KELLY GISSENDANER EXECUTED, SHE DESERVES TO DIE.

Icheoku says murderer Kelly Gissendaner did not show her murdered husband, Douglas Gissendaner, mercy and therefore should receive none and thankfully did not receive any.  Her execution tonight by the State of Georgia was a deservedly good riddance of a bad female rubbish who grossly stained her womanhood and made Jezebel look saintly. She could have divorced him; she could have had him thrown out of the house; but no, she choose to have him murdered and by the hand of another man with whom she was cheating and committing adultery while still pretending to love the man she said "I do, until death do us apart" to, in her marital oath of fidelity. Icheoku says such a piece of human excrement does not deserve to share nor partake of any descent society's existence and therefore was rightly dispatched to where she now belongs - the very pit of hell. 

She conspired with her lover who waylaid her husband right inside their home, forced him at knife point to drive himself and in his own car to his execution ground. A remote area, so distant from his home, where he was then frog marched into a wooded area (a forest, not Boko Haram's Sambisa), and stabbed severally until he died of his many knife wounds. He suffered untoward pain, pleaded in vain for his life to be spared but eventually suffered a slow painful death. He was killed, his life taken in the most brutal way, with his wife, the woman he had married and planned to spend his entire life with, signing off on it. This animal of a wife and woman, lied to authorities that her husband was missing when she fully partook in his murder and the attempt to cover it up, destroying evidence too. Her culpability was not in doubt as she voluntarily confessed of her role in her husband's murder. 

Icheoku says if any homicide ever deserves to be severely punished, this one squarely fits the tab and therefore Kelly Gissendaner was duly served her dish of death. Anyone expressing contrary view should please inform Icheoku and other stunned observers how else such a heinous crime should be punished? Not when this savage beast spent close to 17 years in death row at the expense of Georgia's tax payers while she never gave similar opportunity to her murdered husband. Icheoku is not an avid fan nor supporter of the death penalty; but sure the case of Kelly Gussendaner could not have deserved any less punishment. Such a death penalty will definitely send a message to all other would be killers that the killed also deserve and will get some justice; and in this case, justice was rightly served. 

Icheoku notes that even the pope's intervention could not persuade the State of Georgia not to carry out its lawful duty of seeking justice for the injured and murdered of their state. Recall that this will not be the first time the Holy Sea has unsuccessfully pled such a death row inmate's cause. Late Sani Abacha of Nigeria similarly ignored a papal plea when he went ahead anyway and executed activist and Biafra hater, Ken Saro Wiwa, for alleged treason. Icheoku says may be the Vatican could do themselves a whole lot of good and save face from all such embarrassments by just staying focused on their primary mission of evangelizing for Christ. They should be laser-focused in their mission of saving souls and avoid this periodic dabbling into political matters of states which often sees them always coming up short. Anyway, Kelly Gissendaner killed her husband and now the state of Georgia, on behalf of her dead husband, has killed her too; so both parties are now equally redressed. A good case where the death penalty was well served. 

CHRIS BROWN AUSTRALIAN BAN, SIMPLY OVERREACHING.

Icheoku says Australian officials were out of their minds when they decided to re-litigate a matter that has since become functus officio in the matter of Chris Brown and his altercation with erstwhile girlfriend Rihana. Chris did what he did and has paid a price for it and there should the matter rest and be left rested. But when overzealous Australian officials decided to dust it up again in order to have a manufactured reason to deny Chris Brown entry to their country, they certainly crossed the line and Icheoku calls them out on this. Who never made a mistake, which led to our Lord Master Jesus to admonish those who have not sinned to cast the first stone. 

Chris made a mistake, he faced punishment and castigation for it, including a criminal prosecution in the court of law and he has since atoned for it, including publicly apologizing for what he did. Riri has since accepted his apology and forgiven him, so what is the stake of those Aussies in dabbling into a purely domestic affairs to deny him an entry visa based on this. 

Icheoku says those Australians cannot tell the world that all domestic violent persons in their country including aboriginals as well as white settlers have all been banished from Australia or that all those Muslims bombing places there have been all removed from their country. With Chris Brown, nobody died and in as much as Icheoku is not condoning domestic violence of any kind, says it will amount to an overkill double jeopardy for those Aussies to still punish Chris Brown for a matter which has since been prosecuted and punished duly both by a court of competent jurisdiction and that of public opinion. 

Moreso why deny and deprive those millions of Australian fans that will be greatly entertained by his performance, the opportunity presented with the planned concert. Icheoku says anyone who does not want to attend the concert in protest, should be allowed to voluntarily boycott the concert; but the planned general blanket ban of the concert by the government is simply too broad and therefore should not be allowed to come to fruition. Icheoku therefore urges the officials in Canberra to rescind their planned decision to ban Chris Brown from performing in their country. It is too much punishment and those millions of Aussie fans should be allowed to get their dose of happiness because a happy people are a more productive and effective people. So let Chris Brown perform.

NIGERIA'S FAULT LINES, SMPLY TOO DEEP - OSINBAJO.

“Our nation is sharply divided and has been divided for so long. Our nation is divided along religious lines; our country is divided along tribal lines AND the word of God says in Mathew 12:25 that a kingdom divided against itself shall be left dissolute, it also says a city that is divided within itself can not stand. It does not matter whether that is a nation or a city." - Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President of Nigeria. 

Icheoku says then why not let the word of God come to pass? Why continue to sabotage God's word by preventing it from coming to fruition? Why become an obstacle to God's words by continuously, forcibly holding the disparate peoples of Nigeria together; peoples who are unwillingly yoked together in the humpty-dumpty that is Nigeria so called? As a Christian, shouldn't Yemi Osinbajo rather be the one fighting hard to have God's word in respect of a Nigeria divided be fulfilled and to the glory of his father who is in heaven? Anyway, it is usually a matter of time before God's word eventually finds fulfillment; and as with the case of Nigeria, before the inevitable happens.

POPE FRANCIS ENDS VISIT TO AMERICA.

Icheoku says so long papa and thanks for visiting. God bless you.

TRUMP AND CARSON TICKET, A WELCOME GAME CHANGER?

Icheoku says any presidential election, going forward, in America, must in fact truly reflect the true colors of America as minorities of America will no longer tolerate nor accept an American  White House that is in total control of two aging white men. Such future presidency must as of necessity, comprise of at least either a white man and a black man or a white man and a woman or Latino or Asian or any other racially mixed ticket. But the days of only aging white men assuming that the white house is theirs alone for keeps is long since over. Especially not after President Barack Obama's soon to be eight long years high profile visibility as president and commander in chief of the American armed forces. 

Americans, particularly blacks and other minorities, are now used to having one of them in the White House. So to suddenly change this equation by totally eliminating a black face or woman or other minorities of America, from the White House will rather be a tough one to swallow. Any thinking presidential candidate therefore must keep this in view while choosing its vice presidential candidate and canvassing for American votes, especially blacks and other minorities of America votes. But to completely relegate blacks or other minorities out of the race will suggest that the happenstance of Barack Obama on the American political landscape was a mere chance occurrence. An America that is now used to seeing and having a black president and a first family that is black, cannot suddenly feel normal without another minority in the White House.

To this effect therefore, Donald Trump will do himself a whole lot of good by choosing a black person as his vice presidential candidate. Icheoku implores Donald Trump, the potential Republican presidential candidate nominee, to inoculate his candidacy with a shot in the arm by securing the black voting bloc which choosing a black person as his running mate will surely guarantee. Fortunately enough, Dr Ben Carson has continually been sustaining some serious traction in the ongoing Republican Party's primary run and should be seriously considered by Donald Trump as his potential running mate. That way, Donald Trump will pull a fast one from underneath Hillary Clinton's rug by delving into the black voting bloc which is traditionally pro the Democratic Party. Icheoku says every black person in America will think twice before voting for an all white Hillary Clinton's ticket (herself already a minority cannot afford to choose another minority) as against a Donald Trump's ticket which parades one of their own. Moreso Dr Ben Carson as of his own right, is eminently qualified to be president. Admittedly, some critics will say that both men are not politically experienced, but Icheoku maintains that well qualified aides will help them get over this. Icheoku says a Donald Trump and Ben Carson ticket is a winnable ticket; they should run and they will win. Go Donald; Go Ben!!!

WAITING FOR BUHARI'S 'NOISEMAKERS' - OCHEREOME NNANNA.

It is three days to the end of September 2015, the magic month within which President Muhammadu Buhari promised to appoint his ministers. It is expected that in spite of his foot-dragging and reluctance, he will publish the names of the nominees before Friday this week. 

We saw him display the same foot-dragging and reluctance in fulfilling his pledge to make his assets declaration public “within the first 100 days”. After sending his spokesmen to deny he ever made such a pledge, he and his Vice President unveiled their assets on the 87th day, though Buhari did not allow us to know in concrete terms how much he is worth. Mind you, that he unveils his ministerial nominees does not mean they will start work soon. In fact, it is not certain when the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will become functional. The president’s open disdain for the offices of ministers of the federal republic shows he won’t care a hoot how long it takes for them to fully come on board. The president and some leaders of his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are seen to be spearheading the rift with the leadership of the Senate, the very body constitutionally empowered to approve his ministerial nominees. If the president were eager to have his cabinet in place as soon as possible, he would have stayed true to his earlier undertaking to work with whoever emerged as the leaders of the Federal Legislature. 

Since Buhari took over four months ago, he has fallen in love with Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the Federal Civil Service; the very nest of corruption. No political appointee can take a dime out of government coffers without the collusion of civil servants. According to him in an interview with a French television station while visiting France recently, these dutiful civil servants are the ones “doing the work” everyday. Ministers, he added, are mere “noisemakers”. Left to him, he will prefer to work with the civil servants and dispense with ministers. Some Nigerians have applauded him for this outburst, saying he was “brutally frank” while some even said he displayed “courage” in calling ministers dirty names. Unfortunately for him and them, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, at Section 147, directs the president to appoint ministers from each state of the federation. Section 148 spells out the functions of the ministers and makes it clear that he must meet them regularly. 

Ministers and civil servants have their jobs clear cut out for them by law. None can take the place of the other. It is strange that a man who ruled this country thirty years ago as a military officer and had no problem with appointing and working with ministers is now displaying open hostility to those offices. During his military days, he suspended the constitution. He was thus not bound by any law to appoint ministers yet he did without being prompted. But now that the constitution binds to appoint ministers, why is Buhari bellicose and spitting fire? 

Before we offer our insights into that, let us make it clear that ministers are very important in every regime, irrespective of the type of government in place. Apart from the efforts of the Nigerian constitution to make it a mechanism to carry every state in the federation along even by a regime that heavily tends to monolithic sectionalism such as Buhari’s, they are there as agents of the president and his ruling party within the machinery of governance. The party (APC) campaigned based on a set of manifestoes and promises and the electorate gave their majority votes to it instead of renewing PDP’s mandate. Buhari is expected by the constitution to appoint qualified APC members from all parts of the country to mann his cabinet as ministers. Though most people often clamour for “technocrats” (rather than “politicians”) to be given ministerial jobs, Section 147(5) of the constitution says such nominees must be qualified to be members of the House of Reps, which means they must be card-carrying members of political parties. 

The implication of these are obvious: the Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by the President with the Vice President as the vice Chairman is a body made up of elected and appointed members of (largely) the ruling party. If ministers are “noisemakers”, then so is the president. It is the same constitution that insists that the president and his deputy must be politicians that also affirms that ministers must be party members. The job of ministers is to act as the political heads of the ministries and drive the president’s (and ruling party’s) domestic and foreign policies, programmes and visions. They are also to advise the president and carry out any instructions he may dish out to them in their respective ministries. Civil servants, on the other hand, are permanent staff of the state whose job is to carry out instructions issued by the political heads of their ministries and departments in line with the strict rules of the civil service. They are forbidden to belong to political parties or betray allegiance to any political group. This makes it possible for them to serve under the regime of any president and political party that wins election. 

So, why is Buhari suddenly reluctant to appoint ministers when he showed no such trait as a military ruler? The answer could be discerned from the way he has approached governance so far. In constituting his “kitchen cabinet” or the “inner circle”; people whose jobs demand that they see him every day (Service Chiefs, personal advisers, assistants, heads of sensitive federal institution that control revenue and the economy, elections, and the security of state) Buhari picked only people he knows and “trusts”. These people have tended to be mainly from his own part of the country. He calls them the “long suffering” loyalists who worked for him even when there was no hope of success. He has also, in the past four months, courted and secured the direct loyalties of top federal bureaucrats, a potentially dangerous aspect that could predispose them to political influences of the president. These are the people he now feels “comfortable” to work with. 

What about his fellow APC leaders; those who jumped on the bandwagon in the past eighteen months during which the merger took place? What about the “new” PDP which swelled their ranks, thus tilting victory to him? He felt “comfortable” receiving the “rogues” and “saints” among them; accepting their billions in campaign funding, smiling for the cameras while they dressed him in borrowed robes to entice voters. He swam in their hyperbolic propaganda. Everything they brought to help him win he collected; no one who came forward, and nothing they brought was considered too “dirty”. As soon as he achieves his objective of becoming an elected president he reverts to his old mode of seeing “politicians” as “dirty” people, forgetting that he is now one of them; has been since 2003. 

Buhari may well be building a very strong personal power base, sidetracking the vehicle that brought him to power and using his personal disciples and the federal bureaucracy to run a civilian dictatorship. Even when the ministers come, they may find themselves mere figureheads and passengers in Buhari’s government. The fact that a crowd of ill-regarded ministers (“noisemakers”) is brought in might not douse the regional dominance and agenda (rather than party agenda) that have been unfolding. It might well be a fostering of the “97%/5%” formula that makes Buhari a president who belongs to some Nigerians and not to the others.

FEMININITY STILL IN VOGUE - NICKI MINAJ

 

"Obviously I'm a strong woman in a lot of way but I'm not a strong woman in every way." - Nicki Minaj. Icheoku quips if only all those wild-eyed feminists could understand that there are certain limitations in everything; and then relax and enjoy their respective companions, instead of wishing in perpetuity that they are with someone else who possibly does not even care a hoot nor, like Jonathan of Otuoke, does not give a damn if they existed. Icheoku says you go girl NM for speaking out and speaking up that femininity is still in vogue.

MECCA STAMPEDE TRAGEDY, A HUMAN WILDEBEEST EXPERIENCE?

Icheoku says once again humanity is called upon by the tragedy in Mecca, to reexamine and reevaluate the essence and reason d`eter of their existence. Why are we here on earth if it is simply a here today and gone tomorrow phenomenon?    The bible makes reference to the word rapture, the sudden and instantenous disappearance to eternity of neighbors, friends and family members before our own very eyes. Some faithfuls think the alluded fact will occur at someday certain in future but Icheoku believes it is a daily occurrence as was just witnessed in Mecca during the stoning of the proverbial devil ritual, when suddenly over seven hundred adherents permanently crossed over to the other side. 

This piece is not about the dead or their dying or in any other way to otherwise add another epilogue to what is now a saturated media blitz on the tragedy. Nope, it is a stop and think moment article, questioning why are we here? What is the point of all these struggle to be this and that; to amass stupendous wealth; to acquire power; to be the he or she on whose desk the buck stopped etc when we, in actuality, have no control over our affairs or lives? These faithfuls now departed did not know that when they embarked on their pilgrimage to Mecca or even that fateful morning when they left their encampments to go stone the devil, that it will be their last on this earth. What indeed is life's worth afterall, if only it could peter to a stop with this sudden abruptness and with no foreboding whatsoever?   

Icheoku queries would these dead pilgrims have gone on the pilgrimage if they knew it was going to be their last outing on earth? Would they have smartly chosen to stay away if they had premonition that embarking on this annual ritual of stoning the devil would lead to their being trampled to death? Would they anyway, regardless of the attendant hazards and risks?  Would their faith have pushed and propelled them, hoping it will not happen or if it did, that it will not be their own portion? That they will be safe or better still, did some of them look forward to making their exit from this life at a place they considered so holy and might as well be the gateway into their paradise? The one thing with faith is that it is an aphrodisiac of some sort which keeps faithfuls going regardless of whatever risk that might be involved. It is like opiate drug, which the more you juice the merrier you feel; and then the deeper you get into it and then the more difficult it becomes to quit. 

A tragedy which is just another static in the growing number of tragedies which have now become a common happenstance with this pilgrimage to Mecca; forcing Icheoku to wonder if it is not about time certain reforms or some form of decentralization or staggering of this annual concentration of human beings in just one small square area, is implemented. It would appear that at such mind boggling concentration of human beings, two million strong of them,  in just one place, it is rather surprising that many more of them do not die either from heat exhaustion or more stampedes. But like with everything faith, their faith keep them going and to a very large extent, keep them safe too. It is akin to watching the wildebeests annual crossing at the Mara River, that no matter the odds of their safely making it across, those jackass animals of Africa have just one directional movement in their plan. Against all odds and existential hazards, these animals still come charging through the Mara river; some being eaten alive by crocodiles, some drowning, while majority of them get trampled to death in the biggest stampede ever known to both animal and mankind. 

Icheoku likes National Geography Channel a lot and cannot seem to be tired of watching this annual migration of those wildebeests and their daunting task of making it through the Mara River; but they still do manage it anyway. So like those wildebeest which are driven by the promise of an assured greener pasture on the other side of the Mara river, these Muslim faithfuls are pushed by the righteousness of their conviction and that they are embarking on a worthwhile spiritual venture, a sacred duty of some sort. This is what drives them; this is what propels them and therefore, regardless of the cost in human lives, they will neither stop nor be deterred. 

In December 1975, two hundred of these pilgrims lost their lives in a fiery gas cylinder explosion. In July 1987, four hundred of these pilgrims mainly of Iranian origin lost their lives in a clash with Saudi authorities who were trying to maintain order. In July 1990, one thousand four hundred and twenty six of these pilgrims were crushed to death in a stampede inside the al-Muaisssem tunnel in Mecca. In May 1994, another stampede in the same vicinity as the present tragedy, claimed the lives of 270 pilgrims while they were performing the same stoning of the devil ritual. In April 1997, again another 343 pilgrims died in a tent fire in the same Mina stoning of the devil vicinity.  In April 1998, one hundred and nineteen pilgrims met their death in the same manner, crushed to death in a stampede. In February 2004, another stampede took the lives of 251 pilgrims during the same devil stoning ritual. In January 2006, another 362 pilgrims were killed in a stampede performing the same ritual. In September 2015, a toppled crane claimed the lives of 111 pilgrims and within the same month, the latest tragedy which so far has 717 confirmed fatalities with over one thousand wonder and hospitalized. 

Icheoku says all these deaths result from the same cause - stampede; leading to the question has nothing been learnt since by both the Saudi Arabian authorities on how to prevent this repeat occurrence and those pilgrims too, on how not to stampede themselves to death? Or on a different note, is it possible that while these faithfuls are trying to stone the devil, that the devil is fighting back, stoning them too; and seemingly winning, the high number of casualties frequently recorded considered. Unfortunately, Icheoku has no direct line to the devil that habits inside the black stone in Mecca, otherwise would have since rang or texted him to seek his own take on this apparent ongoing war between  him and Muslim humans, waged by stoning. Simply put there are so many things humanity don't know including what unseen forces triggers these stampedes; but they could and should cut down on their losses by implementing far reaching reforms and measures to contain or at least curtail these tragedies. Icheoku says rest in peace and may your Allah through your Prophet Mohammed show you mercy and grant you peace. 

POPE FRANCIS' USA HISTORIC VISIT.

Icheoku says welcome Pope Francis and may your historic visit to the United States of America help to bring succor and hope to the poor, the marginalized, the infirm, the sexually different, the downtrodden and to all those Americans who are living on the fringes and unable to realize their American dream. To all those whose American dream has since turned into an American nightmare, may hope through your visit be restored in them. May your visit also soften the hardened hearts of those 1 percenters into doing more to alleviate the suffering of the majority 99 percenters IJN. Stay well and remain safe papa while your visit to America lasts and thereafter. Its good to have you within our midst. God bless you.

JENNIFER AKUDIHOR, NIGERIAN MOTHER OF TWO CAUGHT STEALING IN THE USA.

Icheoku says as if Nigerians do not have enough bad rap already in the United States of America, this mother of two from Governor Adams Oshiomhole's Edo State, on holidays in Kansas State, was caught red-handed with shoplifted merchandise valued at over $2000. A class C felony which will most likely see her holidays automatically extended with an extended stay in the big house upon conviction.  Jennifer Akudihor was caught on camera stealing merchandise inside a Macy's store in Overland Park Kansas, which she "cleverly" stashed inside her baby's stroller and was about making it out of the store when security accosted her. The police were called, she was arrested and booked in jail awaiting bail hearing and subsequent prosecution for her crime. 

Icheoku queries whether this woman is a fit mother and also whether she should actually be visiting on holidays to the United States of America when she can hardly afford such a luxury pastime. When she was caught, there was not a single dime or penny found on her person or purse and you wonder if she indeed have any business going on holidays in the first place. Hopefully her husband will divorce her in order to save his face from such a thieving wife except she is a kleptomaniac crying for urgent help? It is possible too that she was just an errand dutiful wife for an equally criminally minded and disposed husband, who is inchoot and acted in concert with her or egged her on or possibly forced her hands. But whatever be her story since "everybody has a story", whatever motivated her stands irrelevant as not having money to pay for merchandise has never been an excuse to steal. 

Icheoku says Jennifer Akudihor  should have known better and shouldn't have brought herself to this baseness. Now she has to be processed through the straight-jacketed path that is American justice system that admits of no emotiveness. She did the crime and therefore has to do the time. Her being "very apologetic and remorseful", admitted may serve as persuasive ground for the judge to show some mercy, but it does not excuse what she did. Icheoku says irrespective of her reason for being a criminal, although presumed innocent until proven guilty despite her being caught red-handed on video and her voluntary admission to the crime, this certainly is not the way to go about acquiring what she does not have or as a means of meeting her "needs?" Sixty six items cannot be simply said to be a need as they are rather too many to be so subsumed. Were it one diaper or a baby food, may be; but sixty six items some of which might be some luxury items of clothing, goes beyond pale and she should therefore squarely deal with the legal problem which she just created for herself. What another stain on Nigerians already battered image of a country of 419 dupes and con-men, corruption-infested, Boko Haram and now holidaying shoplifters. What a shameful thing this shameless woman of Edo State have done to an overly ashamed Nigeria community in the United States. 

SARAKI IN A CAGE, FACED DOWN HIS TRADUCERS.

Icheoku says in the manner of the great old Romans, the accused sits docked in the center of the great Tribunal. No sinner ever goes unpunished and so the man who participated in the conspiracy that derailed President Jonathan Goodluck second term bid is now facing the same hound dogs that he supported that threw Jonathan out. The embattled and very weakened Senate President Bukola Saraki is finally brought before the law, docked and now to face justice from which he has been stonewalling ever since. Icheoku says it makes a good television to see Nigeria's senate president so humbled and so humiliated, faced with corruption charges. who say i no go better for Nigeria?

AUSTRALIA HAS A NEW MINISTER, MALCOLM TURNBULL.

Icheoku says the ever shifting chairs that is Australian Prime ministership has yet shifted again. This time Tony Abbot has been shifted-out to make way for Malcom Turnbull to move in as the new Australian Prime Minister. Icheoku says congratulations PM Turnbull and so long Tony Abbot.

10000 REFUGES SIMPLY TOO FEW, AMERICA CAN AND SHOULD DO BETTER.

Icheoku says if only America had listened and heeded the wise counsel of General Colin Powell that "if you break it you own it'; possibly all these immigrant crisis enveloping Europe and which is threatening to spread to America would have been a none issue. Prelude to the Iraqi invasion by President George Walker Bush led 'coalition of the willing', General Colin Powel warned against the move, saying that removing Saddam Hussein from power will unravel so many age long ugly things in the Middle East. He was ignored as Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney railroaded President Bush into toppling and killing Saddam Hussein. Today, in the absence of a strong leader, Iraq is imploding; making condition favorable for ISIS to step in and occupy some of its territories. That some of these immigrants are coming from these ISIS controlled areas of Iraq is without doubt. 

Ditto the leader of Syria who is teetering on the brinks of being removed from office too by the same Europeans and they choirmaster America, always calling the tune while there Europeans simply chorus the refrain. So weakened, Bashir Assad could no longer maintain authority over the whole of his country's territory, leaving ISIS to step in and occupy some of them as well; and then constituting it into the Islamic State (Caliphate) of Syria and Iraq. Many of those immigrants invading Europe are coming through these ISIS controlled Syrian territories too. The late Libyan former leader Mummer Gaddafi once warned but no one listened nor heard that if he were ever removed from office, Europe will be swarmed by immigrants. A man under whose vice hold of Libya, immigrants were too afraid to venture close to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea talkless of boarding a dingy for onward sail to Europe. Europeans did not care about this warned premonition but instead went ahead with America's support to murder him anyways. 

Today majority of those immigrants invading Europe depart from the shores of Libya and Icheoku wonders whether King of Africa Moummar Gaddafi was also a prophet? Afghanistan is no different, admitted it is entirely of different implication because its invasion was prompted by the then country's leader, the Taliban, refusal to surrender fugitive Osama Bin Laden. Anyway the bottom line is that the West, Europe and America included, are partly to blame for the immigrant crisis in Europe because if they never disturbed the beehives, may be all these bees buzzing and stunning Europe would still be gathered together in their Mideast beehives. 

But now instead of wallowing in a Monday night quarterbacking, Icheoku says the world including America must move fast with finding solution to the immigrant crisis in Europe. As partly a responsible party thereto, they must make restitution by helping those stranded immigrants find meaning to life and reason to live again. Icheoku says these hapless and helpless immigrants had no hand in the shock dealt them. Their  first choice was to have been left alone and undisturbed in their various countries. Trekking to Europe in search of safety and security is but a second choice which circumstances and providence unleashed on them. Therefore Europe and America must see the need to absorb these refugees as duty not a favor they are doing to these immigrants. If Muommar Ghaddafi and Saddam Hussein were left alone, there would have been no immigrant crisis to worry about. Needless to add that Saddam Hussein's removal handed Iran victory over their expansionist tendencies towards and over their Western neighbors, including a no distant future bragging right as a nuclear power nation. 

These are facts, they happened and now these agent provocateurs in Europe and America must be prepared to deal with the warned fallout and then stoically see their absorbing and resettlement as a duty which they owe to those displaced persons. Good enough the skins of those Syrian, Iraqi and Afghanistan refugees is white-enough and will not constitute much problem for the Donald Trumps of the West, who would rather have a pure Caucasian only Western world. Although these immigrants' white is off-white, the Mediterranean white, but at least they are whiter than those "criminal" Mexicans crossing our Southern boarder as well as those charcoal African descendants who are summarily deported back to their Caribbean Island homes upon reaching land in Florida, while their Cuban counterparts are allowed to stay because their skin is lighter and as dark? 

Icheoku says may be the solution to all such future problems is for the West to butt out of the peoples problems and political issues and rather to mind its own business. The West will do itself great service if it ends its imperialistic policies that bequeath them the arrogant right to tell others how to live their lives. If diplomacy fails, apply sanctions and thereafter try to mitigate such bad situational leaders; but  the West must stop meddling and interfering in other countries purely internal affairs matters. But where the West continues with their quest to maintain a thumb on other peoples lives, disrupting and dislodging any government that says no to them, then that long would they expect such disastrous consequences as the overwhelming refugees seeking shelter and safety in their respective countries. 

In the final analysis therefore, the recent White House announcement that America will take in 10,000 refugees did not meet the expectation of Icheoku as well as so many people throughout the world. America as leader of the free world should be able to lead in everything including resettling these refugees. Ten thousands refugees is but a paltry drop in the bucket in a four and half million refugees situation, needing a place of safety and security. So the least the United States of America could and is expected to do is to absorb at least about ten percent of those refugees. By absorbing 400,000 refugees, America will somewhat make some impact in a very terrible and horrible human refugees crisis which was never before witnessed in recent history. 

Icheoku maintains that the 10,000 agreed to be resettled number is but a drop in the ocean and should be drastically increased in order to actually help alleviate the growing number of refugees who are needlessly suffering as a result of the actions of the West but who were never consulted when the disruptions of their countries and livelihood were planned in these Western capitals and subsequently executed. At least let America do it not only because it can but also because of our joint humanity with the suffering refugees. America can bump up its population to 500 million and still do very well; as there are large expanse of unoccupied land to support and feed these extra population. Better still, settle them somewhere in the middle of America where minimum wage will not be too high; and instead of shipping all our jobs to China and India and Mexico for cheap labor, just use these refugees' labor to help pay for their stay and upkeep in America.

HILLARY CLINTON'S EVAPORATING DREAM OF BEING FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF AMERICA?

Icheoku says does not think that Hillary Clinton has thus far proved and demonstrated within reasonable assessment that she has what it takes to lead a very complex society and leader of the free world that is the United States of America. Icheoku admonishes that Hillary Clinton's political and historical antecedents, her summer performance on her campaign trail, as well as her other performances in many previously held assignments and positions do not give anyone any storied confidence that she has what it takes to get the job done as the first Madam President of the United States of America. America's female president,  an idea which many Americans have been toying with for such a very long that they will be prepared to accommodate Hillary Clinton, but first, she must convince them that they have a trustworthy partner in her by passing the smell test. 

Hillary Clinton is not a just happened personality on the American political stage as majority of Americans watched her from her days as Arkansas First Lady to America's First Lady to United States of America junior Senator from New York and then to her last assignment as Secretary of States of the United States of America before teeing off to campaign for her present effort at securing the nomination of the Democratic Party as its presidential candidate. Icheoku says this very particular candidate is a person with provable and traceable record and they are not very flattering record indeed to say the least. 

Peradventure, America knows what Hillary Rodham Clinton is and she cannot repackage herself into what she is not. Like the time worn aphorism, reinventing the wheel in the matter of redefining Hillary Clinton is an absolute impossibility defined. Candidate Hillary Clinton and her minders have the very difficult task of convincing Americans that the Hillary Clinton who they know inside out and who they watched implode before their eyes is any different. They want America to believe that Hillary Clinton can now do things differently which she never did all these years of many opportunities and given assignments to prove her can-do abilities but all of which petered to nothing accomplished. Icheoku is not needlessly piling up on this woman, but channeling her husband, Bill Clinton's 'just the facts' retort, Icheoku avers that her records are her greatest nemesis; just the fact ma'am. 

So ask yourselves Americans what actually does Hillary Clinton plan to do differently, which she never did through her husband President Bill Clinton, when everyone knew how close she was to that government, an insider of all insiders? As a first lady, her effort at health-care reform was not a good resume to occupy her record of achievements?  The Hillary Clinton attempt at healthcare reform was botched and Americans knew who they still hold responsible for that seemingly daunting task which Obamacare shows was doable; but which could not be mission accomplished by Hillary Clinton. Yet she wants us to elect her president and you wonder if she could not pull off a health-care reform, is it Wall Street reform for example, that will be an easy cake walk yield? Then there were the White Water's Susan MacDougal scandal as well as the Vincent Foster mysterious death, both which partially implicated her political resume and which she might be minded to throw more lights on. Then came her tenure at the State Department and Libya's Benghazi mismanaged crisis that claimed the life of our ambassador comes rushing to mind. 

That this has since snowballed into the private Server-gate scandal which is thus far proving to be the worst migraine of her campaign life is a media favorite story  It is equally a fact of consequence that her misjudge of the gravity of the threat of Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis, dismissing it then as a mere protestation by the deprived and marginalized against their  oppressive haves. Yet she wants us to elect her president and you wonder with this type of judgment and perceptive acuity? Finally the quick sand threatening to swallow her campaign effort is her earlier stonewalling and defensiveness in the private server-gate scandal. From the 'I did not do anything wrong' or channeling former vice president Al Gore, 'there is no controlling legal authority for using private server,' to her latest attempt at mea culpa saying that she made a mistake and that she is sorry for that, all are a little too late as no one is convinced on her sincerity and true contrition. Many Americans are questioning whether it is not just a ploy to deflect the issue of the server gate, a gamble that would infer judgment probably see her campaign train back on tracks again. 

Icheoku recalls that in one of these her attempts at a do-over or rather make-over interviews, that she will 'try to be as transparent as possible' going forward. To this Icheoku says that she implied by that statement that she has not been transparent nor forthcoming and that she has been hiding things from the American people and could still be and therefore simply up to no good afterall. Icheoku says to Hillary Clinton, instead of trying to be transparent, why not just be transparent; and let American people be convinced by what they see as a newly transformed and transparent Hillary Clinton and not just one they are waiting to see morph into a more transparent person. May be Hillary Clinton under-appreciated the damage this statement did to her candidacy as no American trust someone who is hiding something to be their president and commander in chief of their armed forces,

Anyway, as Icheoku previously opined in one of our articles, Hillary is merely riding the surf board of her husband Bill Clinton  But for her husband Bill Clinton's goodwill and the love American people have for him, which they inadvertently are channeling to his wife,  Hillary Clinton would have remained just a nondescript Midwestern woman, just another woman like any other in America. She is drab, very mechanical to the point of being robotic, not exciting, not charming nor have the charm offensive, her smile appears plastic, she is not spontaneous and does not know how to work the crowd or even tell her story convincingly. Simply put, in her does the meaning that opposite attracts come to light, when compared to her husband Bill Clinton. This perception is rife, leading to many people wondering whether this is the reason she has not divorced and walked away from Bill Clinton; as she is trying to ride his popularity into the White House as the first woman president of America. 

Anyway, Icheoku has not finally foreclosed on Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy just yet; but says she and her team need to do more to reinvent both her candidacy and her campaign. No one is excited nor giddy in their support for her 2016 run for president. Icheoku alerts that barring a complete and total, very far-reaching make-over, America might not see the ever anticipated first female occupying their White House as president and commander in chief in someone named Hillary Clinton; at least not in 2016. Probably, Hillary Clinton might not be the one to be so honored as the first female president that America desires and deserves; nor can she be that leader America trusts to deliver the goods as their president. 2016 presidency is fast slipping through the wet hands of Hillary Clinton and may be it is about time she surrenders and submits to her husband and beg him to please help make her the next president; otherwise she might as well forget it as a dream which has almost completely evaporated. 

CAREY GABAY HEADSHOT, ANOTHER ONE SHOOTING JUST TOO MANY.

Icheoku says should all future parades   and festivities in Brooklyn New York be banned as result of recurring gun violence which has inflicted such a life threatening injury on Carey Gabay? San Francisco did it with Halloween parade in the Castro following a gun violence some few years ago. Now instead of the organized mayhem that use to be Castro Street Halloween festival, the event is marked in several parts of the city making it much easier for the police to have the celebration under control and not let it get out of their hand. 

Icheoku says like San Francisco, may be New York should consider banning the Caribbean Festival, the shooting of Gaby considered. That a "trouble-prone" parade is still allowed to hold in New York is simply mind befuddling and this latest shooting, one among the several recorded in this year's parade alone, should serve as a wake-up call for New Yorkers to do something about it and take their city back from these hooligans who bring tear and sorrow to an otherwise joyful occasion. Today it is Gabay, who knows who it shall be tomorrow; so lets do it in honor of Gabay by getting his frigging parade consigned to the cold doldrums instead of spreading the red carpet for murderers and thugs to use it to commit heinous crimes. 

Imagine this Harvard-trained lawyer and a staffer of Governor Andrew Cuomo, now fighting for his life because some thug shot him in the head as he was partaking of an otherwise celebratory event, the West Indian American Day Parade festivities. Icheoku says it appears that it is an offense now to be seen strolling with one's brother and friends through a parade's pre-party, J'Ouvert, in Crown Heights Brooklyn? Gabay took evasive action to protect himself from erupted gun fight, diving for cover between two vehicles, yet some blind bullets found his head as resting place? Today, he is in a battle for his life, intubated and unconscious in a hospital's intensive care unit. Icheoku says this is not how to live a life; and it is another sad occasion that calls for a reexamination of conscience by the NRA. The National Rifles Association should ask themselves must this mayhem and insecurity continue in our society as a result of too many guns floating freely around and in the hands of people who do not have to have them. Anyway, Icheoku wishes Cary Gabay victory in the biggest fight of his life. What a shot too many and may these violence please end.

BRAZIL'S CREDIT RATING JUNKED, A WARNING SHOT AT NIGERIA?

Icheoku says the junking of Brazilian economy or rather its credit rating by Standard and Poor's, which stripped Brazil of its premier investment-grade status, is indeed very telling. It is quite  significant and very far-reaching too, especially to the supposedly largest African economy, Nigeria. The credit downsize means that Brazil no longer has credit or rather now has a very poor credit which lenders will find too unattractive and too risky to deal with.  Investors will shy away from such a high risk credit country and at best, deal at their own risk. As is often the case  with such situations, only high risk investors and creditors will  be able to operate at cutthroat  premiums of take it or leave it no choice left for the country. The result, cost of doing business will escalate, the country will get into deeper recession, amassing more debts and the people find it extremely difficult to afford their usual daily necessities; particularly where their availability depends on imports financed with scarce foreign exchange and now no much credit. The effect is usually of a cascading nature as everything becomes unaffordable with majority of consumers priced out of the market and traders cannot replenish their stock as they deplete. Austerity measures are introduced and its domino effect affects every strata of the country.

The credit rating of Brazil became of interest to Icheoku because of the similarities of its economy to that of Nigeria. Brazil is South America's largest economy and so is Nigeria's boasted Africa's largest economy. Brazil's Petrobras was massively corrupt and so was Nigeria's NNPC before the current effort to rejig the Nigeria's oil resources management corporation and hopefully plug the leaky blackhole in the economy. Like Brazil the ongoing war on corruption involving highly placed individuals might increase political uncertainty in Nigeria and the investing world does not appreciate having their money placed in an unstable and shaky financial market. Thankfully the intervention in NNPC, if successful, will somewhat help cushion the jittery world that at least something is being done to contain the corruption plaguing the country. Like Brazil, Nigeria's oil is no longer a prized commodity so much sought after by the world, so to survive and thrive, Nigeria must start sourcing alternative new revenue earners before they are forced to go under. Hopefully Nigeria will not hit rock bottom and become an investment pariah country from which investors will take flight, thereby forcing it on its knees. What happened to Brazil should be an eye opener for Nigeria which must now strive not to taste the same potion currently being served Brazil by the investment world. 

However, the the news from JP Morgan that it will eject "Africa's biggest economy" from its emerging markets bond index due to its tough control of the Naira is not a very welcoming news. Further the news coming out of Nigeria's economic and financial markets is not good enough to continue to sustain bankable investments. The fluctuating Naira which has been on a free fall against major currencies for sometime now, oil the main stay of the economy and the major foreign exchange earner has seen its value plummet to some incredible new lows. The expected infusion of Iranian oil into an already glut world oil market is not a good reprieve either for those in charge of navigating the Nigeria economy. Unfortunately, no one is in charge yet as the president of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, has been rather too low in appreciating the magnitude of the tsunami headed the way of the Nigeria economy. Otherwise he would have since appointed seasoned technocrats in charge of the economy to help chart and guide the Nigeria economy. Icheoku says a ready-to-hit the road running government would have since appointed economic and finance ministers to reassure the investing world that Nigeria has its acts together and that their investment capital is appreciated and will be safe. 

But where a president has been flying solo as a sole administrator of the country, micro-managing everything including the Nigeria's economy and for four long months now, it leaves much to be desired and telegraphs the wrong message of gross instability. Icheoku says such primitive economic management thinking has no place in today's highly speculative economy where trust is everything. Today's economic engine is driven by activities; people making money regardless of the amount. It eventually adds up. But where activities are nearly frozen with people not knowing what direction the government plans to drive the economy, it always have a chilling effect on the economy and everything tend to tumble therefrom. This is what President Muhammadu Buhari must avoid at all cost because once an economy goes through a seismic shock it is usually difficult to pull it back from the cliff. Icheoku says money in the bank is no money as it loses its essence as a tool that works the economy. Therefore instead of the government focus on saving money, they should rather pump more money into the economy to ramp up activities and thereby get the economy going. Icheoku says all the savings will come to naught if they don't create jobs and economic activities that propels money making. So instead of trying to mop all the money in circulation or save for whatever rainy day, the government should pump tons of money into the economy to help ignite and sustain a continued economic activities and with it eventually will come growth and income boost, indicators of a vibrant economy. 

Nigerians were warned about the mindset of President Muhammadu Buhari which is of the old school thinking of saving money instead of the new school thinking of making more money; but they played possum and he is now president. All every well-meaning Nigerian can do now is to pray that he allows whoever he eventually appoints minister of economy and finance the free hand to midwife an economy that works for all and that is activities driven. But stashing money in bank vaults belongs to the past, it is so yesterday. It is no longer a germane way for economic growth because money is simply a tool and tools are used to get stuff done. Whatever be the cost or price, Nigeria must endeavor to avoid a downgrading of its economy or credit rating because either of them would accelerate Nigeria's economic downfall. It is a given that any country without credible borrowing power or great credit rating cannot operate a robust economy that creates jobs as well as wealth both for her citizens and their foreign investors/partners. So unable to pay its bills, what use then is a country to investors, many of who would be too nervous to further commit assets thereinto. Icheoku prays that unlike Brazil, Nigeria will not go into deep recession, deficit budgeting and economic/political paralysis which might  force the hands of these credit rating agencies to pull the plug, thus turning Nigeria into a wasteland for investments. But the clock is ticking and very loudly; the delayed ministerial appointment is not helping matters either. So President Muhammadu Buhari, please read the handwriting on the wall before the Nigerian economy goes the way of the Titanic. 

DONALD TRUMP MUST DISTANT SELF FROM SARAH PALIN,

Icheoku says Donald Trump must distant his campaign from the erstwhile John McCain's vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as she has nothing to bring nor any utility to add to his now prosperous campaign. Like with Hillary Clinton, Americans know Sarah Palin and they have their minds made up about her. She is a lightweight political nitwit who brought no value added to the John McCain's presidential campaign and will not either to the Donald Trump's. 

Therefore Icheoku asks what then does Donald Trump hope to derive or benefit from associating with Sarah Palin; except if her being a potential "Energy Secretary" in the Trump's administration is somewhat beneficial to his campaign?  Icheoku says anyone calling or mistaking Sarah Palin as a political genius literally takes away the meaning of that word and does great disservice and injustice to real political operators  who rightly merited and deserved to be so called and identified. So Donald Trump, Icheoku says tear down any association or links to Sarah Palin and NOW; but if still in doubt, ask Senator John McCain, if in a do-over, whether he will again choose her as a running mate.

HILLARY CLINTON'S APOLOGY, TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?

Icheoku says it is a fact of consequence that the Server-gate scandal has taken a drastic toll on the candidacy of Hillary Clinton and to the extent of somewhat irreparably damaging it. It is also an irrefutable fact that it was self inflicted, by a woman who is too cunning that she has outfoxed herself and is presently trapped inside the private server-gate that is likely to take her down the political  sinkhole forever. A matter she could have abated had she come out clean initially and leveled with the American people, admitted her mistake or rather oversight and then apologize for it. But no, she stonewalled and parried off questions until she became suspect before the American people as one hiding something and who is not clean enough for the office which she seeks. Her campaign took a heavy toll through the summer and now belatedly she went to a talk-show to say she made a mistake and that she is sorry. 

Icheoku says what took her so long and whether anyone is moved to change their perception of her as a lying presidential candidate wanna be is very doubtful. What a woman who self crashed and burnt an otherwise storied candidacy. Icheoku says except Hillary Clinton is the cat with nine lives and might eventually pull out her Hail-Mary redemption, her campaign is as good as dead on water. It is going to literally take the scrubbing of the minds and brains of analytical Americans for her campaign to rise again. Icheoku says lying sucks and people being lied to don't take it lightly because the lying party looks down upon them as being too dumb to know that they are being taken for a sucker. This is the present fork on the road to the White House for Hillary Clinton and only her can determine the road traveled going forward. She must retool and rejig her campaign and reform her contract with the American people to always tell the truth and always be truthful with them.

MIKE HUCKABEE, AN AMERICAN TALIBAN WHO CAN NEVER BE ELECTED PRESIDENT.

Icheoku says now you know why this fanatic right wing Christian fundamentalist cannot and will never be elected president of a free United States of America where everyone including those who love and worship differently call home. Simply put, a Taliban American cannot be put in charge of our lives or seen to be representing our secular country by occupying our White House. Icheoku says a president of America, a country of laws, must not only respectfully uphold all valid laws of the land but must also be seen to encourage their general uphold. But when a habitual presidential candidate mounts the soapbox to support a violation of valid law of the land, then something apparently is wrong with the candidate which should automatically, permanently, disqualify him from ever seeking the highest office in the land and if he seeks it, must be rejected as too extreme for America. 

Mike Huckabee is just one candidate that has since lost a national appeal and have retracted to the confines of his fellow bigoted supposed "Christians of America", where he finds some solace and maintains his very subjective religious views which he considers supreme and superior to every laws of the country. Icheoku berates that if Mike Huckabee must be president of somewhere or anywhere, may be he should look forward to running in heaven and be prepared to be shown the way out just like Lucifer. Unfortunately, there is no more theology enclave left in the world where he can relocate to go preach whatever he wants including his support for flagrant violation of existing valid law of the land. Anyway, he is but a local champion who lacks national appeal nor broad traction and Icheoku is glad that his train derailed earlier in time as Americans understands fully the type of wild-eyed zealot this Huckabee is before it was too late, following his election into office. 

But thankfully America dodged the bullet and now even Sarah Palin stands a better and much more superior chance at getting elected United States of American president than this fat man of Arkansas. Just hear him supporting a woman whose fundamentalist views drove her into disobeying a valid law of the land and being contemptuous of a substantive court order. According to the fat man of Arkansas, "If you have to put someone in jail, I volunteer to go. Let me go. Lock me up if you think that's how freedom is best served. Because folks, I am willing to spend the next eight years in the White House leading in this country. But I want you to know I'm willing to spend the next eight years in jail, but I'm not willing to spend the next years in tyranny under people who think they can take our freedom and conscience away." 

Icheoku says he called a valid court order, issued by a duly appointed Federal Judge David Bunning, tyranny; yet he wants to become America's president? Anyway if only wishes were horses, beggars would catch a ride. So long Mike Huckabee and may your presidential aspiration now permanently rest and without any hope at a do over or of ever rebounding again.

MATTHEW STARVER, WHEN A LAWYER GOES OFF TANGENT?

Icheoku says sometimes some lawyers just confuse people by complicating an otherwise simple straight matter. Just hear Kim Davis lawyer Matthew Starver speak about his client following her release from jail:- "She loves God, she loves people, she loves her work and she will not betray any of those three. She'll do her job good. She'll serve the people and she'll also be loyal to God; and she's not going to violate her conscience." 

Icheoku retorts as follows:- are gay people not people in the eyes and judgment of Kim Davis that she wants to deny them their human-right by barring them from getting married? If indeed she loves her work, then why not she do it? She just betrayed gay people by denying them their right to get married or didn't she? If she will do her job good, she better start issuing marriage certificate to everyone. If she will serve the people, why not also the people who are gay and loves differently? Icheoku says her conscience was already x-rayed and it stinks of bigotry and she has since proved too that she cannot love everybody equally as the good Lord Jesus did and still does. 

Icheoku asks how can these three apparent irreconcilable  be simultaneously achieved without one superseding the others and vice versa. Anyway, just another paid lawyer trying to earn his retainer and billed hours; and to do this, he has to play on semantics, the usual trademark splitting of hairs, meant to bamboozle the gullible. Icheoku says Kim Davis must not be allowed to use her very subjective conscience to negate a valid law of the land.

KIM DAVIS IS GEORGE WALLACE OF OUR TIME, SHOULD DO HER JOB OR RESIGN.

Icheoku says the fanatical far right wing christian woman of Kentucky, who, contrary to our Lord and Master Jesus injunction "thou shall not judge", have actively inserted herself into the gay marriage fray, as an arbiter and purveyor of what God wants, has no right nor business using her office to propagate hatred against God's people who happened to love differently. As a County clerk, she was elected to discharge the duties of the office including issuing marriage licenses to everyone who applies for it. She has no right, regardless of whatever subterfuge, to refuse a license to anyone who duly applies for one. Her job as an elected county clerk is to diligently discharge stipulated duties of her office; but not to subjectively and selectively choose what aspects of her official duties to perform. Therefore she violated her oath of office when she decided on her own, to cherry-pick her official duties by refusing to comply with an existing law of the land which provides for the issuance of marriage certificate to everyone. 

Icheoku says Kim Davis must not and should never be allowed to get away with her flagrant violation of an existing law of the land, which the highest court in the land, the United States Supreme Court, has since upheld as valid. Icheoku says had George Wallace been allowed to get away with his anti-civil rights disposition, black people in America would have still remained one third human beings with no right whatsoever. But his bigotry was forcibly shot down and the same George Wallace treatment should be applied to Kim Davis. United States of America must not stand for this clear case of discrimination against a minority group by an elected official who is refusing to discharge the duties of her office.  To do otherwise will be encouraging lawlessness and by extension an invitation to anarchy in the land. Imagine the Pandora box that will be opened if every official in America is allowed to only enforce or carry out those aspects of statutory duties that he or she agrees with? 

Imagine what will become the faith of millions of Americans were people with different biases allowed to discriminate against those people they see differently; because requiring them to do what they were elected to do will somehow cause them hurt-feeling or contravene their very subjective religious beliefs? How far is America prepared to go to accommodate the likes of Kim Davis of the land whose subjectivity is rather too petty and very irrational. Imagine the far-reaching consequences of such an accommodation , which have seen an air-hostess refusing to do her duties of serving passengers alcoholic beverage claiming her Islamic religion is against that? Query, if your Islamic religion is against that, what use are you therefore working in such an environment since your employer cannot be required to pay you for not doing the work you were hired to do? Not being a perfect fit for the employment, this air hostess should look for a job elsewhere that does not involve serving alcoholic beverages to paying customers?

By the same token, Kim Davis cannot be allowed to pick and choose who gets a government issued marriage license, whose agency she is in charge by reason of her designated office. If she cannot do her job for which reason she was elected and paid with taxpayers money, including those she is discriminating against, she should resign her office. No one is asking Kim Davis to do anything or become gay or be married to one, other than to do her job as a country clerk. She as a self-confessed person who has done so many vile things, possibly has done more bad things and caused more harm to people than loving gay people who simply want to get married. Icheoku is emphatic that her likes possibly constitute more than 75% of Ashley Madison clientele and they could care less that God particularly frowned against adultery. Even as a professed Christian, giving her the benefit of doubt, she should have been appraised of Jesus Christ admonishing to give Caesar, Caesar's. 

If we are to buy into this vile fanatic's warped mindset and accept her very anti-gay behavior, can we also standby as a KKK racist emergency room doctor similarly decline to treat a black accident victim claiming a racial bias against niggers as an excuse? Can a county clerk who is a Muslim be allowed to deny issuing building permit for a church because to do so will hurt his religious belief against infidels? Can a Jehovah Witness county clerk refuse the issuance of liquor license because alcoholic beverages is against his religious beliefs? Kim Davis has to be immediately stopped cold in her tracks because to do otherwise will open cans of worms from which an uncontrollable monster might crawl out. If she is allowed to have her way and use her official capacity as a weapon of mass destruction against a disparate group,  simply because of their sexual preferences, who knows what other belief, someone somewhere, might invoke to cause a denial of rights to other people. 

Icheoku maintains that Kim Davis has no constitutional or statutory guaranteed right not to do her duties that should be protected through an accommodation of her present misbehavior. Rather, the people whose right is being infringed upon and violated here, are those same-sex potential spouses who are being denied their right to marriage with the refusal of issuance of marriage certificate by this woman. Kim Davis freely ran, was elected  and sworn in to discharge and uphold the duties of the county clerk and without bias to anyone. So what changed, one may ask? Could she be allowed to similarly decline issuance of marriage certificates to a Jew, a Muslim or a Buddhist couple citing her hatred for their religion or that they are not worshipping her true God or in disagreement with  their mode of worship? Icheoku says one thing with precedent is that they have a long reach, hence setting a bad one must be avoided at all cost. 

Gay Americans have earned their right to marry in America as the Supreme Court recently affirmed; hence all the Kim Davis of America far-right wing fanatical Christians must not be allowed to impinge or deny them this recognized rights to marry whoever they love. It is the law of the land and the law must be enforced black lettered; and it must not be allowed to be distorted or disregarded by reason of biased and peculiar lens of one individual. Icheoku says Kim Davis cannot be allowed to take away another person's right in protestation or protection of her own very subjective religious belief. As an elected official, Kim Davis does is not at liberty to choose and pick what aspects of her official duties to carry out and which to deny. These duties are obligatory and not personal to her but are annexed to the office which she occupies and they preceded her arrival thereto. It is also instructive that she freely campaigned to be elected to the office, with her implied consent to accordingly discharge the duties of the office without any reservation and she swore an oath to uphold the office too. This wild-eyed fanatic must not be allowed to hold people in Kentucky, including those who believe differently, the unbelievers as well as the faithless of the society, hostage to her peculiar religious belief. 

Icheoku says whatever this thrice married and twice divorced woman beliefs are, they are her private affairs and she must keep it to herself. She must not be allowed to compel everyone into sharing it or buying into it or even using it as a weapon of blackmail against certain people. Rowan County Kentucky does not belong to her, neither should laws of the country in force in Kentucky as well as in Rowan County be subject to her biases. She is merely an official, elected to carry out the duties of her office without bias or discrimination and she should comply or surrender her fiat. Icheoku says Kim Davis committed impeachable offense and should therefore be impeached. She violated her oath of office to discharge her duties without bias against anyone and to uphold the office of County Clerk of Rowan County kentucky. She veered off her authorized powers by hijacking the office of the county clerk by refusing to authorize others to discharge given statutory duties. She defied the Supreme Court of United States of America affirmation that gay couples have constitutional right to marry. She should therefore resign or be impeached from office. She should also stand criminal prosecution for committing act capable of precipitating lawlessness, anarchy and mayhem. 

Kim Davis is an embodiment of all the things that is wrong with America, where some fixated individuals have refused to let the country move beyond its past. Fringed people  who are constantly subjecting everyone to their warped thinking and crazed-out, stale and unshifting ideologies. Icheoku says to help understand how weird some of these Christian fanatics are, imagine one Gary Potter of South Shore Church of God in Greenup County Kentucky, saying that "God loves everybody except homosexuals and murderers who are going to hell." Unfortunately he choose to forget that our Lord and Master Jesus said that he came for those who are sick and not those who are well.  He also developed selective amnesia as to the teaching of the prodigal son parable. But hey, those that fall victim to this warped teaching are the gullible of the society who are not privileged to have traversed the bible with some scholarly comprehension. Otherwise they would have known that these fanatics are judging others in utter disobedience of the Lord's injunction "thou shall not judge." 

Icheoku however agrees with Judge Bunning that 'personal opinions and biases are not relevant to today's developments in America.' Kim Davis therefore must  shove her infamous opinion in her you know where and do her duty for which she was elected and paid with taxpayers money, including those of people being discriminated against, professionally. It is also pertinent that Kim Davis never asked that same-sex people's tax money should never make it into her paycheck? An admitted sinner who has done "a lot of vile and wicked things"; who only recently converted to her now fanatical religion, just a few short years ago in 2011; but she would not give or extend to others their own free election as to when to "convert?"  This was an option she freely exercised and admittedly lived in sin throughout her years until 2011 when she decided to turn a new leaf? The same Jezebel now wants to forcibly "convert" those same-sex "sinners" through a blackmail of  withholding and denying them marriage licenses. Icheoku laments that Talibans live in Afghanistan and this is America for crying out loud. 

Icheoku says Kim Davis does not live in heaven nor in a theocracy either to apply her "divine" laws. This is the United States of America, a country of laws and as an elected official she is duty bound to comply with laws of the land as it appertains to her office. She has no discretionary choice in the matter and should either comply or resign her office forthwith. If she cannot carry out her duties or find its execution too cumbersome or against whatever subjective beliefs she might have, she should move away to make way for those who can to effectively occupy the office. Kim Davis should relinquish her hold unto the office of Rowan Country clerk and her seat, let another take, so decreed the same bible. She cannot be allowed to adversely lay claim to the office whilst refusing to perform the duties of the office. Every rational American is in agreement that she should do her job or do the needful through resignation. There is no room for triangulation or splitting of hairs in the matter.  It is either she is all in or she is all out the office; and if she cannot stand the heat in the kitchen, she should get the hell out. Icheoku says no serious law abiding citizen of any society would accommodate such travesty as Kim Davis' current disposition towards a law of the land. Therefore Icheoku hereby calls on Kim Davis to either do the job for which she was elected Rowan county clerk and paid to do; or resign the office immediately.