CHINUA ACHEBE BURIED, REST IN PEACE.

 

Icheoku says Professor Chinua Achebe's progression into eternity is now complete with his burial at his ancestral home in Ogidi Anambra State on May 23, 2013. The burial was well attended with Presidents Jonathan of Nigeria and his Ghana counterpart in attendance among other dignitaries. However Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka was conspicuously absent at the burial of a fellow literary giant leading Icheoku to query whether it is the Yoruba unforgiving propensity that conspired to force Soyinka to stay out the burial; possibly because Achebe called out their Papa Awolowo on the role he played during the Biafran genocide supervised by Yakubu Gowon in his last work "There was a country." 

Icheoku says whatever be the case, Professor Chinualumogu Achebe was uneventfully buried and what he said about and concerning Awolowo remains a truism; and as far as Icheoku is concerned, the Yoruba antagonists can stuff their anger in their you know what for crying out loud. What kind of people holds grudge against the dead simply because he memorialized the truth about the role played by their tribal lord Obafemi Awolowo during the conspiratorial Biafran genocidal war? Icheoku was around during the war, Icheoku read the book and adds that Achebe was even too respectful in what he said about Awolowo as Icheoku could have done worse were places traded. 

"There was a country" is a good book and every Nigeria should read it for an insight into what went awry and spoiled the country that once was - NIGERIA. Icheoku had an opportunity to take it to one so called Egbe Oduduwa in Diaspora legal adviser who mistook the "country" that once was for Biafra instead of Nigeria. Anyway, Icheoku says adieu Prof and thank you for the good fight.

STATE OF EMERGENCY, JONATHAN FINALLY FINDS HIS MISSING BALLS.

Icheoku says it is an action which time had since come and become long overdue and hereby congratulates President Jonathan for stepping up to the plate to do what is necessarily required of him as the chief custodian of security in the country. The unabating, metastasizing insecurity in the land does no one any good including those in the sidelines currently cheering the mayhem being visited upon the land just because Jonathan is the president, admitted he has not come to judgment. 

As with all revolutions, it is pregnant and no one knows the dimension it might eventually snowball into if left unchecked. If it is Jonathan today it might be a Haruna tomorrow and Okoronkwo the day after tomorrow or another Olayinka with other sections providing the cannon fodder for anarchy. Be that as it may, Icheoku hopes the president will allow the security forces do what is needed to get their job done and if it means shooting some people, so be it; if it means rendering to waste some neighborhoods, so be it; if it means going up against some very high-ups, let such action be welcomed provided normalcy is restored in such stricken and handicapped neighborhoods or states of the Nigerian federation. 

Like the president said and Icheoku concurs, "every Nigerian has a duty to stand firm against those who threaten the sovereign integrity of the Nigerian state; and every Nigerians' will should be strong because Nigerians' faith lies in the indivisibility of the Nigerian state." Biafra was shot down under this guise and Nigerians must now ensure that the same tenet that applied then applies today and not allow any part of the geographical entity to unravel the contraption. Icheoku says 'way to go President "I now give a damn" Jonathan.'

ABATI'S ODE TO JONATHAN, A RESPONSE.

"Yes, great minds like Abraham Lincoln, Mahtama Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Kwame Nkrumah made the world easier. Yet whatever they achieved was with plainness of approach, honesty and integrity. They were not attained with dourness and stupidity. They came out of a vibrant methodology and pragmatic visions. Jonathan lacks these qualities. Comparing the man Jonathan to these great minds is illusory and vain." - Dr Olusegun Fakoya

'AMERICANS, "I DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM" - TAMERLAN TSARNAEV.

Icheoku says deceased Boston Marathon terrorist-bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev was indeed a demented soul crying out for help (acceptance) and for a long time too? He felt trapped, alone and lonely in a society that he considered predominantly, exclusively racist. Just listen to him rant about having no single American friend all the years he had lived in America and called it home; and that he "do not understand them;" and you see a picture of a disillusioned hermit, pining away in a "foreign alien land" and suffering from internal isolation. In his own words, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, speaking of his frustrations about life in America said:- "I don't have a single American friend; I don't understand them." (FYI:- Tamerlan is pictured in color left while his brother Dzhokar is afro-haired and in black and white) 

Icheoku queries if life in America for Tamerlan Tsarnaev was or became so unbearable, why did he not just pack up and leave, since no one was going to or would have stopped him from leaving the country? If life in America was so brutish and much more brutal than the life Tamerlan Tsarnaev had in Chechnya Russia wherefrom he migrated and sought asylum in the safety of America, why didn't he simply move back to his birth-homeland and enjoy the "bliss" there? If life was as inclement as this pitch-fork terrorist made it out to be, what stopped him from just moving away to any other country including Canada, Mexico or even Nigeria for crying out loud? But no; instead, he and his brother chose the path of infamy and exploded weapons of mass destruction at the Boston Marathon, killing several and maiming hundreds of innocent people including women and children; as well as causing property damage. What a pitiful guest this guy was to a caring city which took him in after he sought protection from the undertakers in his then motherland? What a dept of gratitude repaid, indeed?

Did these victims deserve the fate visited them by the Tsarnaev brothers? Did the city of Boston deserve to be targeted in this manner or any other way? A city which had provided these animals with a place of abode, education and means of livelihood all these years they lived in America? What about the untold psychological disturbia these munchkins hoisted on Marathon loving athletes the world-over who will henceforth have to deal with the enveloping effect of this unfortunate incident hounding them each time they put their lungs and sinews to the ultimate test in endurance? What about the American populace that was beginning to move on from the nightmare that was September 11? In short what about the world populace who are beginning to feel that the war on terrorism is achieving its objective of making the world relatively a safe place again? Icheoku says the answer to these questions are rather emphatic denunciation of the Tsarnaev brothers act and these guys deserve not to breath a day longer than is necessary to pass them through the crucible that is American justice; albeit the only surviving Dzhokar who must now be made to suffer the maximum penalty prescribed under our laws. Their act is despicable, inexplicable and uncalled for; and no REASON whatsoever justified or would justify or attempt to justify it. Such terrifying fear-hostage situation cannot, shall not, must not and will not be tolerated or accommodated in any civilized decent society that still values law and order like ours, period. 

What Icheoku does not get, did not get, refuses to get and would not even try getting or in any other event attempt fashioning an explanation to, is why the elder Tsarnaev felt so depressed and so isolated in America, yet still lived here? Why did he decide to, instead of moving to an "Eldorado" elsewhere, vent his raging anger and frustration on the society by inflicting so much pain and suffering before ending his own decrepitude miserable life? Why did the Tsarnaev brothers so tragically bomb innocent athletic men and women participating in the Boston City Marathon as well as their supporters, including little children? What made a frustrated Russian imbecile to co-opt his brother for this tragic journey of no return which once again inflicted indelible agonising pain on the American peoples' psyche? As a matter of factually speaking, Icheoku says the "whys" are not any longer important and/or are not necessarily as important as the assured punishment which the surviving Tsarnaev should and will receive, his elder brother having already met justice via law enforcement bullets. It is just crass wickedness and evil; and whatever be their motivation, Icheoku does not care to know or like President Jonathan of Nigeria would say, "don't give a damn" about it. They can instead, stuff it in their you know where.

Whatever be their grievances; however extensive the provocations; however widespread the aggravations, however egregious their misgivings were with the American society or her government, those victims were not directly or in any other way responsible for bringing it about and therefore did not deserve the hand dealt them by these Tsarnaev killers. The killed, maimed and wounded did not create nor continued to prop the system which supposedly isolated the Tsarnaevs and prevented them from completely assimilating into life in American society. Their paths never crossed nor did their eyeballs look the evil-eye at them. So assuming the Tsarnaevs had an axe to grind with the American society, why did they elder Tsarnaev not take his pent-up anger to the American peoples representatives: - the policy makers in Washington or Massachusetts State's Capitol or to Wall Street or even the Pentagon? Why non policy actors or implementers; people who probably are feeling what Tamerlan allegedly felt if not worse? Or because of the tin-man cowards they are, they rather chose a soft target to registered their malignant complaint?

May be if Tamerlan Tsarnaev had interacted more, watched more television or even porn, went to a baseball game or the NBA, gone to rock concerts, attended a barbeque or tailgated in an NFL game, participated in community organizing or any other all American pass-time, may be, just may be, he would have understood the Americans or at least tried? But instead the cowardly nymph embarked on meaningless vengeance and waylaid defenseless and innocent athletes, killing, maiming and injuring so many. Icheoku says if these terrorist-bomber brothers are not the lowest common denominator of the lows, the ground-zero of all shrivelling scumbags, the worst type of contriving maggots and most foul-smelling human excrement, then nothing else so qualifies. To death, shall the surviving Tsarnaev brother be put, in order to join his already dead brother in Hades. He deserves the worst kind of tortured death like a fire-roasting while alive, except that civilized behaviour would not allow that today. Dzhokar deserves to be severely punished for what he did in order to deter other would-be future terrorists, some of who are possibly already in our midst, lurking and lying in wait for the opportune time to take their cheap pot shot at Americans. 

However, now serving as a devil's advocate, Icheoku asks why did the Tsarnaev brothers attempt to do the impossible - "understand the Americans?" In response to terrorist-bomber Tamerlan's awe at not understanding Americans, Icheoku says no one does and not even Americans themselves understand themselves. If anyone is in doubt, take a look at the Congress and Senate where elected officials seem to be in perpetual fight over their lack of understanding of one another and what it is actually that the American people sent them to Washington to do and want from their law makers. America is a complex, highly developed and educated society with unbridled penchant for always asking why? It is a society that is very calculating and always asks, what is the trade off? It is a very impatient society with the know-how and a can-do spirit and ability and which often gets them frustrated when the world seems to be rather too slow to appreciate what is required of them. It is a highly motivated and patriotic society which rallies around anything and everything American, the internal jaw-jaws and frequent democratic disagreements not withstanding. Americans are also highly emotive society and reacts accordingly. They are sometimes easily pissed-off by indecisive dillydallying and stupidity of others. To Americans, impossible is not always a good answer as they can crawl around or punch through any problem for a resolution. To Americans, the saying where there is a will there is always a way is true religion. We also love life and can go to planet Mars to have a good piece of it.

Continuing, Icheoku says Americans are also very brave and courageous people who are not afraid to take on any one who makes them mad. They are not timid nor intimidated by anyone, not by Bin Laden, not by the Tsarnaevs and not even the DEVIL himself; afterall who can put fear in people inhabiting a God's own country? They are somewhat restless as they continuously seek to conquer challenges including terrestrial frontiers like Mars, developing new medicines to tackle diseases as well as rushing to the aid of other countries needing emergency assistance and disaster relief. They are a driven-people on high octane fuel and enmeshed in high-speed this, high speed that. This calls to mind one commercial which says "It is my money and I want it now!" When Americans want something, they want it now and this is what the rest of the world sometimes does not, like Tamerlan, understand about Americans - the urgency with which they troubleshoot issues. They are highly mobile and most Americans have moved about three times in their lifetime - relocating and calling different nooks of the country home at one time or the other. Icheoku was bitten by this bug and have moved severally too. Americans don't suffer fools lightly and usually cut through the chase. They will go to the end of the earth to rescue an American citizen in trouble as they take care of their own, especially if abroad. The law of the land is supreme and everyone is amenable to. Americans are time conscious and have zero tolerance for laxity; and could many atimes be hot-tempered. They owe their primary allegiance to America and to no other person, sovereign or country. But they are definitely not MEAN. America is and still remains the best country in the world compared to any other countries in planet earth, despite a menagerie of social problems prevalent therein including racism and intractable acute homelessness. 

Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev, this is the America Icheoku knows and understands. This is the America Icheoku have known for several years and proudly calls HOME. The Tsarnaev brothers, may be if you had applied yourself more, tallied a little longer, asked the right questions, did the right things, mixed and mingled more, may be you would have understood Americans more and better and thus saved everyone the painful experience that was Boston City Marathon bombing. Like their uncle said, the Tsarnaev brothers "never acclimated to life in America" and Icheoku adds, so are many other millions of people in America who are living within their own ethnic communes and enclaves within the American society. This habit makes one to wonder if the society they left to come to America was that all good, why did they leave it in the first place or was it a case of a snail which can never get rid of its shell? Like many other things in life, coming to America is one thing and soaking it up is another and that is where the rub meets the pavement as to the choice people make here. Unfortunately this feeling of being a strangling stranger in a strangeland America, which was the choice exercised by the Tsarnaevs, ultimately led to their waterloo; but not before they visited mayhem on Marathon guests of the city of Boston.

What an irony of fate it is that a guy who once noted that "there are no values anymore" and worried that "people cannot control themselves anymore" seemed to have himself fallen through the cracks as neither "value" nor "control" manifested in this heinous act that was Boston Marathon bombing. Icheoku says that neither "value" nor "control" was Tamerlan's strongest suit; which begets yet another question - was Tamerlan another Pharisee of our time? Thence, Icheoku is forced to wonder, whether something terribly wrong suddenly snapped in him to herald such plummeting deacceleration. Regrettably, the answers to these questions will elude us forever as Tamerlan died with them, and without giving security operatives the opportunity to pry them out of his mouth.

BOSTON MARATHON BOMBERS,, HEADED TO NYC - BLOOMBERG?

"We don't know if we would have been able to stop the terrorists had they arrived here from Boston. We're just thankful that we didn't have to find out that answer." - Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York speaking on the Divine providence that stopped Boston Marathon bombers cold and prevented them from getting to New York to prosecute their terrorism act. 

Icheoku says well put together Mayor and in a case where lack of desired answer was a preferred option. 

However no one seems to acknowledge the hijacked guy, without whose cruel fate, those Boston Marathon bombers might still be on the run. Imagine a scenario where Boston operatives would have been looking for their suspects - "the dark-skinned" terrorists, while the real "fair-skinned" terrorists would be miles away in New York causing another mayhem. Thankfully a bad incident of a vehicle hijack led to the solving of such a heinous crime of no mean magnitude. As far as Icheoku is concerned, this guy is the real hero and deserves all the credits for solving the Boston Marathon crime and should get any and all available rewards thereto.

Also thanks to the technology of the IPhone and Mercedes' imbeded tracking devices which triangulated and honed operatives to the mad men of Russia from Dagestan Chechyna. The rest as they say, is now history and one lived in real time.

OSHIOMHOLE TAKES IT TO IGBINEDION.

“I want to send a warning to Chief Igbinedion that he should take it easy. He walks as if he is above the law. I want to put him on notice that if he continues with (his) elderly rascality, I will bring him to justice. He must never ever underestimate the fact that I have the will and I have the capacity to deploy that will. If he crosses the line, he will be cut to size. Elders must teach the younger ones to behave responsibly. If he misleads himself into believing that he has the birth right to continue to appropriate and privatise the resources of Edo State, he is living in a fool’s paradise.” - Adams Oshiomhole chastising Igbinedion.

Icheoku says to Oshiomhole, we've got your back and if you cannot bring the Esama to justice, just take justice to him; either way he gets an assured  rendezvous with justice. Igbinedion is thus served and the notice is sufficient. Thank you Governor for standing up to the man who thinks and believes that everything, including the air people breathe in Bini as well as through out the entire Edo State, revolves around him. Way to go NLC president and hopefully someday president of Nigeria as Nigeria needs a real man, who is breathing fire, in Aso Rock to cut these hogs to size. It is about time someone manned up against all these perverts derailing Nigeria and continuously putting it on a perpetual all motion and no movement spin; which peradventure  benefits the few to the chagrin and detriment of the majority. Icheoku concurs.

CHINUA ACHEBE GOES HOME, MAY 23 2013.

The good with Professor Chinua Achebe will be interred with him on May 23, 2013 in his country home town of Ogidi, Anambra State, Nigeria. The world reknowned literally giant will be will be laid to rest with his ancestors after a sojourn on this earth that was well accomplished and fulfilled in so many ways; except that the country that was never recovered itself in his lifetime. Icheoku says this Nigeria's inability to become truly a nation possibly would be Achebe's biggest regret. Adieu Chinualumogu.

WHO BOMBED BOSTON MARATHON?

Who dunnit? Icheoku asks who is (are) the culprit/s that wrought havoc in the world-famous Boston Marathon? Who is the faceless depravity that took the innocence of Boston Marathon and ensured it will no longer be business as usual in the world's meet where the best of the best in endurance come to prove their mettle? A world-reknowned proven grounds for people with bigger and better-conditioned lungs as well as other physical attributes? Icheoku asks should the agencies be looking inward or outward in their task of unmasking the mass-murderer/s that wrecked the havoc that was last Monday's Boston Marathon? Are they home-grown terrorists or the usual suspects - Al Queida Inc? 

Icheoku is quite hopeful and confident that sooner than later this puzzle will be solved and like the leading investigator said, if it means going to the end of the earth and moving mountains to put a face on these scums, consider it done. The President equally emphasised that these terrorists will surely meet an assured rendezvous with American justice system and Icheoku adds, can't wait. Borrowing from the words of President GW Bush, 'those who wrecked Boston Marathon will soon hear from the rest of us'; as they not only attacked Boston but also attacked what makes America the stand-out country it is - simply the country before which there is none other all things considered. They made a go at our FREEDOM and our response is a big HELL NO, you ain't gonna succeed. These scavengers have murdered sleep and until they are arrested, tried and sent away to rot in Colorado maximum security prison, 300 feet below the grounds, they shall sleep no more! What a basal scoundrels these people are that took the life, among two others, of an eight year old boy who came with his family to watch a future he could later explore and possibly exploit. Needless the say that the boy's sister lost her leg in the attack as well as his mother who was badly injured too.

Now a BBC correspondent asked Representative Frank Barney of Massachusetts why and how it was possible that the bomber was able to infiltrate the condon and plant his deadly cargo at the locus in situ with the saturated police-presence therein without being detected? The Massachusetts' Representative, apparently peeved at the question, did not go on the excursion. Icheoku adds, that angle should also be investigated by the agencies trying to fathom an answer to the what, the why and the who of the bombing. This becomes imperative as the police claimed they made repeated security sweep along the route of the marathon with one last sweep just few minutes before the event started. Icheoku queries, why did they not see the IED package or was it planted after and if, by who or was the bomber possibly wearing a police uniform not to have be noticed? The other issue raised was President Obama stating that America will like to know why the Boston Marathon was bombed among other things. As far as Icheoku is concerned Mr. President, "The Why" is not that important as it is somewhat self-explanatory. It is anger, hatred and a despicable appetite by some mongrels to cause havoc, pain and suffering and thereby instill fear in the people of America and thereby scare them with terrorism, period. But the good news is that they failed and failed woefully. 

They thought that by bombing the Boston marathon and killing three innocent people as well as injuring hundred others that it was going to be a mission accomplished - that they win? Icheoku says to these dregs of the society that they are sore losers as Americans cannot be shaken into becoming a fearful jelly, not by the tin-man twerp that bombed the marathon. Osama Bin Laden tried it by killing over three thousand Americans; yet we did not lose our faith nor our resolve; instead we hunted him down and smoked him out in Abotabab and today he is sleeping with the fishes in the waters of the Arabian Sea. So to all skunks world-over who think that by bombing any place in America and taking the lives of Americans alongside that they are going to win, Icheoku says you better examine your head as your faculties possibly short-changed you; otherwise history would have educated you better that Americans do not run away from a job that needs to be done. From the Brits to the Mexicans/Spaniards to the Japs to Hitler to Saddam Hussein to Gaddafi to al-Quieda and the list goes on. It is same provocation and similar outcome - VICTORY. It may take a while but the end is always an assured certainty - America will triumph as good always thumps evil.

According to one commentator Boston is a city known for three things viz:- politics, sports and revenge; and the last is what they seek on the perpetrator of the Boston marathon bombing. Icheoku however begs to disagree with the revenge part on the case in point as Americans will simply be bringing the animal who did this to justice or better still taking justice to him or they depending on what calls first. It is a case of either Moses comes to the mountain or the Mountain will go to Moses but somehow Moses and Mountain's part MUST meet and greet. There is simply no way this dweed will get away with murder and mayhem; not as long as there is still air in our lungs and sinew in our arms. It simply is not going to happen. They have a certain fate and that fate is not palatable. To Bostonians, Icheoku says your pain is shared by us all - the freedom loving peoples of the world. Like the World Trade Centre 911 bombing which impacted every part of the world, Boston Marathon had representative runners and participants from virtually every part of the globe so the world will do whatever it takes to bring these animals to justice for poking their filthy finger in our eyes. Americans refused to be intimidated or terrorised by demented and cowardly sons of bitches; onward match forever is our collective destiny and it is our duty to protect our cherished freedom. Our sympathies to the bereaved and the injured. 

MARGARET THATCHER, THE IRON LADY, IS NO MORE.

The lady who took being strong-willed to an entirely new level, especially amongst women; who gave women power an entirely new image; who shattered the long held notion that women are the weak sex; who redefined and personified competence, ability and capability in women; who truly gave an iconic face to the saying that what men can do, women can do better; who showed that if men are tough, women could be tougher; who brought Julius Caesar's Lady Macbeth character back to life; the woman whose steely resolve was so unparalleled and unmatched in modern history that it earned her the acronym 'Iron Lady,' is gone, gone forever and for good. Lady Margaret Hilda Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1975 to 1990 and thus the longest British Prime Minister on record, has died. Thatcher was 87 years old; and died of complications from stroke and old age infirmities. Icheoku prays God to reward her according to her service on earth. Margaret Thatcher, please say hi to Ronald Reagan if you run into him in the world beyond. Adieu Maggie.

AMNESTY TO BOKO HARAM, JONATHAN IS A LISTENING PRESIDENT.

Icheoku takes umbrage at the motley of Nigerians who are attacking the decision of President "I don't give a damn" Jonathan Goodluck to grant amnesty to the Northern Nigerian Islamic terrorists Boko Haram as flip-floping and wobbly. No, it is not. It is rather a sign of strength as the ability to check oneself and restrain from doing that which one can easily do is the real test of strength. It is much unlike the complex of 'let me show you how devilish I am as I prove myself capable of inflicting the most pain and anguish' attitude of past leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo. 

By changing his earlier stand of "no amnesty to ghosts," to now considering the plea of Northern Nigerian traditional rulers and elders alike to grant amnesty to these terrorists, the president has exhibited a rare quality of most African leaders who are usually not attuned to listening to the voices of the people; but would always bull their way through no matter how repugnant, odious, faulty, unreasonable and irrational their decision is or might be. It is called being pragmatic and pragmatism is no vice nor a character flaw; it is a virtue and a real strength of character. It is being a statesman and someone proving himself capable of listening to the views of others. A good leader must always listen to the people he leads otherwise he courts for trouble as a discordant people is an unruly people and no leader wants to be so saddled. 

The president has once again, by agreeing to explore the issue of amnesty for these murderous thugs, demonstrated that he is indeed a true democrat who listens to the people and not a despotic tyrant with a "do or die" disposition of a military dictator like Olusegun Obasanjo. Icheoku sees nothing wrong with President Goodluck Jonathan exploring the amnesty option with these Northern Nigerian Islamic terrorists; afterall late President Umaru Yar'Adua successfully did same with the Niger Delta terrorists. It is called reciprocity at best and in the same manner Icheoku supported the president' clemency and pardon granted DSP Alameiseigha and others as being constitutionally empowered, so also is Icheoku stating that granting amnesty to Boko Haram is within the president's power and it is both politically and socially a sound and good policy. Politics is a give and take venture and if amnesty is the tool those Northern Nigeria traditional rulers and elders require to get the job of restoring security in their domain done, so be it - JUST GIVE IT TO THEM.

With amnesty granted, the onus has shifted and now squarely rests on the sureties and guarantors of these Northern Nigerian marauders, their traditional rulers and elders, to make sure that peace is restored in their enclave. Icheoku says by insisting and moving for a presidential amnesty for Boko Haram as a precursor to peace, these Northern Nigerian traditional rulers and elders, have literally bonded themselves to bring peace to Northern Nigeria. Icheoku says now that they have it, they henceforth owe it to both President Jonathan and the rest of Nigerians to ensure that no more bomb goes off in Northern Nigeria or any other part of Nigeria for that matter that Boko Haram may choose to ply their terrorism or export same to. They must bring their full weight and disposition to bear on these their wayward wards and reign in their blood-letting murderous activities so that Northern Nigeria especially, might breath a new lease of life. Anything short of this expectation will be discomforting and Nigerians will know then who is not keeping their part of the amnesty bargain. 

Peradventure, Northern Nigerian traditional rulers and elders alike now have an unwavering stake in the Boko Haram madness and it is their duty going forward to ensure that normalcy is restored in their part of the country. The government has done their part by yielding to their call for amnesty to these hooligans, so they must do their own part by doing the expected or better put, the required. By securing amnesty for these terrorists from the government, the Northern Nigerian traditional rulers and elders have, by necessary implication, undertaken to guarantee peace and ensure there is NO MORE BOMBS from Maiduguri to Birnin Kebbi to Suleja or even across and below the two rivers Niger and Benue down to Lagos. If any Nigerian is killed again, if any church is bombed again, if any place is blown up again or bomb making materials found stocked in another Bayelsa government owned property in Ijora or any other place; Icheoku says the Northern Nigerian traditional rulers and elders will have some explaining to do to Nigerians on why they failed or could not or did not keep their part of the bargain. Icheoku says grant Boko Haram amnesty, let peace reign and let the promised breath of fresh air now permeate the land. 

One other aside:- Senate President David Mark has of late become very taciturn with the insecurity in Nigeria, unlike his ever present condemnations during IGP Ogbonna Onovo's very brief six months stint as the top law enforement officer of Nigeria. Icheoku queries this unabashed and unapologetic Igbo-hater what has changed or has security been improved now compared to his ever public haranguing of then IGP Onovo for failing to solve all the problems of insecurity in Nigeria and within so short period in office? Anyway, it is midget David Mark, an Idoma and his hatred of Igbo people runs in their DNA ditto the gory dismembering fate meted out to returning Igbo refugees at Oturkpo during Biafra.

CHINUA ACHEBE, 'HE BROUGHT AFRICA TO THE WORLD" - NELSON MANDELA.

Icheoku says the man who stood up against the decadence and despondence that is Nigeria leadership, by twice rejecting their useless Honor or should Icheoku say "DisHonor" awards, Professor Chinualumogu Achebe is towering in death above his traducers, detractors and haters alike. Admitted he was already tall in life, his "Things Fall Apart" classicus having sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and translated in more than 57 languages; but the encomiums being poured for him now that he has transmuted is staggering indeed. Icheoku says to the man of words, whose personal letter to Icheoku more than 30years ago is still in our guarded possession, may your journey to the land beyond be smooth; may our ancestors welcome you with music and fanfare for your bravery in standing up to the despicable men of power in Nigeria and speaking up against injustice and deprivation in the land. Go well Prof.

CHINUA ACHEBE IS DEAD, ADIEU.

Icheoku mourns a true son of Igboland who happened on the Nigerian stage when Nigeria was not prepared for his kind. Regrettably the world renowned literary genius and scholar died, frustrated at the rot that is Nigeria and the unwillingness of the ruling class to fix an otherwise easy fixable problems in the broken country. Icheoku says sleep well Chinua and may the Almighty reward you according to your works and for at least trying in the midst or apathy, by speaking up against staggering decadence and conspired indifference. Professor Chiuna Achebe died in Boston Massachusetts USA, aged 82 and will be buried at his country of origin home in Ogidi, Anambra State, Nigeria. Icheoku says so long Chinualumogu, Adieu.

A SMILING POPE FOR A CHANGE THE WORLD CAN USE.

Icheoku asks when was the last time the world saw a really happy pope beaming with such an infectitious smile and cracking funny jokes? Hopefully this amiable jolly fella from Argentina will succeed in wooing many deserters back to the church of Rome from which they since left due to its drabness and holier than thou sanctimonious pretensions. Icheoku indeed likes what we are seeing so far of this new pontiff. Way to go Pope Francis.

HURRAY, THERE IS A NEW POPE FROM THE END OF THE EARTH.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, 76years, is the new Pope and he has taken the papal name Pope Francis. The new pope is the 266th pope in Catholic church's 2000 year history and said "I accept" to his election by 114 Cardinals, whom he later asked God to forgive for electing him to lead the Catholic church. In his first papal greeting to faithfuls gathered in St. Peter's Square to wait for the white cloud from the chimney, Pope Francis said "Brothers and sisters, good evening; you know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome. Good night and have a good rest." Icheoku says what a well coined and well said statement relating to the geography of Argentina which is literally at the bottom of the earth?

The new Pope Francis is the first Latin American to be elected a pope. He is also the first non-European pope in 1,300 years of the Holy Sea and the first to ever take the name Pope Francis. The new Pope described as a Vatican outsider, is a man with long pastoral experience, not steeped in academic. Pope Francis is an Italian-Argentine Latin American which lead one Latin American commentator to say that the Europeans played a fast one on Latin America in choosing a Latino for pope. According to him, in choosing a Latin American pope, they chose "the most European of the Latinos."

Icheoku says whatever be the case, it is progress to see the occupancy of the papacy shift for once to an outsider Vatican, and technically outsider European; admitted that the pope sired from Italian European parents. The virus which started spreading when President Barack Obama was elected the first non traditional white American president has now spread and infected the Holy Sea too and behold, a non traditional non-European is now the Pope. This buttress the saying that if you live long enough, you will witness so many things and with this Icheoku says to Pope Francis, be a good shephard for the 1.2billion catholics and may God help you.

NAGGING KILLS, SO ZIP IT.

Study has established that nagging is the shortest and surest route traveled to bring a marriage to a crashing end. It is even considered deadlier than infidelity and adultery put together. So couples you now know - if you want to end it asap, just let that trap of yours run afoul without ceasing. Imagine how horrible nagging is that even the Bible agrees that  “it’s better to stay outside on the roof of your home than to live inside with a nagging wife.” 

Icheoku says wives please know that men hate to be bombarded with your missile, do not be female anopheles mosquito, learn to ZIP IT or at least after a while of his taking your torture or when it becomes apparently  very unbearable.

On the positive side, couples who render each other their listening ears enjoy marital bliss, using the Faiss principles of "give and take and compromise" as their guiding light. Icheoku says so couples chose today how you want your union to go and then do the needful to make it work and work well. Goodluck in that marriage with a pissed off and frustrated husband if you choose not to understand that men hate you more when you run that trap without ceasing.

WHEN LOVE GOES OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW, JUST WALK AWAY.

“Your relationship had come to an end with frequent disagreements and rows between the two of you. She formed a relationship with another man. You resented it and tried to warn him off with threats. She let you know that she no longer wanted to be with you and wanted to pursue a relationship with another man. You were most upset at that prospect. She sought friendship elsewhere, including in an affair with another man. You were understandably upset but let me be clear about this. Many men and women have to endure the discovery that the husband, wife or partner is no longer content with the relationship they have. Many are jealous or unhappy. But what the law cannot and will not permit is the use of violence, which is what you used. ' - Judge Andrew Gilbart QC sentencing a Nigerian man wife-killer, Shola Adebiyi, to 20years imprisonment for the murder of his baby-mama Esther Arogundade. 

Icheoku says once again was Shakespeare right that you cannot know a killer by merely looking at his or her face aka the mind's construction; otherwise who could have imagined this innocent looking teddy bear knifing the equally attractive lady thirteen times with a large kitchen butchers knife while she was moaning and groaning in pain of every thrust of that cold sharp steel into her sides? Just like the fountain of Julius Caesar which bled in six places from six conspirator's stab; except that here just one raving mad lunatic did the damage. Pitiful indeed; and there goes another Nigerian man who just killed his wife or paramour or baby-mama for no justifiable reason other than petty jealousy - a sign of inferiority complex and a man who cannot stand his own and needs the compliment of the woman to feel good about himself. Icheoku queries what the damsel was ever doing with such a loser in the first place?

JUST TWO WEEKS TO ENDTIME, ARE YOU READY?

Icheoku asks if the Mayans are right and presumably, correctly predicted the end of the world as we know it - December 21st, 2012 to be precise, are you ready to meet with your maker? There is nothing wrong with preparing for a journey as you can always unpack if aborted. So it will be foolhardy to dismiss the Mayans as high on opium leaves when they made their prediction and thus, a tall tale. Therefore, until the Ides of March had come and gone, it is never over and anyone in doubt should advert him/herself to the fortunes of Julius Caesar who on hindsight only wished he knew better. Anyway the parable of the ten virgins teaches us to be prepared 24/7, likewise the motto of the Boys Scout which says "Be prepared." The expectation of the worst is the beginning of success; so it will not hurt if mankind prepares for its final Armageddon on the said date. However if the 21st comes and goes with the sun still hanging up there in the sky, then the Yuletide will morph into a double celebration - one for surviving the end-time and of course its original purpose, the birth of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Happy holidays fellas.