FASHOLA'S DEPORTATION APOLOGY, UNAPOLOGETIC?

Icheoku says reading the so called mea culpa of the Alaayee Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State concerning his illegal and unlawful act of deporting citizens of a country from their country, any discerning mind would surmise that either he was compelled by his boss Bola Tinubu to clean up his mess or he reluctantly tried to placate a wounded people to avoid a political retribution across the Niger with APC's Ngige's possible rejection in Anambra State because of association with Igbo haters. Hear him - "If those people have misunderstood me or the actions taken by my government, I offer an unqualified and unreserved apology."  

Icheoku says it seems that this man does not get it that he denigrated the entire Igbo people by deeming some of their own as unfit and improper persons to inhabit that part of their fatherland called Lagos. A Lagos State Nigeria, which by virtue of their being part of Nigerian territory, entitles any other Nigerian to live there and call it home as would any other one hundred Fasholas. Governor Fashola does not have any superior or preeminent right to lay claim to Lagos State nor is he or any of his ilks more entitled to Lagos or the right to reside therein more than any of those destitutes so called, whom he deported therefrom. This flagrant infraction of the citizenship rights of those deportees is why Icheoku took umbrage at the governor and nothing more, nothing personal. 

Lagos State is a Nigerian territory and no one, Icheoku repeats no one, including Governor Fashola, has any exclusive right therein to be deemed more Lagosian than any other Nigerian citizens who decides to live in Lagos State and see him or herself as a Lagosian("Omo or Sisi Eko.") The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes this equality of citizenship of every Nigerian imperative; hence the action of July 24, 2013 whereby Governor Fashola took the laws into his hands by kidnapping Nigerians citizens and deporting them out of Lagos in the dead of the night is illegal, unlawful and a breach of the peace. Moreover immigration matters in Nigeria is still within the exclusive purview of the Federal government, thus making the Lagos State government of Fashola's act ultra vires the constitution. In any other law-abiding and civilized society, what Governor Fashola did was enough to trigger his recall; lead to his arrest and prosecution for violating fellow citizens' right to freely live, unmolested and undisturbed, anywhere in their country.  But in Nigeria, the jury is still out on how far civilized behavior has developed therein and whether the law perches on the tip of their pyramid as obtains in many other functional places? 

Now lets examine the merits of Fashola's belated "unreserved and unqualified apology to those people who misunderstood him and his actions?" Icheoku says by delineating the sphere of the Igbo-offended, the governor failed to acknowledge that the entire broad Igbo spectrum was offended by his action. The governor tried to use the legendary divide and conquer tactic to divide the Igbo people by classifying them into those who "understood and clapped for him and his actions" and those who didn't. This is totally a wrong approach and the attempt woefully failed as no true son or daughter of Igboland except for the sellout Joe Igbokwe, who found Governor Fashola's illegal action funny or a laughing matter. It is both reprehensible and deplorable. It is not a joke for anyone when another tries to alienate him or her from his fatherland just like with Shugaba in the then Shagari's NPN, hence the entire Igbo nation frowned at Fashola's action. Icheoku says Igbo people condemn the deportation of their people from Lagos by Governor Fashola as a classless attack on their general right to be full Nigerian citizens with inalienable right to reside anywhere and wherever they may deem fit within Nigeria.

Icheoku also has issue with the forum wherein the alleged apology was tendered as Aka Ikenga does not represent nor do they speak for the Igbo nation. Aka Ikenga is a cloister of some Igbo professionals in Lagos who hardly visit Igboland; they congregate to propagate their personal/private business and professional interest but definitely they do not act for the Igbos as a whole. They also do not speak for nor are they mandated to act on behalf of the Igbo people, hence cannot hold brief for the Igbos or mediate any Igbo cause or disputation like the current face-off the Igbo people have with Governor Fashola over his illegal deportation of their people from Lagos. If indeed Governor Fashola sincerely wants to reach out to Igbo people to placate them for his provocative action, the preferred and rightful forum and as is also indeed well known to Fashola, is and still remains either the Igbo Governors Forum or the Igbo umbrella representative organisation, Oha na eze Ndigbo. What Governor Fashola did by using the platform of Aka Ikenga to try and reach out to the Igbos is akin to trying to enter a house through the backdoor and this is unacceptable. Icheoku queries why would a "deeply sorry and sincere Fashola," desirous of atoning for his sins of perfidy, not use the proper Igbo channel to communicate his apology to the Igbos? Instead the governor resorted to a very confined group who are not broadly representative of the Igbo people nor do they command any followership in Igboland. A group made up of chiefly Lagos and Abuja dwellers, who hardly visit their ancestral homes in the East and who do not for every intent and purpose speak for the Igbos nor represent them or their interest can hardly be said to be a medium of and for the Igbo people. 

Governor Fashola went to Aka Ikenga to literally 'thank them for helping out with his father's funeral with their largest "herd of cattle?" Therefore, it is safe to assume that Fashola was just palling around with his Aka Ikenga friends when he decided to try and play a fast one with his so called apology, but he definitely was not honestly trying to reach out to Igbo people whose interest he violated by that deportation. For an action which took place on July 24, 2013, he waited until September 27, 2013 before he found it meritorious and convenient to apologise for it; and after repeatedly previously denying that it took place as well as its illegality and/or his culpability in it. Icheoku asks was the governor forced by to change his course by his boss Bola Tinubu or prompted by the floundering Ngige campaign in Anambra State or did he merely used the opportunity provided by Aka Ikenga event to seek rapprochement with the Igbos? Where was his contrition and at what stage of the controversy did he realize that what he did was both wrong and illegal and that an earlier, much timely apology, would have gone farther than this belated attempt to explain an unexplainable action. Hear the governor in his own words "I came here to say thank you for the honor done to my family and the memory of my late father. People who clearly do not understand the actions taken and words spoken are the people I owe an explanation." Icheoku asks, is the governor now telling the rest of majority Igbo people that the Aka Ikenga understood and approved his actions? 

Icheoku asks if the governor as he claimed "cannot take the Igbos for granted", why did he not seek a more humane approach to solving the problem those unfortunate Igbo people had in Lagos instead of the Nazi-gestapo styled manner of rounding them up, literally kidnapping them, and shipping them to a "concentration camp" in Onitsha and in the dead of the night without even intimating the would be receiving governor or their next of kins? If as the governor claimed, "a relationship of tolerance, mutual respect, love and trust with the Igbos has been built over the years," why was all of these in short supply when he executed his clandestine act of deporting Igbo citizens of Nigeria from within their own country? Where was his tolerance when he could not tolerate less fortunate members of the Nigerian society who happen to call Lagos home? 

Where was the governor's mutual respect for humanity, knowing fully well that all persons are not equally well endowed with resources and that those unfortunate Nigerians did not choose to be so impoverished? Icheoku asks where was Fashola's love for God's children or is he now questioning God on why those deportees were not as rich and as affluent as those who in his eyes merit to live in Lagos? If Governor Fashola believes in trust, why did he not trust the Governor of the would-be recipient Anambra State to intimate him of his planned kidnapping, asporting and dumping of Nigerian citizens in Anambra State? Icheoku says if indeed Governor Fashola valued the relationship which existed across the Niger, why did he not treat those deportees as he would treat those area boys (alayees) of Lagos and not un-needfully distinguishing between this two types of indigent Nigerians - those from Lagos and those from the other country, Igboland? 

To add insult to an already festering deep gash, the governor qualified his apology with the word "IF", yet it is an "unqualified apology" in his jaundiced view; which goes to show that he still does not get it - the gravity of what he did. So by necessary implication, the governor did not show remorse as he stated that it was the form and not the substance of his action that was the fall guy here? According to the governor, "I offer an unreserved apology IF the actions had been misunderstood." icheoku says there is nothing to either understand or be misunderstood here as the blatancy of the action is very clear and speaks volume for itself. To reiterate icheoku admonishes that there is nothing else needing or requiring additional understanding or misunderstanding in the fact that some citizens of Nigeria were kidnapped and deported from their own country. 

The governor further made allusion to a Ben Akabueze, an Igbo, serving in his government to further show that he has no beef with the Igbos and that he couldn't have 'looked Ben in the eyes after deporting his people,' right? Icheoku says if indeed Fashola's love for the Igbo people is Romeo and Juliet like, how many other Igbo persons did he employ in his administration aside of that Bola Tinubu's mole and financial gatekeeper, who was put there by Tinubu and forcibly imposed on and inherited by Fashola? Icheoku says if Governor Fashola thinks he has power as governor of Lagos State, in addition to being in power therein, let him fire Ben or redeploy him to another ministry and watch himself consumed by the wrath of Bola Tinubu through impeachment from office. 

Icheoku is indeed stupefied at the gullibility of Igbo people who like children are easily pacified with a simple candy despite possessing a potential clout that they could easily harness to get whatever they want in Nigeria but fail to do so due to motley of disorganized, dysfunctional, wildebeest-like incoherent divergent pursuits to issues affecting them as a people. The Igbo people have become pawn in everybody's chess board game in Nigeria, including Fashola's; and they are being individually easily manipulated simply because they lack a collective common purpose as a united people. Practically, every Igbo person wants to make it and be the it in their enclave as the man who must be feared and respected by all at the pain of using corrupt contacts to inflict untoward hardship on anyone who is not singing the chorus of their infallibility and God-like quality? In this rambling atmosphere, other Nigerians are cashing in to rubbish the Igbo people further and so easily that Icheoku cries out WHY can't there be an Igbo people that spoke with one voice -a collective voice force. Icheoku questions what this Fashola was talking about when he used the word "misunderstanding" to describe what he did or state that the number of those he deported was over exaggerated? According to the governor, those people were just seventeen and not seventy; to which Icheoku says one deportation of a people from their own country is simply one deportation too many or is the governor waiting until he deports about one million Igbos from Lagos to accept or acknowledge that what he did was both wrong, illegal and highly deplorable?

Further, Icheoku says there is nothing wrong with people moving from one part of their country to another provided it is to an area still within their country's geographical entity. It is called demographic mobility and people do it throughout the world. The United States Clinton family for example saw Hillary from Illinois marry Bill from Arkansas and relocated to Little Rock where he became a governor's wife and thereafter, moved to New York and later became a State's Senator. Ditto the Bush family that migrated from Connecticut where their grandfather was a Congressman to Texas from where two Bushes won elections to and served as presidents of the United States; after one served as governor and another son Jeb moved to Florida where he also became governor and where he still calls home till date. Personally, Icheoku has also personally moved through so many states too; so for the governor of Lagos State to see this imitable trait among the Igbos as a bad omen is indeed truly very disturbing. The worst of it being the governor's questioning of whether the Igbos are being more Nigerians than Igbos? Is the governor expecting the Igbos to be tribal bigots like his ilks and was he indeed asking where Igbo peoples' loyalty lies? Icheoku says if Governor Fashola thinks that he does not have problems with the Igbo people as a result of this deportation, then he has another thing coming. Imagine his arrogance not appreciating the magnitude of his caused injury to a people irrespective that some carpet-beggars, favor-seekers and contract seekers of the Igbo stork flooded his father's funeral with the largest "herd of cattle".  

Finally, Icheoku says this governor must be delusional in thinking that kidnapping and shipping some less fortunate members of the Nigerian society out of Lagos is going to make Lagos better. The solution to making Lagos better by this people would have been to upgrade their lives to a state where they could meaningfully contribute to Lagos State's economy and upkeep with their taxes and by performing other good citizens' duties and obligations. Any governor or government, not primarily driven by tribal bigotry would have seen these deportees as his fellow citizens with unreserved rights to inhabit any part of the geography called Nigeria, hence not deportable. Thereafter, the governor or government would seek ways to rehabilitate and reintegrate them back into the society as gainfully employable part of it. By empowering them with some skill acquisition or trade and backed up with some soft loans to jump-start their sputtering lives once again, these deportees would have eventually realized their Lagos dream or at least headed in that direction. But what did the alaaye governor of Lagos State do? Like a thief in the middle of the night, he kidnapped these unfortunate Nigerians and shipped them away to their own land so far-away from the "foreign" land where they hitherto lived? Icheoku says there is no policy exhibited or implemented here that tasks human fallibility as claimed by the governor whatsoever. 

What the governor did is reprehensibly wrong and absolutely illegal, period. The governor would have said "I am sorry" but he did not. It is irrelevant whether an explanation or defense was intended with his Aka Ikenga visit; the basic thing is that an illegality should not have happened under a supposed Senior Advocate of Nigeria's watch, period. It is also noteworthy that the governor during his apology Aka Ikenga's visit, did not call the rascal Femi Fani Kayode to order or at least denounce him as not speaking for Lagos State or on behalf of him in this matter. So what does the governor's silence on the diatribe drug-addict Femi Fani Kayode is piling on the Igbos, says or tells the Igbos? Icheoku says if only Governor Fashola had put on his SAN's thinking hat pre-deportation and appreciate the illegality of his then planned action. may be all these would have become mute? This would have been the right thing to do and this is what would have saved a more sober Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola from the agonies of the moment and by extension take care of his belated non apologetic apology. 

But in a country given to unnecessarily braggadocio and where people think that the act of showing humility is a sign of weakness, Governor Fashola is now being hailed as magnanimous enough to tender an apology to the Igbos and that his sins have been forgiven? Icheoku says not too fast as those people he dumped in Onitsha have not been compensated or recalled back to Lagos or at least given some stipends for their inconvenience. Until Fashola remorsefully atones for his sins against the Igbos and their unfortunate-deported, Icheoku maintains that the forced apology was a little too late and should be ignored as not genuine and germane enough. The deportation was wrong , illegal and uncalled for and those victims of Governor Fashola's high-handedness should be brought back to Lagos and adequately compensated. Icheoku states that Aka Ikenga does not represent or speak for the Igbos, hence whatever they are doing or "understanding" with Governor Fashola is their private business. Governor Fashola offended the collective sensibilities of the Igbo people and if he wants to apologise for that he must go through the recognized igbo representatives channel - either the Igbo governors or the Oha na eze. Until then, Governor Fashola in the eye of icheoku, remains an avid Igbo hater who must be shunned by every true blooded Igbo person. 

AMERICA WINS AMERICA'S CUP, WHAT A COMEBACK LOOKS LIKE.

Icheoku says unlike other countries like Nigeria that usually looks to God to do their heavy lifting including qualifying and doing well in the upcoming World Cup tournament in Brazil 2014, America does it the old fashioned way - dogged determination and a will to triumph. This can-do, can-win attitude saw their Oracle Team USA come back from an assured defeat to snarl victory in the just concluded America's Cup sailing competition in San Francisco California. A Team USA trailing 8-1 came back from a near certain defeat to overrun the Kiwis in the finals to clinch the championship at 9-8 thereby retaining the cup for the second year back to back. Icheoku commends the sheer bravado of the Team USA sailors who despite the odds against their winning the tournament came from behind to roar to victory. 

One derivative from the Team USA victory is to never give up no matter how herculean the tasks looks like or how rugged the road ahead seems or even how steep the climb might otherwise be or look like. Icheoku congratulates the Larry Ellison sponsored Oracle Team USA for snatching victory from the New Zealand Team Emirate under a circumstance that could easily pass for a miracle of the Bay. Admitted the defending champion, Oracle Team USA, had two points deducted from them as penalty for cheating at the beginning of the tournament, which could have impacted their morals to so easily and quickly fall 1-8 to the Kiwis; but their eventual comeback and final victory shows they are possibly a better side who dutifully defended their championship. 

Icheoku does not know if Larry Ellison would re-stage the championship again in San Francisco, but whatever he decides, the tournament did well to create awareness to a sports considered by many as the pastime of the rich and wealthy, explaining the near lack of interest of ordinary San Franciscans who almost did not even know about a tournament holding in their city. Icheoku was lucky to have watched some of the races and is marvelled at the catamarans' near levitating maneuvers on the waters of San Francisco bay; and those sailors, boy were they all buffed - fitness defined. Icheoku says that what Oracle Team USA pulled off over the much fancied and favored Team Emirate of New Zealand - the Kiwis, is indeed what a typical come back really looks like, what a feat.

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD BAN, A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT.

Icheoku says the ban of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group in Egypt is a welcomed step in the right direction. We hereby congratulate the Egyptian military for doing what is best for their country regardless of what any outsider may think or otherwise feel since no one can be more Egyptian than the Egyptian security forces themselves who have devoted their lives to protecting the structural integrity of their country. 

Following the ban, Icheoku says the next step is to fire or sack any Egyptian who identifies him/herself with the now outlawed organisation from their jobs and lets see how they would continue to forcibly indoctrinate any Egyptian or cause any further upheaval with their brand of Islamic fundamentalism. Icheoku does not really care about democracy in some of these God forsaken countries where some elements of the society usually hijacks democracy and skewers it to suit their own ideological fundamentalism as witnessed recently in Egypt where then President Morsi looked the other way while foot soldiers of his Muslim Brotherhood literally ran every non Muslim Egyptian out of Egypt? 

Democracy must mean what it preaches - government of the people, by the people and for the people and not just for a few ideological class or elites. It must bear broad spectrum application to all regardless of their understanding of who God is and whether they choose to stand or knock their heads on the grounds or at a wall in prayers. If those lunatics in Egypt, who parade themselves as Muslim Brotherhood, wants to enjoy their so called democracy, it must not be at the backs of other non Muslim Brotherhood Egyptians. This is where the rubber meets the road in Icheoku's vehement disagreement with them and our support for the coup that toppled President Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood's fundamentalist government. Now this blanket ban of the terrorist group throughout Egypt becomes the icing on the cake towards Egypt's recovery from the siege that was laid on them by this Islamist fundamentalists through the Morsi government. Once again, Icheoku congratulates the Egyptian military for standing up to be counted when it mattered most for millions of Egyptians. Bravo Egyptian armed forces; long live Egyptian moderates!

2015, A THIRD TERM FOR JONATHAN?

Icheoku queries:- if President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan runs and wins in 2015, would he be then embarking on a third term presidency? The answer seems to be technically "Yes" since he would have been sworn in for the third time consecutively as president of Nigeria; except that he was not elected president in 2010 which somewhat made him a 'de-facto' president without a mandate as he was then merely completing the term of the late President Umaru Yar'Adua. Icheoku queries further, were President Umaru Yar'Adua to have instead died a day immediately following after his inauguration in May 2007, and the then Vice President Jonathan stepped in to "complete his four year remaining term," could this have also qualified as a completion of term and not Jonathan's own presidency term? 

The problem created here, which many people expected constitutional lawyers to have gone to court for determination is what number of years left in a presidency qualifies for completion of term and not a full term? At what stage in the presidency would an arising sudden vacancy create a fresh term for the succeeding vice president or a term of his own instead of just a mere completion of term? Icheoku is of the opinion that there is a lacunae in the law governing succession of the presidency in case of such unexpected vacancy arising from death or resignation or impeachment and the legislators should pull a rabbit out of their hats to fix this. Admitted that a vice president is a president in the waiting, but what happens where a conflict develops as to presidential term limit where such succeeding vice president claims as of right his entitlement to subsequent two full terms following his completion term of the departed president? Would this have inadvertently created an elongated term surpassing the allowable two terms of four years each aggregated eight years in office? So like in the poser prior, assuming a president died in the beginning of his first term and his vice president takes over and after the completion of the term seeks his own two four year term, would the law allow such a president to spend twelve years in office instead of the legal eight years? As with President Jonathan, if he finds his way and wins in 2015, he would have spent ten years in office instead of the allowed eight years, so is this legal and within the prescribed presidential terms? 

Icheoku posits that the National Congress owes Nigeria a resolution on this matter and they can follow the examples of some other countries including Venezuela where the vice president is allowed to function in an acting capacity only until elections are conducted to fill the created vacancy. Icheoku does not know what the position is in Ghana which also recently lost its President John Atta Mills and was succeeded by then vice president and now President John Dramani Mahama? When US President Kennedy was murdered in 1963 in Dallas Texas, Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson succeeded him but declined to run for a second term in 1968 when he said "I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president;" so the issue was not addressed nor settled then by the United States whose idea of democracy Nigeria is trying to emulate? So Icheoku says to avoid such undue advantage of benefiting extra years in the presidency, a sitting vice president should be legislated to only act as a president until a new president is elected to fill a created presidential vacancy. Just as they do in some other countries, such vice president should feel free to run to succeed the departed president and if he wins, start his own presidency de novo; as most recently happened in Venezuela when Hugo Chavez died and his Vice President Nicolas Maduro won a fill-vacancy election and became the new president. In such case, a vice president like the then Goodluck Jonathan would have held forte just as acting president for about three months within which elections would have been conducted and if he won, would have been sworn in as a freshman president who was beginning his own term. 

This would have solved all the problems now rearing its ugly head through the renegade "nPDP" that President Jonathan is going for a third term by running in 2015? According to this meddlesome interlopers, quoting their press release "What we are saying is that if President Jonathan chooses to run in 2015, it will be like the third term which Obasanjo wanted to smuggle into the 1993 constitution. What we are doing is to sensitize Nigerians that there is no difference between what Obasanjo wanted to do and what President Jonathan wants to do if he runs in 2015.." Icheoku says although this may sound plausible if weighed against some technicalities of President Jonathan having been sworn in 2010 and again in 2011 and possibly once more in 2015, but the "nPDP" and other well meaning Nigerians including Icheoku know for a fact that these disgruntled "nPDP" rebels are talking complete balderdash and gibberish with their misstated position meant only for the gullible, whom they intend to hoodwink into hating a third term agenda as they despised Obasanjo's and by extension President Jonathan's quest for his legal second term in 2015. 

These "nPDP" guys are being clever by half, they know the truth but are too coy in not speaking the truth about what transpired then in 2010 viz a viz their 2015 propaganda of a Jonathan's third term. Therefore Nigerians must rise up and tell these denigrates that they are not fools; that they know better and know exactly what the position of the law is regarding this matter and that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will not be going for a third term if he runs in 2015. 2015 would be Jonathan's second term if he chooses to go for it as he is rightly and legally entitled within the ambit of the provisions of the law. In 2010 when he became president by providence, he never ran, nor campaigned nor was he ever elected president and therefore had no term of his own but was merely complying with what the dictates of the law required of him as a sitting vice president to a demised president. At best the catapult which shot Jonathan into the presidency could be understood for what it is - an act of God, pure and simple. Put in another way the nearly two years succession-term which President Jonathan got in 2010 could be subsumed as a bonus to his presidential term, but not a presidential term of his own to preclude him from seeking another term in 2015, period. Nigerians be wise and do not let any of these anarchists put a ring on your nose. It is 2013 for crying out loud, so why must some disruptive usurpers do your thinking for you. 

YET ANOTHER MASSACRE IN THE USA?

Icheoku says Boko Haram or no Boko Haram, Nigeria seemingly might afterall be safer than so many countries including the United States of America? At least in Nigeria, the scourge of Boko Haram is confined within the Islamic enclave of Northern Nigeria especially Northeastern Bornu State and surrounding states. So relatively speaking, one knows where to avoid in order to still stand a chance at staying above the ground; but in America, every place could be the it - someone's last breath on earth. Everyone, literally speaking, is a potential gunman, a time-bomb, waiting to go off and at anytime with or without any direct provocation from the victim. There are guns everywhere and so many crazed out people are just pulling those triggers without first considering the irreparable harm they are causing and the damage they are inflicting on the society's general psyche with their blatant disregard for human lives and public safety. People are afraid and for a good reason, although not intimidated.

Not in the church, not in kindergartens, not in High schools, not in universities and colleges, not in movie theaters, not on the roads, not in court houses, not in police stations, not at other workplaces, not even in your own house despite the hefty mortgages and rents - just any place could be the place you take your last breath on earth. And now it appears military installations has been brought under this fog of needless massacres in America. Following Fort-Hood, another military installation, a Navy Yard in Washington DC has fallen prey to one of these lunatics of America who must take people along with them as they, tired of living, make that conscious decision enroute their exit from this earth. Aaron Alexis of Texas has entered the annals of these despicable mass murderers of America. Icheoku bemoans this latest killings in Washington DC's Naval Yard that took the lives of twelve innocent people whose only crime was that they went to do their jobs in order to earn their living wages. When shall this madness end, America? Admitted that guns do not kill people, people do, using guns; but what is the solution America? 

Also it is important to note that today's gunman is a BLACK-MAN which led one commentator to post that "If Obama had a son he will look like the gunman;" alluding to the president's remark about Trevor Martin. Icheoku says to the poster of this comment, that the gunman is not young enough to be Obama's son and that there is no need trying to input a racial undertone to this mass murder as a killer is a killer regardless of his skin color; but if you must know, Icheoku reminds you that this is the only gunman in recent history whose skin color is not pale. To some extent, Aaron Alexis's skin color does not fit the typical profiled mass murderers of America and there goes the verdict for crying out loud. To the victims of Navy Yard in Washington DC, Icheoku says rest in peace; to the families of the killed, please take heart; and to Aaron Alexis, why? Admitted that many atimes, one's button could be so often pushed and to such an extent that thoughts of the unthinkable starts gushing into one's mind, BUT you should have walked away and tried your luck elsewhere. Icheoku admonishes that no amount of provocation whatsoever justifies the taking of lives. What another bloody workplace day in America except that it will not still persuade those holding out on meaningful gun legislation from turning the corner. Quite unfortunate.

ATIKU'S NON-DENIAL DENIAL, RESPONSE TO OBASANJO'S ACCUSATIONS?

Icheoku says when evidence is so glaring, the accused can but throw things at the wall hoping something sticks. Instead of taking up Baba Iyabo's challenge that he visits America to prove his innocence, Abubakar Atiku went to town with his resume of being a deep pocket ever before his vice presidency. Further he bragged about establishing industries and companies but without telling Icheoku and millions of other curious Nigerians who are working in these industries or where those industries are located or what they are manufacturing or producing. Anyway be the judge as below here is Mallam Atiku's denial to Baba Iyabo's accusation that he is eminently a very CORRUPT person, reproduced:- 

"Following the corruption charges made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in an EFCC magazine ‘Zero Tolerance’ that former vice-president risked jail if he traveled to the United States, the former president is wrong. It is widely known that Atiku did not enter government broke. He declared his assets at the commencement of his vice-presidency and did so at the end of his term as required by the constitution, which is a sacred document to Atiku. Atiku, who is currently returning from China after leading a private economic trade mission at the invitation of the Chinese government, travels often and has a well-documented record of building industries and putting thousands of Nigerians to work. And this record, quite frankly, has been thoroughly investigated. Mr. Abubakar has no case to answer from the American Government as he spent three months in the country before the late Nigerian President Yar'Adua was inaugurated without being arrested."

In answer to Atiku's claim of a three months sojourn in the United States before Yar'Adua was inaugurated, Icheoku says by then he probably was still covered by diplomatic immunity as a sitting vice president of a friendly country. Moreso, it was likely that investigation into his alleged corruption was still ongoing and this period was also before his USA accomplice Congressman Williams Jefferson was convicted for stashing $90,000.00 cold cash, part of Atiku's bribe money, inside his freezer. So to lay this matter to rest, Atiku should board the next Delta or United or even Arik airlines flight to JFK and prove that a clear conscience fears no accusation and that he has nothing to fear by avoiding United States of America. This is a challenge that Obasanjo has thrown for Atiku and only Atiku can disprove this through a proactive visit to Uncle Sam's and God's own country. Until then, Icheoku views Atiku suspiciously as an itching finger inside Nigeria's pot of gold and should never be allowed near the presidency, not in his life, NEVER AGAIN!

ATIKU IS A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE - OBASANJO.

Icheoku says you heard it right from the horses' mouth - his boss and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo whose vice president Abubakar Atiku was when he allegedly looted Nigeria dry during the privatization process. Icheoku says if anyone should know the dept of Abubakar Atiku's loot of the nation that person should be Obasanjo and little wonder the Otta deity once said "I dey laugh" to a question on whether Atiku would succeed him. 

In Obasanjo's latest salvo, attacking Atiku's corruptive tendencies, the Otta farmer said "Atiku is a fugitive in United States. I don’t know if he can go to America…He travels? Travels to where? To Dubai? Let him go to America and return to Nigeria”. With those words, Baba Iyabo once again indicted his former number two and peradventure warns Nigeria to beware of the Abubakar Atiku led seven denigrate former PDP governors and their supposedly new-PDP. Icheoku says what a thieving looter in chief this Atiku is and anyone in doubt should urge or encourage Abubakar Atiku to take up the Obasanjo challenge and visit America. In short Obasanjo has dared Atiku to set his feet on American soil and go to jail. Icheoku says Nigerians are awaiting for Atiku to prove his innocence.

PDP PUTSCH, THE COUP MUST NOT STAND!

Icheoku says the Abubakar Atiku led seven vagrant governors' attempt to forcibly hijack the PDP should be understood for what it is - a civilian coup de`tat or its attempt at minimum, period. As with any unsuccessful coup, its hatchers and perpetrators should be mercilessly crushed in order to send a message that such unlawful act of moving against duly elected and constituted body is always gravely frowned at. Icheoku has nothing against anyone or any group of persons from taking a stand, advocating a position or even ganging up to push what they consider is in their best interest. They can also use or choose any platform to lender amplification to their cause or voice. BUT for the same person or group of persons to attempt to illegally hijack the machinery of a duly established, authorised and otherwise functioning political party because certain policies therein are disagreeable to them should be frowned at by all decent men and women of the given geographical entity irrespective of their party affiliations. It is not right, it is wrong, it is illegal. Such unruly behavior by a handful of dejected former party members, if allowed to stand is capable of resulting to anarchy and therefore must be crushed and ruthlessly.

Icheoku says if Abubakar Atiku and those recalcitrant governors as well as their followers want to leave the PDP they are free to do so. If they want to pitch their tent with the opposition APC they are also so entitled. If any of them wants to run for the presidency in 2015 or any other future date, they are equally eminently so entitled. If they want to form a new political party or decamp enmass to their newly registered political party, PDM, and then use that platform to oppose or challenge the president come 2015, let them be my guest. But what Icheoku as well as many other millions of discerning Nigerians will not tolerate is the latest antic by some disgruntled former PDP hacks to hijack the PDP and with it, the governance at the center. There is an elected president; there is a political party in power and there is elected party officials running the political party. Further there is spelled out manner of affecting leadership change when called for. Icheoku asks, what impetus drove these political fanatics to make a go at the party's leadership without due process and without the president's input as leader of the party, other than to summarize their action as a civilian coup or its attempt? If their illegal action is allowed to stand, what stops another group of political conspirators from hatching yet another putsch in the future? It is common amongst military coup plotters who make a go at each other with any given opportunity. 

These coup plotting politicians must not and should not be allowed to succeed in hijacking or stealing by default the party or its machinery. They should not be allowed to get away with their illegality and should be dealt with accordingly and in order to set example and deterrence against any such rascal behavior in the future. They have other legitimate means available to them but they choose otherwise and decided to take the law into their hands. If they want a change in leadership, they should follow laid down procedure - call for election, contest and if elected, serve. But any other attempt at circumventing the process or try to enter the house through the window or back door should be resisted and by all and sundry irrespective of political partisanships. Only a thief breaches a home and these marauders have breached the PDP house and should be treated with bare knuckles. This is where the rubber meets the road and where the proverbial line in the sand is and should be drawn and any leg found crossing it smashed to pieces. Icheoku stands convincingly resolute that the need to crush these rebels mercilessly exists and only such drastic response to their provocation is called for and no negotiations whatsoever is warranted. 

Icheoku says except Nigerians do not like the peace and free-reign extended to them by President Jonathan, it might be about time it ended so that fear will once again envelope the land? Unlike Buhari how many Bartholomeo Owos and co have been murdered based on a retroactive decree under Jonathan? Unlike Babangida, how many Dele Giwas have been bombed to pieces under Jonathan? Unlike Abacha, how many Saro Wiwas, Pa Rewanes, Kudirat Abiola etc have been hanged or murdered in cold blood under Jonathan? Unlike Abdusalam Abubakar, how many MKO Abiolas have been poisoned by tea under Jonathan? Unlike Obasanjo, how many Harry Marshalls, Bola Iges etc have been murdered under Jonathan? Unlike Obasanjo, how many Abubakar Atikus, Nuhu Ribadus have scampered into exile for safety since Jonathan was elected president? Unlike Obasanjo, how many governors have been removed as a result of unfavorable reports from security agencies or emergency declarations? Unlike Obasanjo, how many governors have been kidnapped under Jonathan? Unlike Obasanjo, how many governors or their relatives or aides have been harangued by the EFCC? Unlike Obasanjo, how many newspapers or other media outlets have been shuttered under Jonathan, despite printing and publishing unprintables about the person of the president and his wife? Unlike Obasanjo, how many banana peels have been thrown and that claimed victims in the National Congress under Jonathan; as Nigerians are aware of the shifting chair that was both the Speakership and Senate Presidency during Baba Iyabo's reign? Unlike Obasanjo, how many Slok Airlines, Hallmark Banks, Savannah Banks, Ibeto cement and other businesses belonging to perceived political foes have been closed under Jonathan? So why should this President Goodluck Jonathan, who have extended to Nigerians some olive branch and allowed them to roam freely, be receiving these disrespectful treatment in the hands of Nigerians, especially those disgruntled politicians formerly of his party?

Icheoku says the simple fact of the matter is that Nigerians do not cherish freedom but love those leaders who treat them as donkeys - poorly and without any regards. They prefer the cudgel and the stick like mental people who must be whipped to conform to basic instructions? They would rather their bodies and skins replaced their ears since they respond to inflicted pain more than soundbites? As a friend would put it, Nigerians are like women, you do not give them any breather because if you allow them they will start looking for allowance and before you know it they will be spitting and slapping your face as a weakling. This is the fate being suffered today by President Jonathan for being too educated and too civil to play it rough and dirty with Nigerians. President Jonathan does not belong nor was he raised in a brutish barrack environment like Obasanjo and not having this sinister experience and mentality of do or die, he is today paying dearly for because of the crass society that he is presiding over. 

Nigerians prefer being put on a leash; always told what to do; told when to wake up and go to sleep; and sometimes even when to open their mouth? Do this and Nigerians will tremblingly bid your wish and respect you out of fear. This is what is deficient with President Jonathan and Nigerians are vagrantly milking his cow without reservation. Now President Goodluck Jonathan, you know what to do - change your color, shed your sheep's skin and adorn the leopard's and watch as Nigerians fall on your feet in trepidation. Turn your dogs of war loose and let them feast on all those political charlatans and urchins who are sabotaging your presidency; especially those who have conspired and purportedly have thrown spanner in the works for your 2015 reelection effort by trying to steal your party under your nose. By virtue of your office, the Peoples Democratic Party belongs to you and you reserve the right to force anyone out of it including Olusegun Obasanjo. However, you might just start flexing your muscle by expelling Abubakar Atiku and his cohort and fellow conspirators seven governors therefrom. The security agencies are waiting to be used; Obasanjo used them, so copy a page from his book of do or die politics and regain your lost grounds. Those dissidents have already registered their PDM, so they should feel free to move over to their newly registered political party BUT they must not and SHOULD not be allowed to burn down the PDP house before raising their new flag under their registered PDM. Enough!

PDP DISSIDENT GOVERNORS, TREAT THEM LIKE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION.

Icheoku says it is about time President Goodluck Jonathan stopped treating those errant governors as his political friends and rather treat them as political foes and as he would treat official opposition like Muhammadu Buhari or Bola Tinubu and now even Abubakar Atiku, period. These guys, by their actions and utterances, are no longer anything friendly; they have morphed into political vermin of the president and are now doggedly going for the jugular of the political life of the president. The president, in order to survive their machinations, must fight back or have himself to blame when these guys would have succeeded in making a mincemeat of him come 2015 if they are not checkmated right now. 

Icheoku says it is about time now for President Jonathan to say "wait a minute", this is no longer a tolerable political jostling and the normal political horse-trading in a democracy; but a fight to finish for his political life and he must fight like his life is dependent on it. Imagine the unpalatable conditions these guys are giving the president before peace could be made in the PDP as if they are the lords of Manor with all the aces in the party? Imagine these rascally governors throwing gauntlet against a sitting president and challenging and goading him for a fight; and you wonder why any president should be so disrespected and so demeaned in this manner? Icheoku says President Jonathan lost his mojo the day he decried that he is neither an army general nor a despot to tell Nigerians what to do and Nigerians, as represented by these governors, like the sharks they are, smelled blood and are now pummeling the president left, right and center. Imagine the base treatment this president has tolerated from these recalcitrant governors and continues to allow them to mete to him? Anyway, Icheoku believes it is not too late for the president to rediscover his presidential clout and use same in order to save his face and office. The president can still do something to turn this ugly tide or at least make these guys know who is on top of the food chain. Would they have dared what they are currently dishing out when Baba Iyabo was in Aso Rock or even the then ailing and now dead weakling Umaru Yar'Adua? 

Look at the litany of the disrespect and insults they have levied on President Jonathan and you wonder if these guys have not since crossed the proverbial "red-line" in their face-off with the commander in chief and chief executive president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The gang of rascally governors first made their unapproved mutinous rounds visiting and cavorting with despicable former military coup plotters/head of states, plotting against a sitting president? Icheoku wondered why the president did not arrest them or at least raise an alarm for their planning to destabilize the country as well as his government. Then they followed it with their refusal to honor the presidents invitation to Aso Rock; then the irate Kwankwaso took it a step further by refusing to greet the president while visiting Aso Rock on a presidential function? These governors also staged a walkout on a sitting president while he was still deliberating states' matters? Most recently, the same Kano State Governor Kwakwanso while again in Aso Rock for a peace initiative, refused once again to stand by the president for a photo-up with the president and now as if they have not caused enough havoc, the same gang of governors' staged a coup and purportedly forcibly took over the PDP with their acolytes. Add these to their so many other infra-digs alongside their minders and goaders alike, and you wonder when should enough be really enough for the president before he curtails these their excesses? Icheoku asks, what manner of man has this much elasticity of capacity for tolerance of the stupidity, disrespect and challenge of his constituted authority by ordinary governors and party members of his party? Would these rabble-rousers dared during previous governments of Obasanjo and Yar'Adua talkless of military despots of Babangida, Buhari or Abacha?

Icheoku says Jonathan where is the bite of your presidency? When would you bare your presidential fangs for these guys to know who is in charge of the land? It is now time to use it or forever be gored into political and historical irrelevance as the president who was ran out of town (Aso Rock) by ordinary governors and ordinary party hacks. Could these seven rascally governors or anyone for that matter attempt such effrontery during the reign of Baba Iyabo or even the debilitated Umaru Yar'Adua? Imagine the arrogance audacity of their demands that the party chairman be sacked; that the president should forget about 2015 reelection; that the NGF crisis should be resolved in favor of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; and that the governors should be left to run wild with their states' fiscal allocations and that they should not be check and balanced by EFCC; as well as other sundry lists of stupid demands before there could be any meaningful reconciliation within the party? Icheoku says these guys are acting as if they have all the aces and that the president won the election because of them and is in office at their pleasure? Imagine giving absolute conditions and terms for reconciliation based on purely what they want, regardless of the party or the other side? 

Icheoku says the President won his election without carrying any of those recalcitrant governors' states except for Rivers, so why the sudden claim to political relevance by these power-grabbing governors that has made the president to allow himself to be so hog-tied to these governors dictates? What is it that really make these governors believe that without them that there can be no re-elected President Jonathan in 2015 or that the skies over Nigeria holds up by their grace? Imagine Jigawa State Governor Lamido was miffed at the president because his son was caught money laundering and now the errant governor holds it against the president? Icheoku queries:- does Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido want President Jonathan to be like Muhammadu Buhari who allowed his ADC Jokolo to bring into Nigeria 53 suitcases filled with hard currency from Saudi Arabia without necessary Customs' clearance during the 1983 currency exchange? Also Kwara State Governor Ahmed is mad at the president because he believes that as a governor he is free to run amok with state resources and that his brother cannot and should not be questioned by the EFCC for illegal Sixty million Naira State contract which he never executed? 

Further, Kano State Kwakwanso is mad at the president because CBN Islamic Governor Sanusi will not be reappointed and was queried for doling out 500 million Naira Nigerians money to Kano State without presidency's approval. The governor is also furious because NPC Odimegwu had the audacity to query a 2006 made-up census figures that gave Kano State population superiority over Lagos? Rivers States' Rotimi Amaechi is politically too ambitious and is prepared to trade a zonal presidency for his selfish vice presidential interest and you ask yourself what has that guy been smoking lately to desire such a trade? If you were President Jonathan, what would you do for such a betrayal of regional effort and cause? Adamawa State Governor Nyako is pissed off at party Chairman Tukur and is now channeling his internal state misgivings with Bamaga Tukur at the president for standing by his party chairman? 

As for Sokoto State, Niger State and one other, Icheoku believes that religion and oil revenue sharing formula has something to do with their unfavorable disposition at the current occupant of Aso Rock. But who cares what these mullahs think or feel about President Jonathan trying to lift his Niger Delta region from abject neglect despite their God given oil wealth, afterall Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida over-developed Minna and Niger State with Gwadebe/David Mark as military administrators during his military hijack of governance in Nigeria to the detriment of other states in Nigeria? It is also important to note that possibly these governors do not like the fact that the Boko Haram Islamic upheaval situation is firmly being contained as they had wished it would have been the easiest passport to accomplish their devilish intention to take back power. 

Icheoku therefore implores President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP hierarchy to forget their attempt at resolving the trumped up grievances and rather treat these seven governors as insurgents out to get him. They possibly are working for the opposition APC and no matter the concession they receive, they will come up with something else as their grievance. Time is now to tough it out - if they want to go, let them go. Nigeria can accommodate multiple parties and let the best win the election. Let them form their own party, then APC and then PDP as well as other mushroom parties; it is okay but this attempt at wooing these errants must stop and NOW. 

These spoilers are moles for the opposition; they do not have the interest of the party or Nigeria at heart and are doing whatever they could to bring down the house. Atiku ran away before; only to come back and is now pulling this latest joker of hijacking the party? So ask yourselves, who ever burns down a house he built except a psycho who wants to visit pain on its co-dwellers? Look at Oyinlola, a sacked former party scribe now parading himself as the new deal? Icheoku says this is simply laughable and further makes a mockery of a president who is as toothless as an old bulldog. A president who lost his fangs when he said that he is neither an army general nor a despot and cannot be expected to tell Nigerians what to do; so having made himself a mouse, is it any surprise that cats are now gnawing at his remains. Icheoku is emphatic that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan brought his current political hardship unto himself and only him can extricate himself from the hellish fire consuming his presidency. 

Where in this world could it be told that a sitting president with all the accoutrement of office is been turned into a pinata and that his presidency is now adrift simply because his timidity has made it impossible for him to wield the big stick. All he has to do is turn loose his dogs of war and let them maul those who stand in the way - just break some knee-caps and the rest will fall in line, period. Obasanjo did it and even kidnapped a sitting governor; impeached another and removed some other via emergency declaration. It is called putting the fear of God in people so that even if they don't like you; at least they would be afraid of you which in Jonathan's case, none applies. It is indeed unfortunate that the presidency of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been decimated to such a laughing joke that ordinary state governor like Kano State Kwakwanso and his fellow-travelling revelers are now running circles around the president, dribbling and mocking him with their actions and utterances. Icheoku says to President Jonathan, ENOUGH should be your marching orders and NOW.