BEYONCE PRESENTS THE CARTER TWINS TO THE WORLD.

ICHEOKU says their names, Rumi and Sir; and they are adorable. Congratulations to Beyonce and Jay-Z Carter on their double blessings. ICHEOKU commends the Carters for not commercializing their babies first photographs like other celebrities who charge millions for the right of first pictures. Way to go Mr and Mrs Carter; simply showing how it is done. 

'Je m'appelle Melania. Et toi?' - FLOTUS MELANIA TRUMP SPEAKS FRENCH

ICHEOKU says United States of America First Lady Melanie Trump is all round beautiful and she is languages proficient too. The First Lady speaks six international languages including Slovenian, Italian, German, Serbo-Croatian, French and English; and is currently rumored to be learning Chinese and Hispanic. She spoke French to school children during her and her husband President Donald John Trump recent Bastille visit to France at the invitation of the French President Emmanuel Macron, saying 'Je m'appelle Melania. Et toi?' (My name is Melania. And you?) . 

ICHEOKU understands some rudimentary French, thanks to French 101 of several decades past, hence the unaided translation of what the First Lady said. ICHEOKU says America is blessed to have a First Lady who is indeed pleasant to behold and who carries herself with the best decorum as only a royalty could fathom. Irredeemable Deplorable ICHEOKU is pleased to call her a worthy First Lady and prays she continue to carry herself majestically as she represents the United States of America. Well done Melanie!!

LIU XIAOBO: KILLED BY CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

ICHEOKU says China is killing her finest, one after the other; and any nation or state which does not allow her citizens freedom is a nation in chains, whose citizens are living in bondage. The Chinese authorities killed him, trying to silence his voice of freedom for the Chinese people. But unfortunately, if history is any guide, Liu Xiabo will become huger in death and his voice more resonant and will be carried far and wide to the ends of earth. Chinese people will hear him and he might be the eventual precursor to Chinese people becoming truly independent in the real sense of it. 

Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel laureate and human rights activist extraordinaire, who has been advocating freedom for the Chinese people since 1989 Tienanmen Square democracy stand off, has died. Xiaobo was killed by the Chinese authorities, albeit technically; who imprisoned him in 2009 and he was serving a 11 years sentence when he died of advanced liver cancer. His offense, simply calling for political reforms in China, which the Beijing authorities considered a sacrilege and threw him in prison. 

His "Charter 08"  petition stood out as an enviable act of defiance and he paid dearly for it with his life for daring where angels trembled trying to force reforms within the Chinese enclave. The oppressive government termed his activities "inciting subversion of state powers and marked him for elimination and eliminate him, they did. ICHEOKU says may his ever restive, change-desiring and driven soul now rest. Liu Xiaobo was 61 years old, Adieu.

THE NNAMDI KANU PHENOMENON an article by REUBEN ABATI

The most discussed subject in Nigeria today is what is called “restructuring” and indeed so popular is this subject that it has attracted the attention of roadside commentators, the bright, the not-so-bright, the mischievous and the outrightly unintelligent all united by the singular claim that Nigeria belongs to all of us and we all have a right to determine its future.  The last person who brought up this subject with me is a mechanic in Abeokuta! He had heard about Biafra, the Arewa youths, the President’s absence, Professor Osinbajo, Nnamdi Kanu, what Igbo leaders, Northern leaders, and Yoruba leaders have said about restructuring and he wanted a conversation. That’s how democracy works, not so?  The inclusiveness is actually very good for us…

But the point I have always made stands proven: that Nigeria remains an unanswered question, more than a century after the amalgamation of 1914. Before and after independence, virtually every government has had to deal with this same question, viz, the national question. Brought together in an unwieldy, unequal and uneven union by the British, Nigeria’s about 400 ethnic nationalities have been unable to transform into one nation, one union, a community of people and communities driven by a common purpose - to create a united, progressive nation, under the umbrella of patriotism and the common good.

We have fought each other since 1950 to date, we did not even all agree on independence, and since that happened, we have been at each other’s throats. We ended up fighting a civil war, and from all indications we are at this moment, seemingly preparing for another one. The laziest excuse is that the British caused all our problems, but more than 50 years after independence it should be clear enough that we are the source of our collective agony.

Other countries that were at the same level with us in 1960 have since moved on and developed into better nations despite their own internal contradictions. Nigerian leaders have perpetually lived in denial. Every step forward has resulted in our country taking two steps backward. A combination of the big-man-syndrome, the too-know syndrome, the us-before-others-mentality, ethnic politics, sectarian politics, greed, cronyism and a terrible leadership recruitment process has turned our process of nationhood into an unending struggle. Today, fewer Nigerians believe in the idea of Nigeria.

In 1977/78, the Constituent Assembly whose deliberations resulted in the 1979 Constitution almost ended with fisticuffs. The 2005 National Political Reforms  Conference did not fare better either, as the Niger Delta conferees staged a walk-out and the politics of Third Term or no Third Term sabotaged the entire process. In 2014, the outcomes of yet another National Conference could not be followed through because a succeeding administration declared it would not even look at the report.  

At every stage when it looks as if this country is faced with an opportunity to address the national question, certain interest groups erect the roadblocks of denial and wishful thinking. No country can live perpetually in denial.  This is the message of former Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union and their disintegration. As for the military, they merely worsened Nigerian politics.

Fifty years after the outbreak of the civil war, we now have a man called Nnamdi Kanu. He may well end up as Nigeria’s nemesis. He is the most frightening product of our many years and acts of denial and he may well throw the country into a nightmare worse than Boko Haram if care is not taken. He started out as the leader of a group called the Indigenous People of Biafra and as director of Radio Biafra.  He and those who bought into his rhetoric of secession and the renewal of the Biafra dream organized protests across the world, and they looked, from afar, like a group of disgruntled Nigerians in the diaspora. 

In the foreign lands where most of the members lived, they looked like persons over-enjoying the freedom of speech from a safe distance. They didn’t appear to have the force of MASSOB, which is locally based and seemingly more malleable.  The renewed struggle for Biafra that Kanu and his crowd talked about could have been nothing more than an internet and television revolution. But everything went wrong the moment Nnamdi Kanu chose to visit home and he was arrested, detained and taken through a court trial.

Whoever ordered Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest and the prosecution did this country a bad turn. Kanu is a character that could have been better ignored. His trial and travails have turned him into a hero and a living martyr among Igbos. And the young man so far, understands the game. Since he was released on bail, he has been taunting the Nigerian state and government. Daily, he dares those who granted him bail and he laughs at the conditions they gave him. He associates with more than 10 persons. He moves about Igboland freely, like a spirit. He addresses rallies and grants interviews.  He has been busy issuing statements. On May 30, he ordered a shut-down of the entire South Eastern region and that order was obeyed not only in the South East but also in parts of the South-South, and Abuja.    

Nnamdi Kanu who probably barely struggled to survive as a black man in Europe, has been turned by the Nigerian Government into a credible apostle of a resurgent Biafran revolution. The other day when he held a meeting in Umuahia, over 5,000 persons trooped to his compound.  Kanu is a master of symbolism. He is exploiting the Jewish symbol: to signal to the world that Igbos are being persecuted. 

He visits symbolic sites of the civil war to prick the injured part of the Igbo consciousness and mobilize the people. His pre-eminence is a comment on the quality of the state and its strategic intelligence system. If he succeeds with his threats, we should know those to blame. A few days ago, someone on social media further compared him to Jesus Christ and described him as the true savior. Every revolutionary in history graduates from ordinariness to being messianic, propelled by opiumized endorsement.

Nnamdi Kanu is certainly capable of doing more damage to the system than the MASSOB, OPC, and such other groups, and should he push things further, he could ignite a crisis worse than Boko Haram. My gut feeling is that some people in certain places are beginning to realize this and that is why Nnamdi Kanu out of detention appears untouchable; it is the reason he is able to dare the state and ridicule his bail conditions. The lesson here is obvious enough: the brazen use of force and intimidation to deal with certain situations could create really bad unintended consequences.

The Federal Government under Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has been holding meetings with key stakeholders within the Federation. The consultations are in order, but the Acting President is yet to talk to the right people.  He is talking to people who carry their international passports in their pockets because they don’t know what tomorrow promises in Nigeria. He is consulting persons whose family members are mostly one-leg-in-one-leg-out Nigerians; many of them, in fact, have dual nationality. Nigeria is their trading post, the place where they make the money they and their children spend in Dubai, UK and wherever.

The people the Federal Government should be talking to are the angry Igbo youths who now kneel down to greet Nnamdi Kanu and call him their God, the Arewa youths who have told the Igbos to get out of Nigeria and get away, and who have called the Yoruba names while further insisting that they are not afraid of the Nigerian government arresting them. The people to talk to are the leaders of the various other groups who are taking sides. Leaders of the Middle Belt and the South South are holding talks; some Yorubas are planning to hold theirs this week in Ibadan. 

Draw the map of the emerging rhetoric in Nigeria today; what you have is a divided country. The scenario is so painfully reminiscent of the early 60s. Every Nigerian leader since the civil war has boasted that he would not preside over the dismemberment of Nigeria. Some of Crisis management is an important part of nation-building. We have failed to manage most of the crises that have befallen our nation, on a sustainable basis, and that is why every proverbial snake that is killed suddenly resurrects. 

It is the reason we have produced a country where the population of the aggrieved appears to be growing daily.  It is the reason Nnamdi Kanu and his followers have become the fish-bone in the throat of government.  As things stand, there is no stronger voice in Igboland today than that of Nnamdi Kanu. The Igbo elites and the self-styled political leaders of the East know that Kanu is more influential than all of them put together. How many among them can command a willing crowd of 5, 000 to their doorsteps? The politicians hire crowds, but the crowds go to Kanu and obey him.

With the kind of influence he wields, Kanu is in a position to dictate the political future of the South East. The same political leaders who posed for photographs at the Aso Villa will go to him at night and beg him to support their candidates if future elections hold in that region.  They will condemn Kanu during the day, but lick his boots at night.

The ancillary challenge, however, is the worsening trend of ethnic polarization with regards to the control of power at the center. I describe this as the conflict between the na-my-brother-dey-there syndrome and the no-be-my-brother reactive tendency. It used to be the case in this country up till the time President Olusegun Obasanjo left in 2007, that whoever held power in Abuja was openly and strongly supported by other Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Obasanjo got more support from outside Yorubaland and probably felt more reassured by persons from outside his own ethnic group and religion.

With the death of President Yar’Adua in office, ethnicity, a long-standing threat to Nigerian unity became more potent. The Boko Haram, with its base in the Northern part of the country gave the succeeding Jonathan administration hell.  With the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, the same Boko Haram suddenly became tame. Curiously, the militants of the South East and the South South, who had been significantly quiet during the Jonathan years, also became more vocal and calls for secession became more strident the moment their kinsman and in-law left office. 

By the same token, the conflict between pastoralists and farmers, an old problem, became worse, with the former asserting themselves more arrogantly for no reason other than that they are sure of better protection under a central government controlled by the North. Our point: Nigeria’s stability should not be so dependent on the whims and caprices of ethnic gladiators. No Nigerian President should be at the mercy of ethnic or religious politics, now or in the future. 

The debate about restructuring and renegotiations is therefore useful and most relevant.  It is indeed urgent if we must take the wind out of the sail of the secessionists and nihilists. Those who have always blocked or hijacked the people’s conference must by now realize that we are close to “the point of no return” on a review and rephrasing of the Nigerian question, in order to make every Nigerian feel a part of the Nigerian project. The alternative in all possible shapes appears ominous.

CNN IS GOING DOWN: TIME TO SEEK A TRUCE IS NOW.

ICHEOKU says what the Fake News Clinton News Network wants to achieve by continuously engaging President Donald John Trump in a media war is simply incomprehensible. The president has nothing to lose and the network has everything to lose in continuing the current atrocious battle between them and the president. As has been shown time and time again, with various opinion polls, the attacks by CNN on President Donald John Trump is not working; it is not eroding the president's presidency and you wonder why then continue a game with such a faulty plan that will lead to nowhere. 

They tried to derail the president's then presidential campaign with their slanted skewed news coverage but did not succeed as the president won the election handily. They have continued their get the president war since the election through the inauguration till date but are not achieving their sinister objective to send the presidency off course. Now it is a full throttle war or words and name calling between them and the president, leaving ICHEOKU to wonder, who has the most to lose continuing the war of words. So the president, having won the election without their support and still successfully presiding over the country without their support; and despite their barrage of attacks and all system go fake news, meant to tarnish the president's image and make it difficult if not impossible to carry on his presidency, what then is their end game here? 

ICHEOKU says any rational, reasonable and responsible news entity would have since backed off, having realized that they embarked on a mission impossible. CNN should have  since cut down on their loses by beating a retreat because continuing in their current lane of travel can only lead to a certain perdition and end up horribly for them. They are the ones that will eventually bleed from the current war by losing viewership and possible patronage from advertisers; needless to add that their rating has tanked measurably too. But not the Cable News Network as they are possessed by some demon which is continuously egging them on and to a place from which they might find it very difficult to climb down from, except they take a plunge of a certain death. ICHEOKU says the management of CNN should as matter of urgency, pull back their hound dogs and leave President Donald John Trump alone to do the job for which millions of Americans voted for him to do. They should face their business of news reporting and cease being a tool of the opposition with their nonsensical fake news hatchet job; and see if they can begin to regain their so many lost grounds.

The saddest part of it all is that CNN is aware of the indomitable fighting spirit of President Donald John Trump. A man who winning is everything and who does not take any competition lightly; and who would not back down from the current face-off with CNN until an assured victory is achieved. A man who puts his all in everything he does and who will bring the same thing that has always worked for him when faced with opposition to bear on CNN. A savvy master brander, who has previously successfully branded people and took them down to a ditch from which they never climbed out from. A man who took on the entire Republican Party establishment and won; who face down sixteen presidential primaries contestants and trumped them all. A man who took up the Democrats alongside  the Clinton machine and triumphed. A man who took on a sitting President Obama and his Vice President Joe Biden and came out tops. A man who took up practically the whole world, including the Vatican, Mexico, France and whatever else was out there and still triumphed. So why on earth does CNN think that their own case will be any different or that they stand a chance in hell of vanquishing the indefatigable Donald John Trump, now POTUS 45th. 

Unfortunately for CNN, the president has now marked them with his usual saint of death; a parchment sort of, of Fake News, which apparently has stuck as people are now referring to CNN by the president's moniker, Fake News CNN. CNN does not stand a chance in this fight and will find it difficult if not impossible to shake off this name once it takes hold. Therefore they should do what any sensible person or entity would do, back off and back down; and stop their antagonistic attacks and confrontation of President Donald John Trump, the 45th. Jeb Bush was tagged Low Energy Jeb and it stuck and took him out of the Republican Party's primaries. Marco Rubio was also branded Little Marco and that ended his presidential nomination aspiration. Ted Cruz also fell victim of Trump's branding and he took him down with Lyin' Ted. Then came the mother of all branding Crooked Hillary which led to the defeat of Hillary Clinton in the election. Now CNN is tagged Fake News CNN and like all previous victims of Trump's marking, is headed to that tunnel of irrelevance and certain death. 

So if CNN is conscious of this historical antecedents of not too long ago, why then do they think that their fate would be any different from these victims of the Trump masterful branding. What exactly then is CNN's game plan or planned objective since it has been proved time without number that their anti-Trump reportage does not move the needle regarding President Donald John Trump's popularity or his ability to win elections or reach out to his millions of fans and followers. The president has nothing to lose and having lost nothing thus far, it is only CNN that the odds are stacked up against. It is only CNN that will come out from the present feuding scathed and bloodied; and left with a mouth full of regrets, wondering what brought upon themselves. Therefore picking a fight which one cannot win is not wise nor a smart decision; rather it is foolishness defined and in the battle of Trump V. CNN, the Cable News Network appears to be losing and only a quick retreat will salvage whatever is left of its reputation. 

What is a News Network worth afterall if its news is regarded as fake news? What is CNN worth afterall if what they broadcast to the world is received with some pinch of salt as possible fake. Yes. people tune in to news media to learn what is new and breaking in the world but who will continue to tune in to CNN if their mind is tainted that what they might hear or see is probably manufactured fake. This is the problem CNN has and this is what they must guard and protect by  calling for a cease fire in their battle with President Trump. The president has nothing to lose; has won an election before and will win a second term, regardless of what CNN reports or decides to report about him. Therefore he who has more to lose should seek a truce and end the current ongoing brickbat between the president and CNN and CNN is that entity. 

For whatever it is worth, the CNN of Bernard Shaw's fame is definitely behind us and regaining that past glory might be somewhat difficult. Whether a management reshuffle or general reorganization or rebranding of the network will work and take it away from its current homosexual-tinged operation, to something more of a center this and center that organization, would do the magic, ICHEOKU does not know. But whatever would work should be explored immediately in order to save the network from the precipice which it is fast speeding to. At least the network can start its rehabilitation by turning away from its anti President Donald John Trump reportage and face other issues of greater importance and relevance to their viewers and the market target of their sponsors. Enough of the attacks, especially one which is not making any dent on the presidency of President Donald John Trump. The moniker FAKE NEWS CNN will very soon become indelible and such a kiss of death is not what CNN would wish on itself in the news business. They must therefore do the needful now and salvage themselves and reputation and end the war on President Donald John Trump and for their own good.

WE WILL NEVER BACK DOWN - PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP

"The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it? I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph. We will not lose our freedom to a lack of pride and confidence in our values. We will never back down. We will fight for family, for freedom, for country, and for God and we will win." - President Donald John Trump, The 45th.

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SPEECH IN POLAND

T

PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP ADDRESS IN POLAND

Thank you very much. That’s so nice. The United States has many great diplomats, but there is truly no better ambassador for our country than our beautiful first lady, Melania. Thank you, Melania. That was very nice. We’ve come to your nation to deliver a very important message: America loves Poland, and America loves the Polish people. Thank you.

The Poles have not only greatly enriched this region, but Polish-Americans have also greatly enriched the United States, and I was truly proud to have their support in the 2016 election. It is a profound honor to stand in this city, by this monument to the Warsaw Uprising, and to address the Polish nation that so many generations have dreamed of: a Poland that is safe, strong, and free.

President Duda and your wonderful first lady, Agata, have welcomed us with the tremendous warmth and kindness for which Poland is known around the world. Thank you. My sincere — and I mean sincerely, thank both of them. And to Prime Minister Szydlo, a very special thanks also. We are also pleased that former President Lech Walesa, so famous for leading the Solidarity movement, has joined us today, also. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

On behalf of all Americans, let me also thank the entire Polish people for the generosity you have shown in welcoming our soldiers to your country. These soldiers are not only brave defenders of freedom, but also symbols of America’s commitment to your security and your place in a strong and democratic Europe. We are proudly joined on stage by American, Polish, British, and Romanian soldiers. Thank you. Thank you. Great job.

President Duda and I have just come from an incredibly successful meeting with the leaders participating in the Three Seas Initiative. To the citizens of this great region, America is eager to expand our partnership with you. We welcome stronger ties of trade and commerce as you grow your economies. And we are committed to securing your access to alternate sources of energy, so Poland and its neighbors are never again held hostage to a single supplier of energy. Mr. President, I congratulate you, along with the president of Croatia, on your leadership of this historic Three Seas Initiative. Thank you.

This is my first visit to Central Europe as president, and I am thrilled that it could be right here at this magnificent, beautiful piece of land. It is beautiful. Poland is the geographic heart of Europe, but more importantly, in the Polish people, we see the soul of Europe. Your nation is great because your spirit is great and your spirit is strong. For two centuries, Poland suffered constant and brutal attacks. But while Poland could be invaded and occupied, and its borders even erased from the map, it could never be erased from history or from your hearts. In those dark days, you have lost your land but you never lost your pride.

So it is with true admiration that I can say today, that from the farms and villages of your countryside to the cathedrals and squares of your great cities, Poland lives, Poland prospers, and Poland prevails. Despite every effort to transform you, oppress you, or destroy you, you endured and overcame. You are the proud nation of Copernicus —think of that — Chopin, Saint John Paul II. Poland is a land of great heroes. And you are a people who know the true value of what you defend. The triumph of the Polish spirit over centuries of hardship gives us all hope for a future in which good conquers evil, and peace achieves victory over war.

For Americans, Poland has been a symbol of hope since the beginning of our nation. Polish heroes and American patriots fought side by side in our War of Independence and in many wars that followed. Our soldiers still serve together today in Afghanistan and Iraq, combating the enemies of all civilization. For America’s part, we have never given up on freedom and independence as the right and destiny of the Polish people, and we never, ever will. Our two countries share a special bond forged by unique histories and national characters. It’s a fellowship that exists only among people who have fought and bled and died for freedom.

The signs of this friendship stand in our nation’s capital. Just steps from the White House, we’ve raised statues of men with names like Pulaski and Kosciuszko. The same is true in Warsaw, where street signs carry the name of George Washington, and a monument stands to one of the world’s greatest heroes, Ronald Reagan. And so I am here today not just to visit an old ally, but to hold it up as an example for others who seek freedom and who wish to summon the courage and the will to defend our civilization. The story of Poland is the story of a people who have never lost hope, who have never been broken, and who have never, ever forgotten who they are. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Such a great honor. This is a nation more than one thousand years old. Your borders were erased for more than a century and only restored just one century ago.

In 1920, in the Miracle of Vistula, Poland stopped the Soviet army bent on European conquest. Then, 19 years later in 1939, you were invaded yet again, this time by Nazi Germany from the west and the Soviet Union from the east. That’s trouble. That’s tough.

Under a double occupation the Polish people endured evils beyond description: the Katyn forest massacre, the occupations, the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the destruction of this beautiful capital city, and the deaths of nearly one in five Polish people. A vibrant Jewish population — the largest in Europe — was reduced to almost nothing after the Nazis systematically murdered millions of Poland’s Jewish citizens, along with countless others, during that brutal occupation.

In the summer of 1944, the Nazi and Soviet armies were preparing for a terrible and bloody battle right here in Warsaw. Amid that hell on earth, the citizens of Poland rose up to defend their homeland. I am deeply honored to be joined on stage today by veterans and heroes of the Warsaw Uprising. What great spirit. We salute your noble sacrifice and we pledge to always remember your fight for Poland and for freedom. Thank you. Thank you. This monument reminds us that more than 150,000 Poles died during that desperate struggle to overthrow oppression.

From the other side of the river, the Soviet armed forces stopped and waited. They watched as the Nazis ruthlessly destroyed the city, viciously murdering men, women, and children. They tried to destroy this nation forever by shattering its will to survive. But there is a courage and a strength deep in the Polish character that no one could destroy. The Polish martyr, Bishop Michael Kozal, said it well: “More horrifying than a defeat of arms is a collapse of the human spirit.”

Through four decades of communist rule, Poland and the other captive nations of Europe endured a brutal campaign to demolish freedom, your faith, your laws, your history, your identity — indeed the very essence of your culture and your humanity. Yet, through it all, you never lost that spirit. Your oppressors tried to break you, but Poland could not be broken.

And when the day came on June 2, 1979, and one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first mass with their Polish Pope, that day, every communist in Warsaw must have known that their oppressive system would soon come crashing down. They must have known it at the exact moment during Pope John Paul II’s sermon when a million Polish men, women, and children suddenly raised their voices in a single prayer. A million Polish people did not ask for wealth. They did not ask for privilege. Instead, one million Poles sang three simple words: “We want God.”

In those words, the Polish people recalled the promise of a better future. They found new courage to face down their oppressors, and they found the words to declare that Poland would be Poland once again.

As I stand here today before this incredible crowd, this faithful nation, we can still hear those voices that echo through history. Their message is as true today as ever. The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out, “We want God.”

Together, with Pope John Paul II, the Poles reasserted their identity as a nation devoted to God. And with that powerful declaration of who you are, you came to understand what to do and how to live. You stood in solidarity against oppression, against a lawless secret police, against a cruel and wicked system that impoverished your cities and your souls. And you won. Poland prevailed. Poland will always prevail. 

Thank you. You were supported in that victory over communism by a strong alliance of free nations in the West that defied tyranny. Now, among the most committed members of the NATO Alliance, Poland has resumed its place as a leading nation of a Europe that is strong, whole, and free.

A strong Poland is a blessing to the nations of Europe, and they know that. A strong Europe is a blessing to the West and to the world. One hundred years after the entry of American forces into World War I, the transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is as strong as ever and maybe, in many ways, even stronger.

This continent no longer confronts the specter of communism. But today we’re in the West, and we have to say there are dire threats to our security and to our way of life. You see what’s happening out there. They are threats. We will confront them. We will win. But they are threats. 

We are confronted by another oppressive ideology — one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe. America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another. We’re going to get it to stop.

During a historic gathering in Saudi Arabia, I called on the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations to join together to drive out this menace which threatens all of humanity. We must stand united against these shared enemies to strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any form of ideological support that they may have. While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind. We are fighting hard against radical Islamic terrorism, and we will prevail. We cannot accept those who reject our values and who use hatred to justify violence against the innocent.

Today, the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests. To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields. We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes — including Syria and Iran — and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself.

Finally, on both sides of the Atlantic, our citizens are confronted by yet another danger — one firmly within our control. This danger is invisible to some but familiar to the Poles: the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people. The West became great not because of paperwork and regulations but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies.

Americans, Poles, and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty. We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are. If left unchecked, these forces will undermine our courage, sap our spirit, and weaken our will to defend ourselves and our societies.

But just as our adversaries and enemies of the past learned here in Poland, we know that these forces, too, are doomed to fail if we want them to fail. And we do, indeed, want them to fail. They are doomed not only because our alliance is strong, our countries are resilient, and our power is unmatched. Through all of that, you have to say everything is true. Our adversaries, however, are doomed because we will never forget who we are. And if we don’t forget who are, we just can’t be beaten. Americans will never forget. The nations of Europe will never forget. We are the fastest and the greatest community. There is nothing like our community of nations. The world has never known anything like our community of nations.

We write symphonies. We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers.

We reward brilliance. We strive for excellence, and cherish inspiring works of art that honor God. We treasure the rule of law and protect the right to free speech and free expression.

We empower women as pillars of our society and of our success. We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives. And we debate everything. We challenge everything. We seek to know everything so that we can better know ourselves.

And above all, we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom. That is who we are. Those are the priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies, and as a civilization.

What we have, what we inherited from our — and you know this better than anybody, and you see it today with this incredible group of people — what we’ve inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again. So we cannot fail.

This great community of nations has something else in common: In every one of them, it is the people, not the powerful, who have always formed the foundation of freedom and the cornerstone of our defense. The people have been that foundation here in Poland — as they were right here in Warsaw — and they were the foundation from the very, very beginning in America.

Our citizens did not win freedom together, did not survive horrors together, did not face down evil together, only to lose our freedom to a lack of pride and confidence in our values. We did not and we will not. We will never back down. 

As long as we know our history, we will know how to build our future. Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests. That is why my administration has demanded that all members of NATO finally meet their full and fair financial obligation.

As a result of this insistence, billions of dollars more have begun to pour into NATO. In fact, people are shocked. But billions and billions of dollars more are coming in from countries that, in my opinion, would not have been paying so quickly.

To those who would criticize our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment.

Words are easy, but actions are what matters. And for its own protection — and you know this, everybody knows this, everybody has to know this — Europe must do more. Europe must demonstrate that it believes in its future by investing its money to secure that future.

That is why we applaud Poland for its decision to move forward this week on acquiring from the United States the battle-tested Patriot air and missile defense system — the best anywhere in the world. That is also why we salute the Polish people for being one of the NATO countries that has actually achieved the benchmark for investment in our common defense. Thank you. Thank you, Poland. I must tell you, the example you set is truly magnificent, and we applaud Poland. Thank you.

We have to remember that our defense is not just a commitment of money, it is a commitment of will. Because as the Polish experience reminds us, the defense of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail and be successful and get what you have to have. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?

We can have the largest economies and the most lethal weapons anywhere on Earth, but if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive. If anyone forgets the critical importance of these things, let them come to one country that never has. Let them come to Poland. And let them come here, to Warsaw, and learn the story of the Warsaw Uprising.

When they do, they should learn about Jerusalem Avenue. In August of 1944, Jerusalem Avenue was one of the main roads running east and west through this city, just as it is today.

Control of that road was crucially important to both sides in the battle for Warsaw. The German military wanted it as their most direct route to move troops and to form a very strong front. And for the Polish Home Army, the ability to pass north and south across that street was critical to keep the center of the city, and the uprising itself, from being split apart and destroyed.

Every night, the Poles put up sandbags amid machine gun fire — and it was horrendous fire — to protect a narrow passage across Jerusalem Avenue. Every day, the enemy forces knocked them down again and again and again. Then the Poles dug a trench. Finally, they built a barricade. And the brave Polish fighters began to flow across Jerusalem Avenue. That narrow passageway, just a few feet wide, was the fragile link that kept the Uprising alive.

Between its walls, a constant stream of citizens and freedom fighters made their perilous, just perilous, sprints. They ran across that street, they ran through that street, they ran under that street — all to defend this city. “The far side was several yards away,” recalled one young Polish woman named Greta. That mortality and that life was so important to her. In fact, she said, “The mortally dangerous sector of the street was soaked in the blood. It was the blood of messengers, liaison girls, and couriers.”

Nazi snipers shot at anybody who crossed. Anybody who crossed, they were being shot at. Their soldiers burned every building on the street, and they used the Poles as human shields for their tanks in their effort to capture Jerusalem Avenue. The enemy never ceased its relentless assault on that small outpost of civilization. And the Poles never ceased its defense.

The Jerusalem Avenue passage required constant protection, repair, and reinforcement, but the will of its defenders did not waver, even in the face of death. And to the last days of the uprising, the fragile crossing never, ever failed. It was never, ever forgotten. It was kept open by the Polish people.

The memories of those who perished in the Warsaw Uprising cry out across the decades, and few are clearer than the memories of those who died to build and defend the Jerusalem Avenue crossing. Those heroes remind us that the West was saved with the blood of patriots; that each generation must rise up and play their part in its defense — and that every foot of ground, and every last inch of civilization, is worth defending with your life.

Our own fight for the West does not begin on the battlefield — it begins with our minds, our wills, and our souls. Today, the ties that unite our civilization are no less vital, and demand no less defense, than that bare shred of land on which the hope of Poland once totally rested. Our freedom, our civilization, and our survival depend on these bonds of history, culture, and memory.

And today as ever, Poland is in our heart, and its people are in that fight. Just as Poland could not be broken, I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph. Thank you. So, together, let us all fight like the Poles — for family, for freedom, for country, and for God. Thank you. God Bless You. God bless the Polish people. God bless our allies. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you. God bless you. Thank you very much.

NNAMDI KANU: THE LION OF THE EAST an article by Femi Fani-Kayode

Those from outside Igboland that say that they do not want Biafra have missed the point. It is for the people of the east to make that call and to make that decision and not for you. What you believe is good for the Igbo or what you prefer for them is neither here nor there. Ultimately it is only THEIR choice and THEIR decision, which can only be made and established in a free and fair UN-sponsored and conducted referendum, that matters. 

And in that referendum every single Igbo person, whether they be a traditional ruler, a chief, a wealthy business man, a pauper, a prince, a governor, a legislator, an elder-statesman, a student, a trader, a hairdresser, a bus-driver, a houseboy, a lawyer, a dancer, a singer, a landlord, a tenant, a judge, a clerk, a fisherman, a farmer, a taxi-driver, a secretary, a banker, a writer, a mortuary attendant, a pimp, a prostitute or a jobless man or woman only has one vote. It is either "yes" or "no". No single vote is more important than the other and each vote carries the same weight. The arrogance of those that beat their chests and believe that they know how that vote or referendum will ultimately go is second only to the short-sighted fools in the British media and political class who never believed that the United Kingdom would vote for BREXIT and opt to leave Europe.

It is also similar to the willful blindness and self-inflicted delusions of the Obama and Clinton-controlled liberal-left of American politics who swore and honestly believed that Donald Trump would and could NEVER win the presidential election of 2016. They forgot the "God factor" in all matters touching and concerning the destiny of nations and men and what a shocker they got! Those in igboland that say they are the true leaders of the Igbo and that their people do not want to leave Nigeria and establish their own country may get the biggest surprise of their lives when the time comes. And not one of them can defeat Nnamdi Kanu in a free and fair election ANYWHERE in Igboland today. If they doubt that perhaps they should try putting it to the test.

The great black American freedom fighter Malcom X said "the price of freedom is death". The 3 million Igbos that died in the civil war paid that price. The hundreds of thousands of Igbos that were slaughtered in pogroms in the north in the mid-60's, during the civil war, in the '70's, in the 80's, in the '90's, in the 2000's and indeed right up until today paid that price. The thousands of young and courageous IPOB men and women who were massacred by security forces in the streets of the east and in the sanctity of their homes over the last two years have paid that price. 

The hundreds of Igbos that have been killed by state-protected Fulani militias and herdsmen in their villlages and on their farms in the last two years have paid that price.  Then came the threat of genocide and carnage from the Arewa Youth when the Igbo were told that they must leave the north by Oct. 1st 2017 or suffer another whirlwind of slaughter and pogroms. Those that will be killed in the North after that date and once that deadline has expired will also have paid that price. Given all this I have one question to ask: if the Lord, in His infinate wisdom and mercy, can raise a deliverer like the great Sir William Wallace to liberate Scotland from the English in 1297 why would He NOT raise a Nnamdi Kanu to deliver the Igbo people after they have been subjected to genocide, mass murder, wickedness and injustice at the brutal hands of the Nigerian state for the last 57 years? 

If the Lord can raise an Oliver Cromwell to deliver the people of England from the tyranny of the Crown in 1642 why would He not raise a Nnamdi Kanu for the Igbo in 2017? If the Lord can raise a George Washington to fight for American independence from the subjugation of the British Crown in 1775 why would He not raise a Nnamdi Kanu for the Igbo  in 2017? If the Lord could raise a Maximillien Robespierre and Marat for the French people against the Bourbon royal family in 1789 and a Vladimer Lenin and Trotsky for the Russian people against the Romanov royal dynasty in 1917 why would he not raise a Nnamdi Kanu for the Igbo in 2017?

If the Lord could raise an Emeka Odumegwu- Ojukwu to deliver the Igbo people from total elimination, annihilation and extermination in 1967 why would he not raise a Nnamdi Kanu to deliver them from tyranny, mass murder and threats of genocide in 2017? And the comparisons with Ojukwu are interesting. Both come from a royal and noble lineage and bloodline. Both went to some of the best schools and universities in the United Kingdom. Ojukwu was at Oxford whilst Kanu was at the Metropolitan University (after finishing his first degree at Nsuka).  Both were well educated and enlightened enough to recognise the chains of tyranny and both had the mettle and the courage to cultivate a firm resolve to stand against it. 

One did so in the filed of battle when his people were subjected to genocide, denied the right of self-determination and attacked whilst the other did so through aggressive political activism and without firing a shot. Both are endearing, charming, handsome, charrismatic, articulate and profound. Finally, like all human beings, both are fallible and made one or two mistakes and errors in their careers by what they said about others from time to time. This is to be expected because they are both human. Yet it is not what they say about others that matters but what they represent. And what they both represent, which is essentially the protection of the weak from the tyranny and barbarity of the strong, is not only wholesome and righteous but also noble, honorable and worthy of emulation.

Few can dispute that the suffering of the Igbo over the last 57 years has been horrendous, disproportionate and barbarous. By any civilised standard it has been totally and completely unacceptable. Oceans of Igbo blood, including that of infants and babies, have been shed and spilt over those years and that sacred blood not only cries to God in heaven for vengeance but also continues to plague, foul and soil the very foundation of the Nigerian state. 

Not only has no remorse or regret been expressed or displayed for shedding that blood but instead those that have continuosly done so for no just cause for the better part of the last fifty seven years have been handsomely rewarded and well-compensated for their great evil and sociopathic disposition instead of being brought to justice. When we go out of our way as a people to care for the weakest, the most vulnerable, the most villified, the most persecuted and even the most undeserving in our society it says a lot about us. And when we kill them at will and treat them like animals it means that we are no better than ravenous beasts. 

The truth is that nothing and no-one can stop Nnamdi Kanu because there is a divine element to his meteoric rise. God Himself has raised, lifted and annointed him and in doing so He has planted a seed, ignited a fuse and unleashed the spirit of Biafra  in the mind, body, spirit and soul of the Igbo nation. Whatever happens to Kanu today that spirit and that movement will not die but rather go from strength to strength. The man has died in millions of Nigerians that have remained silent when faced with the tyranny and injustice of today's Nigeria. But not in Nnamdi Kanu. The man has refused to die in him and still lives on. He has refused to bow to tyranny and he has refused to succumb to the blackmail and intimidation of the state. He is the Lion of the east: I stand by him, I love him and I salute his courage. If only we had more of his ilk in our shores. May God defend him and may the Ancient of Days guide and protect Him IJN.

RENO OMOKRI: THE ACCIDENTAL MEDIA AIDE an article by CHARLES OGBU

I have always maintained that apart from conspiracy from both local and foreign scene against president  Goodluck Jonathan, another major reason the Otueke-born Zoologist lost his 2015 presidential re-election bid was not unconnected with the fact that he had one of the most criminally inept and fantastically clueless media aides who were more endowed in tongue than they were in that area meant to house the grey matter known as the brain. 

Reno Omokri's recent tirade against Ndigbo confirms this. An Igbo man and the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, reportedly granted an interview in 2014 where he said that Jonathan was weak and incompetent as president and the best way Reno Omokri who was GEJ's social media advisor could think to counter the assertion in 2017 was to start hauling invectives at the entire Igbos and listing individual appointments Jonathan gave to them. 

In 21st century 2017, a supposed intellectual is listing individual appointments as achievements and even trying to use same to counter the argument that his ex boss was incompetent while in office. He couldn't mention one monument erected by his boss. He couldn't mention road network or any health or academic centre built for Ndigbo by his boss. All he could point to was individual appointments. This is a walking shame!

Quite frankly, I should simply pause here and die laughing.... Laughing at a mentally truncated media aide who doesn't know that the best way to counter allegation of incompetence against his boss is by listing infrastructural facilities and other solid achievements built by this boss of his, not by naming individuals who were appointed into govt positions by him. 

With this kind of mental miscarriage from Reno Omokri, do we still wonder why the APC propaganda machinery effortlessly swallowed Jonathan's media team and successfully painted him as a president who did nothing all through the 5 years he was in office? If Mr Omokri cannot marshal out facts and figures to counter a mere allegation of weakness and incompetence leveled against his boss by an individual, how could anyone expect him to have any reasonable response to the web of earthquake-like lies and brain-resetting propaganda mounted against Jonathan by the very powerful APC lying machine?

Poor Jonathan! He thought he had a media aide in Reno. How wrong he was! The tragedy of Reno's situation is that he does not even realize that his failure to list Jonathan's achievements leaves observers with the conclusion that indeed, Jonathan did nothing for Ndigbo. In this case, who really insulted Jonathan? Is it a private citizen who said his ex president was weak and incompetent, the same thing that has been said by Asari Dokubo, Edwin Clark etc or a former media aide to this president who resorted to hauling invectives at everyone rather than listing the achievements of this president to counter this assertion?

In an article titled, "THE LESSON NDIGBO TAUGHT JONATHAN AND FUTURE LEADERS", Omokri stated that Igbos lost the 1967-70 Biafra because they knew nothing about diplomacy which left them without much friends to help them during those trying time. According to him, the fact that no Igbo leader has come out to attack Kanu over the said interview suggests that Kanu's position represents the views of the entire Ndigbo about Jonathan. This, he says, means that the Igbos are ungrateful bunch. In that same article, Mr Omokri categorically stated that Jonathan was the first president to give Igbos the position of Chief of army staff and Secretary to the govt of the federation and as such, Ndigbo should be eternally grateful to him.

As a full blooded Igbo man, I find this criminally offensive. This is a double barreled insult to Ndigbo because 1, what was said is a grave misrepresentation of fact. And 2, because Mr Omokri is the least qualified person to say those things, having himself been implicated in a case of identity theft in Feb. 2014 when he allegedly stole the identity of the son to the wife of his brother-in-law, one U.S based Wendell Simlin, to write an article linking the spike in Boko Haram bombing to the suspension of the then CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. (A quick Google search will give you the detail) What moral right does a spineless faceless suspected identity thief have to talk to Ndigbo? If he was man enough, why did he resort to hiding behind a fake identity just to make a mere accusation?

Let's treat the no1: Igbos owe Jonathan nothing! Absolutely nothing. It is Jonathan who owe Ndigbo everything. We made him! When the bunch of political terrorists known as the Cabal, prevented the gentleman Jonathan from taking over from the good man, Yar'Adua of the blessed memory, it was an Igbo woman, the late Dora Akunyili, who publicly confronted the Cabal and told all Nigerians that Yar'Adua was incapacitated. Her revelation gave birth to the doctrine of necessity which brought Jonathan to power. Without Akunyili, Yaradua would probably still be running the country by now even from the grave while Jonathan would be sitting quietly the exact way Mr Buhari is currently running Nigeria from the land of the WhiteWalkers with Osinbajo sitting quietly like an Arsenal fan when his club is facing a 5-0 defeat in the hands of ManU.

We gave Jonathan everything we had in 2011. We even died for him in the North in large numbers. Our support for him was 100%. Even when Jonathan bashing became the order of the day sometime last year, Ndigbo rose to the occasion and defended him even against some of his own people. In 11th August 2016, I Charles Ogbu,  wrote a fact-studded piece titled "IN DEFENCE OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN" published in the Guardian Newspaper which attracted a rejoinder from the presidency titled "IN DEFENCE OF PRESIDENT BUHARI, IS THIS THE CHANGE WE VOTED FOR? YES, IT IS" written by president Buhari's senior media aide, Garba Shehu to which I again responded with "IN DEFENCE OF THE MASSES, THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT THE CHANGE WE VOTED FOR".

When I was doing this verbal gymnastics with the highest office in the land over a Jonathan whom I have never met, where was Reno Omokri then?  He was hiding somewhere in the U.S, too afraid to write anything in Jonathan's defence. Now that the monumental disaster, Buhari, has been declared incapacitated, Reno is running his mouth. How convenient!

Our support for Jonathan was driven by a sense of justice, fairness and equity coupled with the fact that his opponent has always been a hopeless murderous ethnic jingoist with generational hatred for Ndigbo. Why should we now sit back and allow an integrity-challenged Reno Omokri a.k.a Wendell Simlin disparage us for no just cause? Why did Omokri not denigrate the entire Fulanis when El-rufai and numberless Fulanis made sport of demonizing Jonathan at every turn? Asari Dokubo, Edwin Clark, Seriake Dickson have all described Jonathan as weak, yet, Omokri neither attacked those people nor their ethnic groups. Why? Why does he now think that he can attack the whole Igbo race simply because one Igbo man purportedly chose to criticize his ex president?

Saying that a former president was weak and incompetent, is that even an insult? Frankly, I don't get this! Is Reno such a bad user of the Queen's language that he no longer understand that "weak" and "incompetence" are but mere adjectives naming an attribute of a noun? So far, Goodluck Jonathan remains the best president Nigeria ever had. His worst remains better than the best of Buhari. Is this even debatable? He was and still is, a perfect gentleman. Matter of fact, I belong to the school of thought which believes that Nigeria was and still is, too primitive for people like Jonathan to preside over.

But was he weak as president? Keep sentiment at home let's find out the answer. Several months before 2015 election, Jonathan was presented with credible evidence of the treacherous ways of Attahiru Jega, the man he appointed INEC boss but he did nothing! He chose to allow JEGA continue as INEC boss because he felt he (GEJ) couldn't withstand the pressure JEGA's sack would bring him. That was weakness! Jonathan's failure to sack Jega was the height of weakness on his part. #ChibokGirlsSaga remains unresolved till today mainly because Jonathan bowed to foreign pressure and admitted it happened even after his goverment had earlier dismissed it as a scam. If GEJ hadn't bowed to pressure, he would have simply arrested that woman Principal of Chibok school and within hours of questioning, she would have spilled the beans.

GEJ showed weakness by allowing many people including Buhari to undermine his govt. Are we really going to waste our time arguing this obvious fact? Now, let's visit the dictionary: The term "Weak" is an adjective and it means "liable to break or yield under pressure" among other meanings. So I ask again, was Jonathan weak as president? In the Nigerian context, the answer is YES! Refer to the above instances I just listed out. So what then is the problem here? Even if we lie to ourselves, how can we descend to the level of believing our own lies as the gospel truth?

My father, the late Emmanuel Nwodo Ogbu Nwachima, once allowed my uncle to take possession of our piece of land on the ground that he didn't want to make trouble with his brother. To me, that was him being a peaceful man but it also portrayed him as weak. I remember my father as a good man but each time I see my uncle's children on that land, I think my dad weak. Context is of utmost importance here.

May I remind Reno Omokri that before Jonathan, two (three) Igbo sons, (Zika of Africa), Alex Ekwueme and Ebitu Ukiwe have held the position of both civilian and military vice presidents respectively. Allison Madueke has equally held a very high position in the military as Chief of Naval Staff. So why should we be grateful for getting individual appointments of army chief and SGF even after paying with our blood in the North and are still being victimized by the present govt over our support for Jonathan? Reno Omokri and co need to realize that those who live in glass houses should be wise enough not to start throwing stones around. As far as Jonathan is concerned, what Ndigbo deserve from Reno and Co is gratitude, not attitude.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA !!!

ICHEOKU says congratulations America on her birthday, independence from then Great Britain and as we celebrate a great country, may her sun never set. Happy Independence Day America.

YORUBA: THE SICK MAN OF NIGERIA an article by BAYO OLUWASANMI

I borrowed the title of my article from the expression “sick man of Europe commonly referred to the Turkish Empire.” In the 19th century, it was believed that Turkey had fallen under the financial control of other nations. In the 1920s, Turkey was a typical Muslim hellhole with a long record of atrocities, ethnic cleansing, genocide, massacres, overwhelming and pernicious influence of Mullahs, inefficient government, bribery everywhere, and oppression of women. 

The expression equally applies to Nigeria and of course Yoruba political space: corrupt and inefficient government, recklessness, lawlessness everywhere, failed system, corrupt judiciary and broken criminal justice system, brazen robbery and endless looting of the treasury, violence here and there, fear, panic, strife, grieve, by citizens from day and night marauders on our streets, our roads, and in our communities who kill at will. Unyielding overt and covert hostilities and tensions between the federating parts that will ultimately bring Nigeria into her knees. 

It's easy to hide from the fight for survival if the fight is mythic in scale. And at this particular time in our history, things feel apocalyptic. The Yoruba deal makers who made possible the merger and alliance of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Political Change (CPC) which became All Progressives Congress (APC) that produced Muhammadu Buhari as the president, have become cartoonishly immobilized  by playing second fiddle in national affairs particularly the future of Yoruba race vis-a-vis on-going debate on the possible breakup of Nigeria. The Hausas have made their position known on the breakup of Nigeria when the northern youths gave three-month ultimatum to Igbo to vacate their region. Similarly, Igbo people continues to agitate for Biafra. Only Yorubas among the three could not agree with one voice on where they stand on the future of Nigeria and most importantly, on the future of Oduduwa people. 

The present makeup of Yoruba political leadership is populated by cowards. This is evident by its prevarication on the all important issue of whether or not Yoruba will stay or leave Nigeria. Their cowardice to stand up and articulate the fears and concerns of Yorubas as vocally expressed by the other two groups make Yoruba the sick man of Nigeria. Amazingly, Yoruba political leadership has not yet figured out how to respond to the issue. I believe they have two choices: they may either unify and rally Yorubas around a common cause, or express their support to one ungovernable, stunted, barbaric, primitive one Nigeria and see Yoruba dissolve into the political abyss. 

This is not the time for Yoruba political leaders to play a wait-and-see game. As cowards, they are content to play the better of two evils without resistance when faced with a political dilemma. They have refused to move in the best interest of majority of Yorubas, too afraid to take a stand because it is politically expedient for them to drag their feet. There's no person among them with the spine, the backbone, the moral constitution to convince other groups and their lackeys that Yorubas are more than forging political mergers, alliances, or alignment. They too can be resolute in determining their own fate and destiny. 

It seems to me they need a deeper understanding of what the word  progressive means. Let me be clear: any leader or leaders who fail to take a stand on behalf of their people are not only sell-outs, but blindly  ignorant at best and flatly dangerous at worst. They are content to hope that time will present an advantageous opportunity to resist the coming breakup of Nigeria. They are content to hope that they can continue to operate as though business as usual will be enough. Yoruba people demands this is the time for the political leaders to abandon politics as usual, and act boldly and swiftly. The most basic resistance from them is to say no to one Nigeria where our people are impoverished, bed ridden by disease, joblessness, hopelessness, and paralyzed by fear and insecurity, and pinned to a cul-de-sac where the pursuit of happiness is impossible. They should refuse to play nicely, but protest with radical fervor any advances that do not favor our cause and course. 

To me, the present Yoruba political leaders are not leaders built for leading, not built to protect the rights of our people, but only to protect their political spoils. By the time they wake up from their stupor, however, there may not even be a Nigeria left to save. They'll only be able to thank their strategy of waiting for an opportune time to start resisting of being part a country that's fast vanishing before their eyes. They will regret that they have not started their own movement and preparation for the inevitability a long time ago. May be now they can join the rest of us who want to live without wondering if we'll ever survive this new hellhole they help put us in. The Yoruba leadership need to wake the hell up! 

The cowardice of such leaders to declare their stand in unambiguous language will be an indelible and damning part of their legacy. But one thing I'm sure of : history doesn't forget the noisy voices once the dust settles, the winners and losers. When our history is written, we'll celebrate those who exhibited bravery, and we'll decide the aggressively malignant. We'll cheer the heroic. History tells us that leaders who let their people down at times like these are the ones who run and hide in the woods until the dust settles. Political self-preservation in dire circumstances is just about the same as cowardice. 

We have a word for people who are dominated by fear. We call them cowards. J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote: “A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a shortcut to meet it.”