pay the crew that whisked him, Turai, his two governor inlaws and staffers to and from Jeddah? Just 5 seconds was all that Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua was worth to the King of Saudi Arabia? Nigeria's Umaru Yar'Adua was so low in the hierarchy of the King's important schedule that he sent only 'a governor to receive a president' at the airport? So much for reciprocity for and demand of protocol? So 'worthless' is Nigeria's president Umaru Yar'Adua to the Kingdom that his name was not even added to the scrolling text at the bottom of the simulcast, among names of "loyal" heads of states and government that came to pay homage and obeisance to the King; King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud!

However Icheoku briefly watched the opening ceremony of the university, and wish to congratulate the Arabian King, for such a magnificent edifice dedicated to learning!

EHUD OLMERT, CHARGED!

He was a former mayor of Jerusalem and later succeeded ailing Ariel Sharon as Prime Minister of Israel. His name is Ehud Olmert and now, he stands accused of putting a "for sale sign on his large forehead," which said that anybody willing to pay can play in his then government in Jerusalem? Ehud Olmert is accused of corrupt enrichment while in office and taking bribes?

He is now on trial for corruption, arraigned before a Jerusalem district court. If he is convicted, it will make him the second former head of government to be sent to some cooling-off big house somewhere, and very recently. Taiwan, few weeks ago, sent away her former president to the big house, for life, because of official corruption?

Icheoku asks, are Nigerian authorities at Aso Rock listening, or are they the only people on this planet earth to cherish and incubate corruption? Further, how long shall Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo continue to walk the streets of Nigeria a free-man, when the dossier on his atrocities in office, including far-reaching, economic-melting and grand-scale corruption has since filled up and cascading down? Does it mean that Nigerians see nothing wrong in corruption or that all have sinned and fallen short of glory; and so could not throw the first stone? It is our position that if Olusegun Obasanjo is not prosecuted for his crimes against the state of Nigeria, then all current outbursts about fighting corruption is meaningless; it equally means that the word has lost its very meaning in jusy Nigeria's peculiar dictionary as the leaders are not shamed by the stench of it? Icheoku once again, call on the authorities in Nigeria to, on behalf of the Nigerian people, arrest, charge, prosecute and/or imprison or even hang the former despot of Nigeria, Matthew Okikiolakan Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo for his crimes against the Nigerian humanity, including economic brigandage! Taiwan set the precedent and Israel is now in tow; so why not Nigeria? Nigeria, where are you with your supposed war against corruption? Arrest Obasanjo NOW!

It will be recalled that Mr Olmert, 64, is the first prime minister of Israel to face criminal charges in court for anything including corruption. What this tells Nigerians is that there is always a 'first' and Olusegun Obasanjo is a fit guinea-pig for this experimentation on real war against corruption. Now is the time to put their mouth where their words are and convince a sceptical world that they really mean it, when they said, that they are fighting a war against corruption? So arrest Olusegun Obasanjo NOW!

Mr. Ehud Olmert did not enter formal plea due to some hitch, but will probably do so when the trial commences on February 2010; a trial that may last as long as four years? If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on each of the charges. The 61-page indictment includes fraud, breach of trust, registering false documents and concealing fraudulent earnings. About 280 witnesses are equally assembled, geared up and ready to go in what is being touted as Israelis biggest criminal political-drama of the century?

The three charges against Mr. Ehud Olmert relate to three separate events preceding his 2006 prime minister-ship; which took place when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister!, and before he became prime minister in 2006. They include:- 'The Rishontours Affair' in which Mr Olmert is suspected of double and/or triple-billing government ministries and various Jewish charities for trips abroad? During such trips he conducted both official and private business making speeches which was suspected to have brought him personal income of about 100,000 USD dollars? In 'The Talansky Affair," Ehud Olmert is suspected of receiving hundreds of thousands of USD dollars, about $700,000 dollars, in bribes, some of it in cash-stuffed envelopes, from American-Jewish businessman Morris Talansky and in return, helped his business ventures. Icheoku wants to reiterate that unlike Nigerian Abubarkar Atiku's friend, Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson, no cold cash was found in Mr Olmert's deep freezer! The last one, 'The Investment Centre Affair,' Mr Olmert allegedly granted favours to a former law partner while he was trade minister.

If convicted, Mr. Ehud Olmert will join two other former Israeli ministers in prison, who were jailed last June; while the world awaits the outcome of the trial of former president Moshe Katsav for rape and sexual harassment? Icheoku says, thank God for civilized societies, as Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo "raped" without any consequence whatsoever, his daughter in-law, his son Gbenga Obasanjo's wife, Mojisola Gbenga Obasanjo! In their chauvinistic mindset, they pretended it was no big deal, their usual Nigerian style? If only Nigerians can wake up, jolted; to understand how their lacklustre attitude to corruption has so severely damaged the country's reputation that it stinks; may be they will be up in arms with such decrepitude leaders such as Olusegun Obasanajo. Icheoku says, kudos to Israel for attempting this first and making it very loud that nobody including a former prime minister is above the law!

A BABY 'SUMO-WRESTLER' IS BORN!

Nobody really knows what diet this woman was on, who delivered a practically over-weight baby at 19.2 pounds? The second biggest baby ever delivered in the world and the first in Asia, according to records?

"Baby Heavy'', as we chose to call him because no name has been given to him yet, was delivered by a Cesarean operation on Monday September 21, 2009 at a public hospital in North Sumatra province of Indonesian!

Who knows how protruded the tommy that carried such a heavy load to full gestation was? What an extra-ordinary labor of love to carry such a mini-man for nine months? Did the family think that twins were being expected or was ultra-sound even performed to find out what was behind the very big stomach? But are these questions any necessary, after, baby sumo-wrestler was born, hale and hearty; and has catapulted himself into global prime news?

"Baby Heavy" who weighs 19.2 pounds is also 24.4 inches long? Compared to normal babies' average 9 pounds, 11 inches, this obese-baby is, literally speaking, a double-baby - two in one baby! Could twins have resulted and if not, why not especially considering the massive flesh used to form little Baby-Heavy? According to hospital sources, little 'sumo-wrestler' had little breathing problem at birth, but it was fixed immediately by infusion of oxygen. He also has voluptuous appetite, which he developed in the womb as evidenced by his unusually super-size stature? According to available information from the Indonesia family that seared him, since his birth a few days ago, little man has been eating non-stop; that Icheoku prays, he is aware of the global economic recession?

The baby was the fourth child for the 41-year-old mother, Ani. People with knowledge volunteered that they have never seen anything as huge throughout the baby-factories of Indonesia? At such an out-of-this-world size, little "Baby Heavy" possibly will soon find himself in the Guinness Book of world records? At his massive weight, 'Baby-Heavy' probably weighs more than the combined weight of Octo-Mom, Nadia Suleiman's eight "tinies"?

Pictured right is 'Baby-Heavy' crying himself nuts for more food; while lying by his side is a normal baby? Anyway, its all good as mother and child are ok; and Icheoku wishes the giant baby, a good life!

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, ADDRESS TO UNITED NATIONS!

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman: it is my honor to address you for the first time as the forty-fourth President of the United States. I come before you humbled by the responsibility that the American people have placed upon me; mindful of the enormous challenges of our moment in history; and determined to act boldly and collectively on behalf of justice and prosperity at home and abroad.

I have been in office for just nine months, though some days it seems a lot longer. I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world. These expectations are not about me. Rather, they are rooted - I believe - in a discontent with a status quo that has allowed us to be increasingly defined by our differences, and outpaced by our problems. But they are also rooted in hope - the hope that real change is possible, and the hope that America will be a leader in bringing about such change.

I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. This has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for our collective inaction. Like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 - more than at any point in human history - the interests of nations and peoples are shared.

The religious convictions that we hold in our hearts can forge new bonds among people, or tear us apart. The technology we harness can light the path to peace, or forever darken it. The energy we use can sustain our planet, or destroy it. What happens to the hope of a single child - anywhere - can enrich our world, or impoverish it. In this hall, we come from many places, but we share a common future. No longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences to the exclusion of the work that we must do together. I have carried this message from London to Ankara; from Port of Spain to Moscow; from Accra to Cairo; and it’s what I will speak about today. Because the time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interests and mutual respect, and our work must begin now. We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems - it will take persistent action. So for those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions that we have taken in just nine months.

On my first day in office, I prohibited - without exception or equivocation - the use of torture by the United States of America. I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of law. Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example. We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies - a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we - and many nations here - are helping those governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their people. In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all of our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American troops by the end of 2011. I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic warheads and launchers. At the Conference on Disarmament, we agreed on a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. And this week, my Secretary of State will become the first senior American representative to the annual Members Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Upon taking office, I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states - Israel and Palestine - in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians are respected. To confront climate change, we have invested 80 billion dollars in clean energy. We have substantially increased our fuel-efficiency standards. We have provided new incentives for conservation, launched an energy partnership across the Americas, and moved from a bystander to a leader in international climate negotiations. To overcome an economic crisis that touches every corner of the world, we worked with the G-20 nations to forge a coordinated international response of over two trillion dollars in stimulus to bring the global economy back from the brink. We mobilized resources that helped prevent the crisis from spreading further to developing countries. And we joined with others to launch a $20 billion global food security initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it most, and help them build their own capacity. We have also re-engaged the United Nations. We have paid our bills. We have joined the Human Rights Council. We have signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have fully embraced the Millennium Development Goals. And we address our priorities here, in this institution - for instance, through the Security Council meeting that I will chair tomorrow on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and through the issues that I will discuss today.

This is what we have done. But this is just a beginning. Some of our actions have yielded progress. Some have laid the groundwork for progress in the future. But make no mistake: this cannot be solely America’s endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world’s problems alone. We have sought - in word and deed - a new era of engagement with the world. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges. If we are honest with ourselves, we need to admit that we are not living up to that responsibility. Consider the course that we are on if we fail to confront the status quo. Extremists sowing terror in pockets of the world. Protracted conflicts that grind on and on. Genocide and mass atrocities. More and more nations with nuclear weapons. Melting ice caps and ravaged populations. Persistent poverty and pandemic disease. I say this not to sow fear, but to state a fact: the magnitude of our challenges has yet to be met by the measure of our action. This body was founded on the belief that the nations of the world could solve their problems together. Franklin Roosevelt, who died before he could see his vision for this institution become a reality, put it this way - and I quote: “The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one Nation…. It cannot be a peace of large nations - or of small nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.”

The cooperative effort of the whole world. Those words ring even more true today, when it is not simply peace - but our very health and prosperity that we hold in common. Yet I also know that this body is made up of sovereign states. And sadly, but not surprisingly, this body has often become a forum for sowing discord instead of forging common ground; a venue for playing politics and exploiting grievances rather than solving problems. After all, it is easy to walk up to this podium and to point fingers and stoke division. Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles, and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions. Anyone can do that. Responsibility and leadership in the 21st century demand more. In an era when our destiny is shared, power is no longer a zero sum game. No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among nations will hold. The traditional division between nations of the south and north makes no sense in an interconnected world. Nor do alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long gone Cold War. The time has come to realize that the old habits and arguments are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people. They lead nations to act in opposition to the very goals that they claim to pursue, and to vote - often in this body - against the interests of their own people. They build up walls between us and the future that our people seek, and the time has come for those walls to come down. Together, we must build new coalitions that bridge old divides - coalitions of different faiths and creeds; of north and south, east and west; black, white, and brown.

The choice is ours. We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the 20th century into the 21st; that put off hard choices, refused to look ahead, and failed to keep pace because we defined ourselves by what we were against instead of what we were for. Or, we can be a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interests of human beings, and finally gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations. That is the future America wants - a future of peace and prosperity that we can only reach if we recognize that all nations have rights, but all nations have responsibilities as well. That is the bargain that makes this work. That must be the guiding principle of international cooperation.

Today, I put forward four pillars that are fundamental to the future that we want for our children: non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.

First, we must stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and seek the goal of a world without them.This institution was founded at the dawn of the atomic age, in part because man’s capacity to kill had to be contained. For decades, we averted disaster, even under the shadow of a super-power stand-off. But today, the threat of proliferation is growing in scope and complexity. If we fail to act, we will invite nuclear arms races in every region, and the prospect of wars and acts of terror on a scale that we can hardly imagine. A fragile consensus stands in the way of this frightening outcome - the basic bargain that shapes the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. It says that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have the responsibility to move toward disarmament; and those without them have the responsibility to forsake them. The next twelve months could be pivotal in determining whether this compact will be strengthened or will slowly dissolve. America will keep our end of the bargain. We will pursue a new agreement with Russia to substantially reduce our strategic warheads and launchers. We will move forward with ratification of the Test Ban Treaty, and work with others to bring the Treaty into force so that nuclear testing is permanently prohibited. We will complete a Nuclear Posture Review that opens the door to deeper cuts, and reduces the role of nuclear weapons. And we will call upon countries to begin negotiations in January on a treaty to end the production of fissile material for weapons. I will also host a Summit next April that reaffirms each nation’s responsibility to secure nuclear material on its territory, and to help those who can’t - because we must never allow a single nuclear device to fall into the hands of a violent extremist. And we will work to strengthen the institutions and initiatives that combat nuclear smuggling and theft.

All of this must support efforts to strengthen the NPT. Those nations that refuse to live up to their obligations must face consequences. This is not about singling out individual nations - it is about standing up for the rights of all nations that do live up to their responsibilities. Because a world in which IAEA inspections are avoided and the United Nation’s demands are ignored will leave all people less safe, and all nations less secure. In their actions to date, the governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to take us down this dangerous slope. We respect their rights as members of the community of nations. I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more secure peace for both nations if they live up to their obligations. But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international standards; if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional stability and the security and opportunity of their own people; if they are oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and the Middle East - then they must be held accountable. The world must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that Treaties will be enforced. We must insist that the future not belong to fear.

That brings me to the second pillar for our future: the pursuit of peace. The United Nations was born of the belief that the people of the world can live their lives, raise their families, and resolve their differences peacefully. And yet we know that in too many parts of the world, this ideal remains an abstraction. We can either accept that outcome as inevitable, and tolerate constant and crippling conflict. Or we can recognize that the yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts around the world. That effort must begin with an unshakeable determination that the murder of innocent men, women and children will never be tolerated. On this, there can be no dispute. The violent extremists who promote conflict by distorting faith have discredited and isolated themselves. They offer nothing but hatred and destruction. In confronting them, America will forge lasting partnerships to target terrorists, share intelligence, coordinate law enforcement, and protect our people. We will permit no safe-haven for al Qaeda to launch attacks from Afghanistan or any other nation. We will stand by our friends on the front lines, as we and many nations will do in pledging support for the Pakistani people tomorrow. And we will pursue positive engagement that builds bridges among faiths, and new partnerships for opportunity. But our efforts to promote peace cannot be limited to defeating violent extremists. For the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the hope of human beings - the belief that the future belongs to those who build, not destroy; the confidence that conflicts can end, and a new day begin. That is why we will strengthen our support for effective peacekeeping, while energizing our efforts to prevent conflicts before they take hold. We will pursue a lasting peace in Sudan through support for the people of Darfur, and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, so that we secure the peace that the Sudanese people deserve. And in countries ravaged by violence - from Haiti to Congo to East Timor - we will work with the UN and other partners to support an enduring peace.

I will also continue to seek a just and lasting peace between Israel, Palestine, and the Arab world. Yesterday, I had a constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. We have made some progress. Palestinians have strengthened their efforts on security. Israelis have facilitated greater freedom of movement for the Palestinians. As a result of these efforts by both sides, the economy in the West Bank has begun to grow. But more progress is needed. We continue to call on Palestinians to end incitement against Israel, and we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. The time has come to re-launch negotiations - without preconditions - that address the permanent-status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians; borders, refugees and Jerusalem. The goal is clear: two states living side by side in peace and security - a Jewish State of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people. As we pursue this goal, we will also pursue peace between Israel and Lebanon, Israel and Syria, and a broader peace between Israel and its many neighbors. In pursuit of that goal, we will develop regional initiatives with multilateral participation, alongside bilateral negotiations. I am not naïve. I know this will be difficult. But all of us must decide whether we are serious about peace, or whether we only lend it lip-service. To break the old patterns - to break the cycle of insecurity and despair - all of us must say publicly what we would acknowledge in private. The United States does Israel no favors when we fail to couple an unwavering commitment to its security with an insistence that Israel respect the legitimate claims and rights of the Palestinians. And nations within this body do the Palestinians no favors when they choose vitriolic attacks over a constructive willingness to recognize Israel’s legitimacy, and its right to exist in peace and security.

We must remember that the greatest price of this conflict is not paid by us. It is paid by the Israeli girl in Sderot who closes her eyes in fear that a rocket will take her life in the night. It is paid by the Palestinian boy in Gaza who has no clean water and no country to call his own. These are God’s children. And after all of the politics and all of the posturing, this is about the right of every human being to live with dignity and security. That is a lesson embedded in the three great faiths that call one small slice of Earth the Holy Land. And that is why - even though there will be setbacks, and false starts, and tough days - I will not waiver in my pursuit of peace.

Third, we must recognize that in the 21st century, there will be no peace unless we make take responsibility for the preservation of our planet. The danger posed by climate change cannot be denied, and our responsibility to meet it must not be deferred. If we continue down our current course, every member of this Assembly will see irreversible changes within their borders. Our efforts to end conflicts will be eclipsed by wars over refugees and resources. Development will be devastated by drought and famine. Land that human beings have lived on for millennia will disappear. Future generations will look back and wonder why we refused to act - why we failed to pass on intact the environment that was our inheritance. That is why the days when America dragged its feet on this issue are over. We will move forward with investments to transform our energy economy, while providing incentives to make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. We will press ahead with deep cuts in emissions to reach the goals that we set for 2020, and eventually 2050. We will continue to promote renewable energy and efficiency - and share new technologies - with countries around the world. And we will seize every opportunity for progress to address this threat in a cooperative effort with the whole world. Those wealthy nations that did so much to damage the environment in the 20th century must accept our obligation to lead. But responsibility does not end there. While we must acknowledge the need for differentiated responses, any effort to curb carbon emissions must include the fast-growing carbon emitters who can do more to reduce their air pollution without inhibiting growth. And any effort that fails to help the poorest nations both adapt to the problems that climate change has already wrought - and travel a path of clean development - will not work.

It is hard to change something as fundamental as how we use energy. It’s even harder to do so in the midst of a global recession. Certainly, it will be tempting to sit back and wait for others to move first. But we cannot make this journey unless we all move forward together. As we head into Copenhagen, let us resolve to focus on what each of us can do for the sake of our common future.This leads me to the final pillar that must fortify our future: a global economy that advances opportunity for all people. The world is still recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In America, we see the engine of growth beginning to churn, yet many still struggle to find a job or pay their bills. Across the globe, we find promising signs, yet little certainty about what lies ahead. And far too many people in far too many places live through the daily crises that challenge our common humanity - the despair of an empty stomach; the thirst brought on by dwindling water; the injustice of a child dying from a treatable disease, or a mother losing her life as she gives birth.

In Pittsburgh, we will work with the world’s largest economies to chart a course for growth that is balanced and sustained. That means vigilance to ensure that we do not let up until our people are back to work. That means taking steps to rekindle demand, so that a global recovery can be sustained. And that means setting new rules of the road and strengthening regulation for all financial centers, so that we put an end to the greed, excess and abuse that led us into disaster, and prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again. At a time of such interdependence, we have a moral and pragmatic interest in broader questions of development. And so we will continue our historic effort to help people feed themselves. We have set aside $63 billion to carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS; to end deaths from tuberculosis and malaria; to eradicate polio; and to strengthen public health systems. We are joining with other countries to contribute H1N1 vaccines to the World Health Organization. We will integrate more economies into a system of global trade. We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year’s Summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.

Now is the time for all of us to do our part. Growth will not be sustained or shared unless all nations embrace their responsibility. Wealthy nations must open their markets to more goods and extend a hand to those with less, while reforming international institutions to give more nations a greater voice. Developing nations must root out the corruption that is an obstacle to progress - for opportunity cannot thrive where individuals are oppressed and business have to pay bribes. That’s why we will support honest police and independent judges; civil society and a vibrant private sector.

Our goal is simple: a global economy in which growth is sustained, and opportunity is available to all.The changes that I have spoken about today will not be easy to make. And they will not be realized simply by leaders like us coming together in forums like this. For as in any assembly of members, real change can only come through the people we represent. That is why we must do the hard work to lay the groundwork for progress in our own capitals. That is where we will build the consensus to end conflicts and to harness technology for peaceful purposes; to change the way we use energy, and to promote growth that can be sustained and shared. I believe that the people of the world want this future for their children. And that is why we must champion those principles which ensure that governments reflect the will of the people. These principles cannot be afterthoughts - democracy and human rights are essential to achieving each of the goals that I have discussed today. Because governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than the narrow interest of those in power.

The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people. True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home. The people of the world want change. They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history. This Assembly’s Charter commits each of us, and I quote - “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women.” Among those rights is the freedom to speak your mind and worship as you please; the promise of equality of the races, and the opportunity for women and girls to pursue their own potential; the ability of citizens to have a say in how you are governed, and to have confidence in the administration of justice. For just as no nation should be forced to accept the tyranny of another nation, no individual should be forced to accept the tyranny of their own government.

As an African-American, I will never forget that I would not be here today without the steady pursuit of a more perfect union in my country. That guides my belief that no matter how dark the day may seem, transformative change can be forged by those who choose the side of justice. And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights - for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard; the innocent who longs to be free; and the oppressed who yearns to be equal. Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect. Each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its people, and - in the past - America has too often been selective in its promotion of democracy. But that does not weaken our commitment, it only reinforces it. There are basic principles that are universal; there are certain truths which are self evident - and the United States of America will never waiver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny.

Sixty-five years ago, a weary Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the American people in his fourth and final inaugural address. After years of war, he sought to sum up the lessons that could be drawn from the terrible suffering and enormous sacrifice that had taken place. “We have learned,” he said, “to be citizens of the world, members of the human community.” The United Nations was built by men and women like Roosevelt from every corner of the world - from Africa and Asia; form Europe to the Americas. These architects of international cooperation had an idealism that was anything but naïve - it was rooted in the hard-earned lessons of war, and the wisdom that nations could advance their interests by acting together instead of splitting apart. Now it falls to us - for this institution will be what we make of it.

The United Nations does extraordinary good around the world in feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and mending places that have been broken. But it also struggles to enforce its will, and to live up to the ideals of its founding. I believe that those imperfections are not a reason to walk away from this institution - they are a calling to redouble our efforts. The United Nations can either be a place where we bicker about outdated grievances, or forge common ground; a place where we focus on what drives us apart, or what brings us together; a place where we indulge tyranny, or a source of moral authority. In short, the United Nations can be an institution that is disconnected from what matters in the lives of our citizens, or it can be indispensable in advancing the interests of the people we serve. We have reached a pivotal moment. The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation - one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations. With confidence in our cause, and with a commitment to our values, we call on all nations to join us in building the future that our people deserve. Thank you.

OGBONNA ONOVO, SHOULD BE MORE CIRCUMSPECTIVE!

It is a generally agreed and accepted proposition that 'pictures don't lie', and so it turned out that Nigeria's Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, put his foot in his mouth when he swore, over the grave of his grandmother, that former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu never stepped his feet on Nigeria soil?

IGP Onovo then challenged those fire-eating e-media, engaged in "expartrate information news service to motherland" to produce any photographic evidence that Nuhu Ribadu ever visited Nigeria as claimed. Pictures of the heroic visit were splashed everywhere on the web and some courageous Nigeria print media outfits! Yet unconvinced, IGP Onovo disclaimed them as computer manipulated images and a gimmickry? Icheoku says, really? The IGP was additionally provided with videographic evidence of the visit, which were uploaded on YOUTUBE. But like the pharoahs of Egypt, IGP Onovo hardened his heart and dismissed the video once again as science "the more you look the less you see American wonder?" Icheoku will like to ask IGP Ogbonna Onovo, how could any sane functioning mind explain away what was captured on motion picture, a video uploaded on YOUTUBE, showing a fully animated and not still, Nuhu Ribadu, signing the condolence register at Gani Fawehinmi's residence, moving around, talking, gesticulating and commiserating with the family on the loss of their dear one? Maybe a Hollywood, nay, a Nollywood film-trick?

One of the problems mitigating against Nigeria's quest to "greatness" is that majority of her leadership persons are prisoners of their own over-bloated egos? The real mark of a warrior is to know when to ask for some help to carry on and finish an assigned task; but not with Nigerian's? Icheoku says, there is nothing unusually out of place or to indict the IGP for, if Nuhu Ribadu or any other person slipped through whatever security condone in Nigeria, as that could happen anywhere. Nigeria is not and will not be the only country where people have ever illegally entered and exited without the knowledge of the security operatives; afterall the Lord said in Psalm 127:1 that the sentinel watches in vain except the Lord watches alongside, with him? Even the almighty United States of America has problems policing her borders, otherwise the infestations of illegal aliens would have since been a thing of the past? But for a chief security officer of Nigeria, IGP Ogbonna Onovo to dismissively lie about the breach of Nigeria's notoriously porous borders by AIG Nuhu Ribadu, rubs Icheoku wrongly and for this we hold him accountable! We want to put his feet to the fire so that in the future he may have to check his facts first before going public with his comments?

Even as recent as yesterday, the "deposed" President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras managed to breach the security blanket specifically targeted at him and sneaked back to Tegucigalpa; and is now taking refuge at the Brazilian embassy there. So IGP Onovo, you are not the first nor will you be the last to ever drop the ball on a country's security, leading to some "unwanted" persons to safely go in and out of the "wanting" country? Recall that the late Gani Fawehinmi and Wole Soyinka had severally escaped from Nigeria during the gestapo regimes of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and the Kano midget Sani Abacha, when they wanted to ensnare them as their quarries? Even a good friend known to Icheoku.com, severally came in and out of Nigeria during his days as NADECO executive officer, and when being associted to that name meant a death-warrant in the hands of Abacha goonbas; and on certain occasions with the active connivance of some sympathetic security agents who wanted Abacha dead! So why was Nuhu Ribadu's "in and out" visit a surprise to you? Would it surprise you, Mr. IGP Onovo, if you learn that Nuhu Ribadu came into Nigeria and left with the active help of some of your officers, many of who strongly believe that the man, Nuhu is being unfairly targeted and haunted for daring to prosecute corruption in very high places? The witch-hunting of this man is giving Nigeria a black-eye in the international arena as a country which is so at peace with corruption that they would rather hunt the hunter of corruption!

Now back to Nuhu Ribadu's recent visit to honor Gani Fawehinmi and the now proven unfortunate denial of the IGP hat "it was merely an imagination of some sections of the press?" Icheoku asks, with the quantum of available evidence which was adduced both in in various formats including written, motion, visual and testimonials; and which have irrefutably proved the case beyond doubt, that AIG Nuhu Ribadu visited Nigeria, where does it leave Nigerians and their IGP? An IGP, whose statements will hence-forth not be as weighty as it would ordinarily have been if not for the unfortunate statement which has now turned out to be untrue?

Does this IGP by this serious error of judgment and misstep lost his credibility to function as the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police? Did the IGP, as one commentator said, bring an untoward embarrassment to the federal republic of Nigeria, the police force and the sickly man at Aso Rock, President Umaru Yar'Adua who appointed him? What happens when a man in such a position of authority looses his veracity; when his words is no longer worth the air through which they were disseminated? One question that readily comes to mind is whether this particular IGP spoke too fast on this very subject matter; an issue he would have given methodical thought before opening his air-valve? Was his wind-pipe so unguarded that it uttered a regrettable untruth? Did IGP Ogbonna Onovo speak too quickly on the presence or lack thereof, of Nuhu Ribadu foot on Nigeria soil? Icheoku's verdict, IGP Ogbonna Onovo spoke too fast and before he could check his version of facts with the actual facts as existed on the grounds at Gani Fawehinmi's residence? The panacea, this very IGP needs to be coralled in line, and in order to safeguard and protect his tenure as the IGP of Nigeria; knowing the very treacherous terrain that is Nigerian polity, and the rife competition to bring down other people from other tribes in order for another tribe's favorite to succeeded the once-was?

IGP Ogbonna Onovo, Icheoku advises you to 'please get a spokesman!' Also remember to always complete your investigation thoroughly, before opening your IGP-mouth again in the future in such a way as you did with this last Nuhu Ribadu's mercurial visit to Nigeria? Better still take some lessons or get some coaching in the art of political-speaking; now you have become by necessary implication, one of Nigerian top leaders by virtue of your office and your words henceforth means much to the various tribes that make up Nigeria. Instead of such gaffes and guffaws, please get used to giving generalised no-answer, answers; without committing yourself to anything specifically or corner yourself in a position which might turn out to be contradictory in the future. Whatever you do, avoid being pigeon-holed into a lying caricature of an IGP Fallacy or Fatansy! If confronted by an ambiguous convoluted question and you do not know the politically-correct answer or way to give a proper no-answer answer, tell the journalist, that investigation is still going on in the case and to comment will be to prejudge the outcome; or just refer them to the appropriate trained mouthpiece of the police - the Police PRO, period!

Icheoku will particularly not forgive you, in the event you cause the Igbos of the south east, this their God-given only opportunity to once in recent years, participate in the security meetings of the Nigerian federal government, through your office as the new IGP. You must tread softly and cautiously; hence-forth, guard your new office as a sacred trust for Nigerians and the Igbos of Nigeria in particular, being their only representative in chief, in Nigeria's security council. We do not want you to be swept away by tidal waves of Nigeria's tsunami politics of intrigue, where tribal loyalties still holds sway; and where party A does not know necessarily what party B is really thinking and vice versa? What if such gang-up was the reason you were left in the lurch with Nuhu Ribadu's visit to Nigeria? Also remember that there is a thing called sabotage; and you shouldn't be surprised if some of your junior officers, who see you as detestible, decided to just paint you as incompetent or just in a bad light and frustrate your effort to effectively police Nigeria and deliver on the job.

Based on the above premise, Icheoku asks IGP Ogbonna Onovo, how was he sure that Nuhu Ribadu did not come into Nigeria with full cooperation and connivance of some of his former colleagues at EFCC, who are still in the police force but bearing grudges on the way they and their former boss were treated after their service to their fatherland? Or possibly some force-members who are not happy with Ogbonna Onovo's appointment as their IGP? We are talking of conspiracy theories, IGP Onovo; after-all Nuhu Ribadu was a former AIG and former chairman of the once dreaded EFCC, so could some people be owing him some favor which he had called on them to now re-pay? That a former police officer of the rank of an AIG would not know how to sneak in and out of Nigeria should be the thing to baffle anyone including the IGP; but not otherwise; when ordinary untrained men and women including smugglers, steadily go in and out of Nigeria without detection! The IGP should therefore do the wise thing, smarten up and apologise to Nigerians for his impetuous "reckless" statement, which has now been debunked and proved to be untruthful! He should own up to the mix-up of his fiction and the existing non-fiction, and promise to do better in the future or the next time Nuhu Ribdau comes around and tries to enter and exit Nigeria. Or as is always the case with Nigerian leadership, just blame it on the guy next door, who gave you a faulty intelligence/assessment of the situation; or better still, on some wild-eyed detractors of the government who does not wish Nigeria well?

FYI:- It will be recalled that it is the same IG Onovo who in one of his first baby-steps as a new IGP, rescinded himself shortly after his order "removing police orderlies of certain persons in Nigeria" and only to make an instant u-turn to allow the same under his newly found subterfuge of unity of husband and wife? According to his theory of recission, a husband and wife are the same person and so is a governor and the governor's wife entitled to equal security protection of and by the Nigeria Police Force? Fair enough and we must concede him that unity of persons exists in marriage. So much for the foibles of the new Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo!