RUSSIA IS A REGIONAL POWER, DECLARES PRESIDENT OBAMA.

Icheoku says it is official - Russia is no longer a super (world) power. It is a mere regional power and that region is within the Caucuses enclave only, no more, no less, period. According to United States President Obama, it is the inferiority complex Russia is suffering from their much degraded status from a former super power to a mere regional power that has forced them into the overdrive of seeking relevance and influence by all means necessary, which led to their invasion of neighboring Ukrainian Crimea? President Barack Obama, the official leader of the free world, made this known while further canvassing for a peaceful resolution of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. The president inferred that it is not out of fear of the Russians or that they might win in an all out war with the West that is motivating the West's desire for a peaceful resolution of the aggression; rather it is to avoid sending the entire world in a dangerous downward spiral whose end no one can predict. Aggression or bullying is always a mark of weakness and not strength and this is what Russian Vladimir Putin exhibited when he sneaked into Ukrainian Crimea under the cover of darkness and blatant lies and grabbed their land. This petulant behavior of Vladimir Putin cannot and should not be tolerated or condoned by any peace-loving world citizen. 

Icheoku says what Western Powers have been protecting Russia from, in order to leave Russians' pride intact, has been outed and the only one to blame for this is the former KGB spy chief Vladimir Putin. Russia ceased to be world power decades ago following the implosion of the forcibly clobbered together Union of Socialists Soviet Republics aka Soviet Union. Since then, what remains of Russia has been on a steady decline and barely hanging in there; and suddenly tired of remaining the underdog, dictator Vladimir Putin is now rattling his sabre and saying, hey world, Russia is still here o! For all intent and purpose, Russia has been living a lie and under the afterburners of their former "glory" that they are still relevant in the world; but ask them when last they played any major role in world peace-making or keeping; or rushing to the aid of any country smitten with disaster and their hands are up in the air in surrender. But they miscalculated in Ukrainian Crimea and now the only authentic leader of the world and president of the one and only surviving true super world power has given that dog its true name - a regional power. 

Russia is a regional power in so far as the Caucuses is concerned from the east-border with Ukraine eastwards. Also, Russia has no true friends left in the world except for some rogue dictators with whom they do arms deals. Icheoku asks where has Russians been to lately to project their power - in relief efforts to needy parts of the world or provide peace effort? Apparently, they cannot even take care of their own population, over ten million of who are refugees in America, both economic and political refugees that is. They equally do not answer present in intervention forces to maintain world peace or participate in world's concerted effort to fight and defeat terrorism? Icheoku strongly believes that the West can kick Russians' butt in the event of an all-out war but is cautious that the rest of the world might be dragged into untold hardship and difficulty in a conflict. This will also force various countries into dealing with issues that they ordinarily would not or are not well equipped to because of America's engagement. 

The good news is that imposed sanctions are beginning to take a bite out of Russian economy already and an all out shooting war might not after-all be necessary to force Russia's about-turn in Ukrainian Crimea. A sign of this development is that Russia has been forced to make a u-turn and has entered into immediate talks with the Ukrainian government which they had hitherto refused to recognize as legitimate. Icheoku can confirm that following a flurry of phone calls between Kiev and Moscow, Russia and Ukraine foreign ministers met and held talks for the first time in a face to face meeting today. Who says all masquerades are equal?

Icheoku feels obliged to point out one fact of consequence - that gentle giants still exists and that can be found in the United States of America. A country which can conquer and take over so many countries but chooses not to; and even the mini-me Cuba still freely runs off its mouth within ninety miles of its backwaters. This is what Icheoku calls real strength - having the restraint ability and not throwing your weight around just because you can. It is the doctrine of you can easily do it but chose not to. It is discipline and it is the hallmark of a great one and America is the greatest country on the face of the earth as presently constituted or known to mankind. 

Going back into history, America has fought and won so many wars BUT none of which it ever started or was the aggressor? It is also instructive that but for Vietnam and the Bay of Pigs from where they withdrew, they never lost any of the wars. America first fought off the British colonialist in their war of independence, they fought and defeated the Spaniards over southern territories, they fought and defeated Mexico over territories, they fought and defeated Nazi Germany, Mussolini's fascist Italy, Japan's provocation and most recently the armies of Saddam Hussein as well as Al Quieda in Afghanistan. They also knocked  out Gaddafi's short lived resistance in Libya. Remarkably though, they did not occupy any of these countries but rebuilt them and handed them over back to the people. The war against Germany was provoked by Hitler, ditto Mussolini of Italy while the Japanese dragged America into second world war by bombing Hawaii. Saddam Hussein invited Americans into war by refusing to vacate occupied Kuwait and Afghanistan had a chance to pony up Osama Bin Laden but refused. Even the assistance Britain received over Falklands was because Argentina provoked the war by invading Maldives which the Royal Navy only repelled with American help? But unlike Russia and its Vladimir Putin, agent provocateur and land grabber, who is occupying other countries (Georgia and Ukraine) territories. Russia, Icheoku says, give up Crimea back its rightful owner.

BATTLE OF IDEOLOGY, IS BOKO HARAM WINNING THE WAR?

Just asking, is the Northern Nigerian Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, winning the war of ideology it is currently waging in Northeastern Nigeria? The answer depends on who you ask or which side of the divide is propagandizing the propaganda; but as far as Icheoku is concerned, it would appear that the government is inadvertently helping the BK in their stated goal of bringing to an end Western-styled education in that part of Nigeria. According to these terrorists, "Western Education is Dangerous", hence their sworn determination to end it, leading to the war of attrition and mayhem being visited on mostly hapless sleeping students of Western education in that region. Recall that no Islamic school or Madrassa or other Islamic themed center for Quoranic studies or their students has ever been attacked, burnt or destroyed throughout the long-running madness of indescribable torture and bloodletting. Icheoku says, now that the Nigerian Government of President Jonathan is closing schools in those affected areas as a means of safeguarding the students-targets of Boko Haram's madness, is the government unwittingly helping the Boko Haram's agenda? 

To date over one hundred schools have been closed in that region in order to help keep students safe BUT in their parents houses; where they have been sent on a long lasting vacation with no end in sight. Query:-if schools indoctrinating and teaching "Western-styled education" to these students are closed, technically ending "Western Education", is that not tantamount to ceding that argument to these terrorists? Have Boko Haram not achieved their objective, albeit through the backdoor by this action of the government? 

Icheoku says closing these schools is not the answer otherwise Boko Haram would have won since their stated objective was to not teach these students Western education? Icheoku believes the proper and right course of action is to heavily secure these institutions of learning and allow these students to continue to study. This will further spite these Muslim raving lunatics and eventually lead to their defeat. Any other recourse in tackling this problem is knee-jerk and laughable as these animals deserves nothing short of fire for fire and total destruction, period. It is a battle of ideologies and it is such case as calls for yea and nay - the good one ought, should and must always triumph. There is no acceptable middle ground between good and evil. If Nigeria does not have enough security operatives to effectively man these schools, let it create an all volunteer corp made up of retired military, custom and police personnel; augmented by other civilians to assist with the effort. Also a new security outfit to solely target terrorism such as Boko Haram could be established, modeled after America's Homeland Security or National Guard, to solely protect the country's institutions of "Western education" learning from terrorism. 

From the saturated unemployed youths in the country, Jonathan could find thousands of youths ready to do the job of safeguarding such institutions of learning in those volatile hotbeds of Northeastern Nigeria. Just give them the training, orientation and weapons needed and Boko Haram will forever become a thing of the past. That way the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone could be replicated, as while reducing the unemployment in the country, the security problem will also be solved. Now if there is no money to pay these jobbers, let the president, members of the National Assembly, the federal cabinet as well State governments take a pay-cut or revenue-cut of about fifteen percent to help pay for this new armed outfit. Zimbabwean government recently slashed salaries of its officials from $500,000 per year to $72,000 per year, so Icheoku shouldn't see why Nigerian officials cannot similarly take a little reduction in pay in the interest of the general welfare. 

The volunteer army will also invariably help relieve the fighting soldiers by policing already recaptured territories and allow them more freedom to hunt and decimate other remaining Boko Haram scoundrels. While the guards is protecting the rear and holding sanitized territories, the regular fighting military force will then be freed to run after these bandits until they completely rout them out of Nigerian Northeast. Just a penny for your thought.

L'WREN SCOTT, MIKEY JAGGER'S GIRLFRIEND KILLS HERSELF

Once again, another seemingly life of glamour has gone up in smoke, taken by suicide. L'Wren Scott, Mikey Jagger's paramour of over ten years was found dead in her luxury Manhattan apartment on 11th Avenue Chelsea, New York hanging on the doorknob of her apartment. Recall it was just a few weeks ago that Seymour Hoffman similarly took his own life, although his instrument of choice was drug overdose.

One would think because of who she dated and the circle of friends she hung around with and for over a decade, that she had it all until now. One would also think that because of who her boyfriend or rather granddaddy paramour is, and who is worth over $300 million dollars, that Ms Scott was also super rich. BUT no, as she killed herself because of a "paltry" $6 million dollar debt she was too ashamed to let anyone know of and with no way in sight out of it or repaying it.

Icheoku also wonders why the suicide did not take a second mortgage or borrow on her pad or even offload it entirely if that is all it will take to trim her indebtedness and regain her sanity? Why didn't she broach the issue of a bailout or even a soft lover's loan to Mikey Jagger and see if he will throw her a lifeline? May be, she was too afraid such request will spook MJ into dumping her and running to the hills with his fortune. She probably was also too ashamed to step down from her "Olympian" heights; and wondering what will she tell her high-flyer friends that made her lose such a crib, instead decided to continue faking it hoping to make it which sadly never was the case. The rest as they say it is now history. 

What a way to make an exit - fully clothed, made up and ready to go, she summoned her personal assistant to come over. She then tied a scarf at a doorknob, knelt down, put her neck inside and pulled away until she passed out and her weighted-down limp body then completed the task of transporting her out of this planet. Icheoku says while many suicides used drugs, guns and bridges or drowning in a bath-tub like Whitney Houston, Ms Scott decided on handkerchief tied on a doorknob. According to one sympathizer, “Everyone is shocked. She seemed to have her career going well and everyone assumed things were fine between her and Mkey. She was always on a plane. She was always very controlling and had a strong personality.” Icheoku says except that this person failed to advise himself properly that all that glitters is not gold and behind all that facade of glamour, plastic smile and well choreographed make-belief lifestyle lay a troubled soul that was crying out for help which never came until it was too late. Icheoku says most of these people with high visibility are not usually truly happy. They also lack the grit that makes real ordinary people the survivors they are and when faced with trouble, they always make for the quickest exit out - SUICIDE. 

Icheoku says Ms Scott's death has again proved that the rich also cries and that things are not always what they seem to be. Not even her paid-in-full $5.6 million apartment could provide her the much desired succour, security and shelter from the pangs of life and the onerous task that living is? Icheoku reiterates that sometimes life's best blessings come in the form of unanswered prayers. Here was a high flying chic who on the surface had everything any girl would die for - a multi-million dollar New York luxury apartment, access to private jets and helicopters, limousines, vacation spots around the world, diamonds, best restaurants and choice wines and above all the companionship of a world famous rocking roll superstar the incomparable Mikey Jagger of the Rolling Stones fame; although this particular rolling stone gathered some MOSS. That Mikey Jagger is 70 years old and old enough to be Wren's father notwithstanding, many a woman would still die for her place. But did all these make her fulfilled and satisfied? The preacher surmised it all - Vanity upon vanities all is vanity. 



The lesson again here is to cut your coat according to your cloth. If you have not bought a private jet several years after leaving school, don't worry, be happy. If you have not acquired Third mainland bridge just yet, don't worry be happy. If you have not converted all the money in the Central Bank for your private use, don't worry be happy. if you have not bought the entire Maitama DIstrict or Asokoro for yourself and family to live in forever and never die, despite all the shady business deals and looting of public purse, don't worry be happy. Just listen to McFerrin's song and you will have a better understanding and approach to life's struggles; as well as the unwarranted effort people attach to meaningless things that they think is important and will somewhat fulfill them; except however that McFerrin also similarly took his own life and you wonder whether he was just another Pharisee who only talked but failed to walk his talk. 

The secret to happiness is to be content with what you have. Do not be unnecessarily overtly competitive or jealous of other peoples' successes or needlessly try to be the 'IT' all of this world, admitted making reasonable effort is important. This is imperative because no matter how you try, you can never be the end it all of this world. You can only own so much BUT never everything and even Bill Gates still struggles, at least to maintain his grip at the top of the pyramid. Always remember that the today's latest will next year, become an old model and that the Miss Universe of today will become an old hag someday. If you cannot afford it, why buy it? This is life's lesson for you and if only Ms Scott understood that she could have still had a life with a scaled down lifestyle, for example an $800,000 apartment instead, she would still be alive today? This is the only assured way to achieving real true happiness in life - be your own person and don't live for anyone's approval. Life is like driving on a freeway or highway - there will always be people ahead of you and a lot more behind you. Just maintain your own speed and be thankful for what you got; otherwise why kill yourself trying to attain the unattainable? Thankfully you are still here and still have the opportunity to modulate your life as many have gone including now Mikey Jagger's girlfriend, L'Wren Scott. A piece of advise, when next you go to a funeral, remember it is not necessarily for the occupier of the casket, it should always be a coming to term moment with a certain assured end for everyone. Just trade virtual places with the deceased and ask yourself, is it worth it? L'Wren Scott was just 49 years old, RIP.

CRIMEA IS RUSSIA, DEAL WITH IT.

What is done is done and all the tough talks notwithstanding, Moscow has bagged Crimea. The people of Crimea have spoken and they loudly declared for a Russian membership. Icheoku says in the battle for Crimea, Moscow has again outfoxed Washington. It happened before in the threat of punitive sanctions against Iran and again in the "red-line" ultimatum Washington gave to Damascus. In both cases, Moscow's Putin won Obama's Washington decidedly. Now in the latest stare-down over Ukraine breakaway region of Crimea, it would seem the ex KGB boss is at the top of his game as he had surreptitiously used the Crimean people to push Washington and Europe as well as Kiev off the cliff in that standoff. What a deft calculating chess player this Vladimir Putin is that used Washington's game to outplay it - democracy is afterall all about the voice of the people and the people of Crimea have spoken thunderously that they want to move back to their old country, Russia. 

Vladimir Putin waited patiently for the Sochi Winter Olympics to come to an end while plotting his move following the revolution in Kiev that pushed out his crony president. Soon thereafter, he moved his defence forces near the eastern borders of Ukraine in the guise of a military exercise. Before the world could wake up to what was going on within the Ukrainian eastern borders, Russian troops and tanks moved into Ukrainian Crimea and the rest they say is now history. Icheoku says despite mountain of International pressure to dissuade Putin, an effort led by Washington, to scare off the Russian strongman, a plebiscite was engineered whereby instead of using his amassed army to conquer and subjugate Ukraine, the people were instead used to achieve the same result - ownership of Crimea. Icheoku says it is important to remember that when the history of the Ukrainian conflict is written, it will be recorded as the first ever conquering of a territory without firing of even a single shot. 

Icheoku had always maintained that Kiev and its Western advisers made a huge mistake in not resisting the Russian army when they first ventured into their territory. The primary responsibility and reason for the existence of the military of any sovereign country is to serve as a buffer and deterrent of any foreign aggressor(s) and invader(s). So when the Ukrainian military remained docile and cowered in fear while the Russian red army marched in, in violation of their territorial integrity, Icheoku knew it was a fait accompli for what the world is witnessing today. Although the Ukrainian army were no match to the all powerful Russian military, but so was Georgia in 2006, when the same Putin invaded the country but not without a fight; admitted that war ended with Russia taking two of Georgia's territories. The world watched and did nothing then because they could not do anything and in the same vein, the same world is now also watching in askance as Russia gobbles down Ukrainian Crimea and nothing will be done about it. It is deja vu Georgia scenario in Ukrainian Crimea as a stupefied world watch while Putin claims yet another prize in Crimea. Like those lions of Serengeti with their captured prey, Vladimir Putin is not and will not yield Crimea, not to Kiev, not to Washington and not to Brussels. If these people want a different outcome or want Crimea, they better come and get it reads the demeanor of Putin. 

Icheoku says it would seem that the only possible way this can be accomplished is in the all out war the West is coy about fighting with Russia. If not now, when? As with every bully, one unchallenged act always leads to another. So with Crimea now effectively gone or rather bagged, who knows which territory Putin's cross-hair is aimed next if his latest act of aggression is left unchallenged or unresponded to? All talks that can be talked has been talked and so are all threats of sanctions been made that can be made; yet all  have been ignored by the deaf man in Moscow. The world led by the West is now left with only one meaningful option - engage Putin in the same manner as they did against Hitler and now is the time to do it. All appeals have failed and so were all diplomatic niceties but like King Herod of Egypt, the Tsar of Russia will not hearken and the world has to muscle him to reason. 

The result of the Crimea referendum has again put the Obama's foreign policy team on the spot; forcing Icheoku to gravitate to the opinion expressed by former Defense Secretary Gates that it is not in the proper hands. While foreign policy Team Obama held the bag, Putin and company snarled the pricey Crimea and as far as the Russians are concerned, Washington can go on hollering, but Crimea is theirs for keeps and no one can do anything about it. Despite the threatened sanctions and unquantifiable price to be paid should the Crimea referendum proceed, Putin's Russia ignored it and went ahead and have now captured Crimea by proxy of Crimeans. What happened in Crimea will be difficult if not impossible to undo or will the West now force an unwilling people of Crimea, who have expressed their preference for Russia to now go back and remain in a forced unholy matrimony with a Kiev they despise with passion? 

Icheoku says this scenario is not likely going to happen as it will be tantamount to forcing a people against their will and democracy does not support this. At best, Russia will in the end keep Crimea but asked to go no further with capturing more of Ukrainian territories. Crimea will be the opportunity cost of greater Ukrainian territories or the pawn of the chess face-off. Moreover, Crimea was Russia and used to be Russia until Krushev in a drunken magnanimity in 1954, in the same manner Obasanjo gave away Bakassi to Cameroon, gave Crimea away to Ukraine.  So what is wrong in a people returning back to the land from which they were literally thrown away from and without their say or support for the action? icheoku says with the development in Crimea, hopefully Bakassi people of Nigeria will someday in the future return back to their Nigerian roots while giving Cameroon and the international gang up their middle finger. Like the people of Israel who left slavery in Egypt and returned to their land, the Russian people of Crimea have peradventure returned back to their mother Russia, case closed. 

ASO ROCK 2015, WAY STILL OPEN FOR APC?

Someone recently asked Icheoku, is there any way whatsoever possible the APC could win the next 2015 Nigerian presidential election? Icheoku says although it might seem an improbable scenario, but were the APC to pull a masterstroke of fielding a core Igbo Christian presidential candidate with a Middle Belt Muslim vice presidential candidate, it will be history for Jonathan and his PDP. Calculation:- Buhari brings in the six Northwest and six Northeastern states, Bola Tinubu brings in four or five Southwestern states, the Middles Belt (North central) veepee candidate brings in two or three states, Rotimi delivers Rivers and added to the Igbo five states, it is a fait accompli and there will be an APC mounted flag in Aso Rock 2015. But hey if wishes were horse, beggars will mount. 

Icheoku knows this might sound a very impossible contemplation for the party of Muslims fundamentalists, but for a seemingly desperate APC, nothing is unthinkable in their rabid quest to occupy Aso rock come 2015. So who knows what they are keeping so close to their chest to throw spanner in the works for the PDP? Also since politics is a game of chess and it takes deft adroitness to masterfully corner and whack the other party's queen, this may be the sudden-death joker APC is trying to bamboozle Jonathan with. After the election, they can then turn around and impeach the president and later also impeach the succeeding vice president president to make way for their preferred Islamic president for crying out loud.

Now you know, so advise the Islamic party that they will be killing two birds with a stone by fielding such a ticket. By fielding a Christian Igbo, they would have laid to rest the perception that they are an Islamic Party of fundamentalists and also undercut Jonathan on the knees by snatching his priceless Igbo support and votes. This is the only viable road map into Aso rock as it stands today for the APC and many political pundits are in unison on this. Now you see that it is not yet all over until it is over for the party owned by Bola Tinubu with Buhari holding minority shares and largely financed by Middle East Islamic countries.

APC'S MUSLIM SUMMIT OF EXCLUSION IN ABUJA?

Icheoku says the theme of the summit of the Angry Peoples Converge(APC) - a 'NEW party for a NEW Nigeria', would have been quite nice except that it is not true. There is nothing new about the coming together or merge of old parties as the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria has thus far shown that mergers do not solve a thing. Old distrusts and parochial allegiances still persist and such do not help create the enabling environment for proper revolutionary trends to take root nor in any way do they help move the process forward. Those mundane things remain entrenched and constitute clog in the wheel of progress and therefore the APC will not bring any succor to a Nigeria in need or be the messiah Nigerians so desperately crave just because so many parties transformed into it. It factly does matters that Buhari, Tinubu and now Atiku are the faces of APC and these men's records do portend bad news for Nigeria. They collectively have been around and Nigerians know their resume` and what they are about; and teaching an old dog new trick is not usually an easy task nor would the leopard change its spots.

Evolution is not analogous to new? Morphing into different things does not change the primary physiology of the matter so displaying? Merger does not change form? Dressing up an old man in jeans and t-shirt and tennis shoes with a face cap to match does not make him a tenager once again? The ecdysis of the snake does not make it new? The changing color adaptation of a chameleon to an environment does not make it new? Pouring an old wine in a new skin does not remake the wine, it only affects its packaging?  So in essence what the APC is rather doing or trying to do or attempting to do is to confuse and fool unsuspecting Nigerians that Muhammadu Buhari has lost his draconian fangs; that Bola Tinubu has lost appetite for crass gluttony and unbridled greed: and that the fugitive on the run, Abubakar Atiku, has suddenly shed his toga as the MOST CORRUPT Nigerian public servant and that the United States is no longer looking to prosecute him, being an accomplice to a felony? 

Icheoku says Nigerians must be wary and remain extra vigilant of these men because they are desperate people. If a group of desperadoes are this hell bent on wrestling power that they would go to the extent of trying to conceal their true identities as the APC is seriously trying to do, then something must be wrong. Query:- why are these men so desperate? Why have they also totally excluded WOMEN from the party or is because of their ISLAMIC faith's complete disregard and lowly placement of women as mere footnotes of the society? Nigerians beware, the ultra fundamental Saudi Arabian brand of Islamism is headed to Nigeria in the unfortunate event the APC succeeds in bullshitting its way into Aso Rock. 

Lastly, Icheoku says it would seem that this gathering of Muslims and their "NEW NIGERIA" agenda excludes the region known as BIAFRAAAA and you ask yourself what is the game plan here; - have they decided to let Biafra go and not be part of their "NEW NIGERIA" or are they so averse and disturbed at the predominant Christian religion being practiced there that they have excluded it? Only time will tell but an APC as presently constituted and being run is not good for a SECULAR and all inclusive Nigeria. Admitted that President Jonathan is not that inspiring but Nigerians should better go with a docile angel than embrace proven demons. Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu and now Abubakar Atiku are conceited and conniving people; they have also passed the age of character formation and cannot change now who they have always been. Therefore this their very unholy alliance should be a cause for serious concern and worry for Nigerians who must inoculate themselves from this poisonous men by running as far away to the hills as they can, from whatever sermon these guys are preaching. It cannot be anything good for the general welfare of NIgerians; it also portends calamity for unity, the treasury and religious freedom of NIgerians. Nigerians, Icheoku says, please just say thanks but NO to these great pretenders.

HONORING ABACHA, A SHAMELESS ASSAULT ON GOOD BEHAVIOR.

Icheoku says the reason given by the inept President Jonathan's government for bestowing honor, during the Nigerian Centenary celebration, on a decrepitude sub-human specimen called Sani Abacha, the midget of Kano State, is indeed very laughable. It is also as watery as it is without merit and defies every attempt at rationalization to say that simply because Abacha did "some good" and led Nigerians qualifies him as an eminent award recipient? Mussolini was a leader and he did some good for fascist Italy? Saddam Hussein was a leader and he did some good for the people of Iraq? Ghana's three former heads of state Acheampong, Afrifa and Akuffo, were once leaders and they also did some good for Ghana? Ditto Augusto Pinochet, Adolf Hitler as well as so many other world's ignoble persons who once led their nations and did some good for their people. These men shared one thing in common - they all met a very tragic end in the hands of their people, who they once led and did some good for, because of the greater infra-dignities they perpetrated on the same people. Icheoku says Sani Abacha belongs to this swine of humanity and deserves no less a fate instead of being elevated on a pedestal he did not deserve or merit. 

Icheoku therefore posits that were Nigeria a country that frowns at perfidy, a sadistic megalomania like Abacha, instead of being honored for "some good" he did while forcibly leading Nigerians against their will, should have elicited curses and condemnations for the hell he unleashed on Nigerians while his terror-infused regime lasted. But regrettably, President Goodluck Jonathan who has sold his soul to the devil and is now beholding to the Hausa/Fulani Northerners and carrying out their every wish, found it not too risky to honor one of North's most destitute gift to Nigeria. By this act of betrayal of bequeathing honor to an animal deserving of no such honor, President Jonathan has joined ranks with Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida, who while visiting the grave of Sani Abacha in Kano few years ago, described Abacaha as the best thing that ever happened to Nigeria and you wonder which planet these guys inhabit? Jonathan has sold out on Nigerians and is now one of them.

Icheoku says a man who wantonly shed so many Nigerians' blood deserves no honor by Nigeria, regardless of what he did or did not do. A man who stole to his heart's delight to the tune of several billions of dollars in addition to the latest over $400 million seized by the United States of America government cannot be said to be patriotic and loving of Nigeria and therefore is not deserving of any honor by Nigeria. How can any sane assessor consider a man with as heinous violations of human rights as Sani Abacha an appropriate candidate for any national honor including a Centenary award, especially when in addition to killing so many Nigerians, the bespectacled dictator also over-stole from Nigerians' national treasury. Further the same Sani Abacha was part of the Muhammadu Buhari 1983 military coup that toppled the first republic's democratically elected government of Shehu Shagari thereby truncating democracy. Yet a man who put such spanner in the works of a country trying to take off was honored for which "unity effort" one may ask? The same Sani Abacha muscled his way into Aso Rock, overthrowing Interim President Ernest Shonekan, thereby imposed himself on Nigerians regardless of Nigerians wishes, and unleashed the worst reign of terror ever witnessed in the history of the country short of the Biafran war; yet he is being honored for loving the country? 

Icheoku says this act of President Jonathan, honoring Sani Abacha, defies every logic and common sense justifying it and not even the extra-judicial murder of his kinsman Ken Saro-Wiwa was not enough to dissuade the president from this misdeed. Icheoku further says that any country which frowns at nasty or which has zero tolerance for bad behavior cannot and should have no business honoring a demented person like Sani Abacha and should have instead lampooned him on how not to be a leader. To this effect therefore, Icheoku joins Wole Soyinka and other few morality-driven Nigerians, who protested the charade that was Nigerian Centenary celebration of nothingness, to condemn the honor bestowed on Sani Abacha as well as on other coup plotters who truncated democracy in Nigeria, Ibrahim Babangida and Muhammadu Buharim; as undeserving, misplaced and a self-serving gesture geared at the 2015 presidential election, specifically targeting Kano State. Icheoku categorically states that such pandering is the reason why corruption and bad governance still persist in Nigeria because there is no consequence or shame for past misdeeds nor odium for former leaders who behaved badly or who gravely abused their office. So what deterrence exist for future prospective wanna-be Abachas, Babangidas or Buharis when these past humanoids are being bestowed with honors and you asks yourself whether the word "honor" has lost its meaning? What a shame!

FYI:- Icheoku hereunder reproduces Wole Soyinka's statement of rejection of what he described as "his share of this national insult" as follows:- 

“The sheer weight of indignation and revulsion of most of Nigerian humanity at the recent Boko Harma atrocity in Yobe is most likely to have overwhelmed a tiny footnote to that outrage, small indeed, but of an inversely proportionate significance. This was the name of the hospital to which the survivors of the massacre were taken. The name of that hospital, it is reported, is none other than that of General Sanni Abacha, a vicious usurper under whose authority many Nigerian lives were snuffed out.  Assassinations – including through bombs cynically ascribed to the opposition – became routine. Under that ruler, torture and other forms of barbarism were enthroned as the norm of governance; nine Nigerian citizens were hanged including writer and environmentalist Ken Saro-wiwa. By honoring the late soldier, Jonathan had scooped up a century’s accumulated degeneracy in one preeminent symbol, and placed it on a podium for the nation to admire, emulate and even – worship. Such abandonment of moral rigor comes full circle sooner or later. The survivors of a plague known as Boko Haram, students in a place of enlightenment and moral instruction, are taken to a place of healing dedicated to an individual contagion – a murderer and thief of no redeeming quality known as Sanni Abacha, one whose plunder is still being pursued all over the world and recovered piecemeal by international consortiums – at the behest of this same government which sees fit to place him on the nation’s Roll of Honour! I therefore refuse to partake and hereby reject my share of this national insult.” Icheoku says what a beautiful poetry from one of Nigeria's finest minds. Highly commendable.

RUSSIAN INVASION, SADDAM HUSSEIN OWED AN APOLOGY?

Icheoku says when the first Bush moved troops into Kuwait to dislodge Saddam Hussein's army, which snowballed into his execution by America using their minions in Iraq, the excuse then was that Saddam Hussein invaded a sovereign territory of another? That story and its attendant war and lingering sectarian conflict is now for the history books to try and piece together. Now Russia has similarly invaded a "sovereign territory" of another - Ukraine, and all America and their coalition of the willing and the unwilling could do is to condemn it and make threats while Putin's army continue to dig in and call their bluff. Query: what is the difference here warranting the difference in approach between Saddam Hussein's army and the red army now under Vladimir Putin's thumb? 

Anyway, Icheoku is just asking but suffice it to say that the strong and mighty will always have their way while the weak and meek will continue to reel under the crushing thumb of these behemoths as bottom feeders. Icheoku asks is it out of fear of possible defeat by Russia or that these white people do not want to kill themselves in an all out war that is impeding the deployment of the West's army led by America to confront these Russians? Your guess is as good as mine BUT the policy of non meddling in another's sovereign territory should be a one cap fits all and not according to other considerations. Query:- if Nigeria has invaded Cameroon to reclaim its Bakassi for example, would the international community led by France's response be merely to issue threats and demands OR would they have already issued Abuja a 24 hours ultimatum to pull out immediately or face invasion and tomahawks bombardments? Anyway, it is life and it is a jungle out there meant for only the lions and hyenas of this world to thrive and lord it over the rest of all of us, the lesser mortals. 

Ordinarily icheoku would have loved to see the mother of all battles between America led West and Russia come down to real firefights to settle this age long rivalry once and for all. Ukraine provides a perfect opportunity for that scenario to play itself out but in any other event, places like Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, etc should better watch it as their threatening big brother CHINA might similarly send in boots to take over their disputed territories since America's West can only bark and not bite? As the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfolds, Icheoku and the rest of the world is watching to see how the Russians are finally persuaded out of Crimea Ukraine. But hey, they have the bomb as well as control gas supply lines to Europe and might as well be said to hold the aces; hence the task at hand might not be an easy one afterall. Oh Putin, the former KGB boss, is back at his game of chess, trying to outwit and outsmart the West and so soon after the Sochi Winter Olympics ended, which the Russians also won or is the metaphor lost on anyone!