
Monday, February 2, 2009
NIGERIA, IGBOS DISPERSED TO WORLD'S END?

Sunday, February 1, 2009
SUPER BOWL XLIII, YET ANOTHER ONE FOR STEELERS!

SOUTH-SOUTH, SO SLAVISH TO THE NORTH?
The Northern Union recently met with Niger Delta's South-South over the future of the current restiveness in the area. Before delving into the meat of this meeting, Icheoku wants to caution the leaders and elders of the South-South, to please not compromise the brave efforts of the youths of the Niger Delta; some of whom have already paid dearly with their lives. Their supreme sacrifice should not be be in vain or trivialized by such a meeting with an insincere North? It is because of their patriotic efforts and sacrifices, that the Northern Union ever contemplated meeting with you, their "subjugated" South-South, in the first place?
Now, in order to attempt an understanding of the intent, purpose and trajectory of the meeting, the following questions ought to be first asked and answered:- (1) Were the Northern Union at the said meeting as equal partners of the South-South or was it a case of a "subjugated" South-South being "told" what their "masters" from the Northern Union desires? (2) Did the Northern Union start the meeting by first apologising for their killing of South-South states-men, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Isaac Adaka Boro or was it with their business as usual "who are you to query our actions" mentality of the North? (3) What about the continuous detention and secret-trial of the freedom-loving Henry Okah and the incessant harassment being meted out to the other man of the people, freedom-fighter Dokubo Asari? (4) What was the real agenda of the meeting or was it simply a ploy to further isolate the South-South from their big-brothers in the South East in order to further weaken their resistance and completely emasculate them? (5) Whose initiative was the meeting anyway? If the Northern Union's, is it a sign that they are beginning to feel the heat of the Niger Delta activism and if the South-South's, was it simply an evidence of their complete capitulation, laying supine?
Where was the olive branch from the Northern Union when their thugs in army uniform were raiding the palace of a royal father in the South-South, to arrest a youth-leader who had gone to the palace in honour of an invitation for a peace-meeting? And this was concurrent to the same time the supposed "peace" meeting was going on? Icheoku knows for a fact that the palaces of the Emirs and the Sultan in the North are totally off-limit for any intruder/s. Icheoku is also aware that any intruder who breaches the "do not enter" Islamic order of "Ba Shiga" always faces a certain death in the hands of such husbands who keep and maintain those harems behind those walled-off enclosures! So why should the Northern Union's army badge into the palace of a South-South King and drag out a person who dutifully answered their King's call for a peace meeting? Or is there no reciprocity of respect between Northern Union Kings or Emirs and their South-South counterparts? Yet the meeting was between "friends" and peace-seeking?
This hobnobbing does not bode well for Nigeria, especially the Southerners and must be resisted or sabotaged forthwith! It appears that the North is cleverly manipulating the South-South into an island of weakness by effectively deploying their divide and conquer strategy masked as a "peace" meeting to completely isolate the zone from the rest of the south? Eventually, when the south is so balkanized into three weakened, isolated groups of South-this, South-that, then each of them will become a vulnerable prey for the ravenous North to devour at their pleasure. Also the Northern Union is not Arewa Consultative Forum (AFC) and could not be said to be speaking for the entire North? This is yet another example of the "use you dump you, Northern-syndrome" with which the North have been mistreating the entire Southern Nigeria, as well as the other minorities of Southern Kaduna, Benue and Plateau regions of Nigeria, ever since independence in 1960. The only thing deductible from the meeting is that the Niger Delta agitation is working, otherwise these mallams will not bother to sit in a meeting with the people of the South-South, whom they hold in contemptible servitude? Admitted Icheoku would rather the Niger Delta activism is better organised and more target-driven, since they cannot match toe to toe, in a shoot-out war with the killing-machine which is the Nigerian armed forces. As always, in a guerrilla warfare, there is usually no theater or drawn battle-lines, the entire estate of contention or country-wide is a fair operating ground! Freedom-fighters operate ghostly and with stealth, in a hit and run schematic-fashion. They assume the position of the under-dogs and the essence of an underdog in a fight is usually not to win outright, but to wear the oppressor out! So for the South-South to declare victory, the Northern Union's enforcement apparatus must be worn out or bogged down in an impasse; which in turn will force a meaningful dialogue, during which time, the bone of contention can be settled in a peace conference brokered by an impartial third party. This is the way and the only meaningful way; no other way makes sense as trying a direct confrontational approach will be suicidal, too calamitous and consequential to the peoples of the South-South.
According to report reaching Icheoku, the South-South presented a ten-point prayer request, soliciting the understanding and support of the Northern states, regarding some pertinent issues affecting them. Icheoku asks, why should the South-South condescend so low to beg the Northern Union for what is rightfully theirs? The land of the South-South and all that is on it and underneath it belongs to the people who own the land. The people of South-South do not need the permission of the Northern Union to harness what is theirs! All they need to do is to stand firm and be supportive of the effort of the Niger Delta youths to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
The North will not voluntarily let go the goose that lays the golden eggs, which the bowels of the South-South has become. So the only viable, meaningful and feasible alternative "sea route to India" is for the South-South to rise up and take back their possession! All it demands is a today's sacrifice so that the future of their children and children's children shall be finally and fully secured in a settled-Nigeria or a Republic of Niger Delta, which ever comes first? The hallowing poverty of today's South-South must and should be forever forsworn! Northern Ireland did it! Tamil Tigers are on course! Kuwait was formerly part of Iraq! Palestine could be heard today, despite being faced-down by one of the mightiest army on the face of the earth; and digging 20 feet deep-below the ground tunnels through hard desert soil for thorough-fare? So why not Nigeria's South-South with their open access to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and also an international airport? The South-South should just show some seriousness of purpose and the world will take sides! Their God-given oil resources can always serve as collateral?


Friday, January 30, 2009
MICHAEL STEELE, CHANGE BUG STINGS GOP!
In response to the political wave "Steele" sweeping across America, in a dramatic move, the Republican Party, a party of "whites-only" threw every caution to the wind and "elected" a "nigger" as their party chairman? Really? Wonders shall never end and the Republican party is still smarting from a routing defeat last November 4th, 2008 by the trail-blazing Democratic party and President Barack Obama!
In order not to be outdone so much, the "elephants" magically sprung a blackman to head their party? Icheoku says, congratulations to both Michael Steele and the Republican party for this, yet another first! By this change of direction- election, Michael Steele now becomes the first African-American chairman of the Republican Party! He is to head and lead the Republican party for the next two years as its chairman. The newly minted chairman, was former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland and also a former chairman of the Maryland Republican Party.
With these fighting words, "We're going to say to friend and foe alike: We want you to be a part of us, we want you to with be with us. And for those who wish to obstruct, get ready to get
knocked over! This is the dawn of a new party moving in a new direction with strength and conviction"; the newly elected Republican Party chairman, was unmistaken as to the direction which he wants to set the ship of the Republican Party sailing. A new more inclusive party of all and not just a "white-only" country club party".
Michael Steele beat four other candidates, including former President George W. Bush's hand-picked candidate Mike Duncan, who acknowledged that it is obvious that winds of change are blowing through the land! Michale Steele won the election with 91 votes out of the 168 converged delegates, although only a majority of 85 votes was needed.


Once again, Icheoku says, Congratulations!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
BLAGOJEVICH, GONE WITH THE WIND!
The notoriously windy politics of Chicago, Illinois has yet claimed another victim. His name, Rod Blagojevich, and now a historical former governor. Rod was convicted and removed from office by the State Senate, today, January 29, 2009 following his earlier impeachment by the State House of Assembly. Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Patrick Quinn, one of Blagojevich's critics, was promptly sworn in as governor; and he immediately stripped Blagojevich of all his security details, fully transforming him into a "complete ordinary citizen."
Blagojevich was convicted by a vote of 59-0 of abuse of power, which automatically ousted the second-term Democrat from office. The lawmakers also barred Blagojevich from ever holding any public office in the state again. According to one of the presiding senators, "Rod Blagojevich failed the test of character. He is beneath the dignity of the state of Illinois. He is no longer worthy to be our governor." Blagojevich, the son of a Serbian immigrant steelworker was first elected governor in 2002, on a promise to clean up the state government; after its former Governor George Ryan, resigned and was convicted and presently serving a six-year prison term for graft. Now he has followed the path of his predecessor and may eventually join him in the big house when convicted! But Blagojevich is not the only State governor to be impeached and convicted in the United States of America. Seven other governors have suffered the same fate before now, the most recent being Arizona's Evan Mecham, who was driven out of office in 1988 for trying to thwart an investigation into
a death threat allegedly made by an aide. However Blagojevich is the first to be so removed in Illinois. Icheoku says, Rod Blagojevich is out in the cold and in a very lonely island! If the term, "man-alone" ever makes sense, Blagojevich now personifies that term! He has been deserted by friends and family; what a fate? Good luck Mr. Blago!
Blagojevich was convicted by a vote of 59-0 of abuse of power, which automatically ousted the second-term Democrat from office. The lawmakers also barred Blagojevich from ever holding any public office in the state again. According to one of the presiding senators, "Rod Blagojevich failed the test of character. He is beneath the dignity of the state of Illinois. He is no longer worthy to be our governor." Blagojevich, the son of a Serbian immigrant steelworker was first elected governor in 2002, on a promise to clean up the state government; after its former Governor George Ryan, resigned and was convicted and presently serving a six-year prison term for graft. Now he has followed the path of his predecessor and may eventually join him in the big house when convicted! But Blagojevich is not the only State governor to be impeached and convicted in the United States of America. Seven other governors have suffered the same fate before now, the most recent being Arizona's Evan Mecham, who was driven out of office in 1988 for trying to thwart an investigation into

Now click:- barack obama's senate seat for sale
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
YOBE STATE GOVERNOR BITES THE DUST!
The governor of one of the Sharia states in northern Nigeria, Yobe State, Mamman Bello Ali is dead! Mamman B. Ali was 53. He died in a Miami-Florida USA hospital, of a yet to be conclusively determined cause but leukaemia, meningitis, liver-cirrhosis, colon-cancer, heart-attack, brain-aneurysm, and a host of other sundry diseases were respectively rumoured as the cause of death? Icheoku says, what killed the governor is irrelevant, since like every mortal he has answered his final call! All is vanity according to the preacher in Ecclesiastes 1:2! What he did or failed to do for the people of Yobe State will now become his final epitaph!
Like many other "leader/s" in Nigeria including President Umaru Yar'Adua, the ailment the late governor suffered from was a top secret and remained so till his death; leading to all the potpourri of speculations as to which of them finally claimed his life. Unfortunately, Nigerians including their leaders/officials keep their health-records very private, due to pride and cultural perception that being ill is a sign of weakness! It is instructive to note that Nigeria's current president Umaru Yar'Adua is presently wasting away from a yet to be officially acknowledged or confirmed illness! Icheoku has no sympathy for the dead as they have been set free and since moved on! And for dead Nigerian officials, because they do not really care for the well-being of the people they govern! Imagine a sitting gov
ernor, dead in a foreign land's hospital, because medical facilities in his Yobe State and country, Nigeria is nearly non-existent! Mamman Ali was able to die in a foreign-land because he had the capacity and ability to seek medical treatment abroad; and you ask yourself, what about the several hundreds of Yobe people who die every day of commonly treatable diseases like malaria, diarrhea, common-cold, ordinary fever, river-blindness induced sickness, polio and such other primordial diseases, just because no medical facility exist for their treatment? The dead governor, like many of his counterparts in Nigeria, had the opportunity to build, equip and cause to be run a world-class hospital or medical facility in Damaturu, Yobe State; but he did not. Why, because he/they can readily hop on the next available flight out of Nigeria to any part of the world to receive a first class medical attention? This time, it was to Miami-Florida, United States of America but peradventure, his time was up!


We are not as cold or unfeeling as any lay-reading of this piece might imply, no, but the foolery of many Nigerian officials in not setting their priorities right, sometimes, bleeds our hearts. Icheoku asks, why would these officials, who habitually travel overseas to seek medical attention, not be patriotic enough to deem it fit and necessary to build and equip such centers of medical excellence in Nigeria? Some of them even by their actions and utterances act as if they will live forever; but this governor is now gone and so will each and every one of these despondent Nigerian leaders/officials, who cannot do right by and for Nigerians through a selfless service to their fatherland. Anyway, may the bereaved family and the people of Yobe State bear the loss with fortitude!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
ERVIN LUPOE, A LOS ANGELES WHACK-O?
Icheoku says, only a monster could look straight into the beautiful eyes of these innocent children and cause harm to them. That is exactly what Mr. Ervin Antonio Lupoe of Wilmington, Los Angeles area of California, United States of America is! The heartless vampire who fatally shot his wife Ana Lupoe and five of their children, above right, including Brittney, 8 (middle), twin-girls Jasmine and Jassely, 5 (rear) and twin-boys Benjamin and Christian, 2.4 (front).
The monster from hell, admitted from the land beyond of his culpability - he had faxed a note to a television station claiming that he and his wife had just been fired from their hospital jobs and together planned the killings as an escape for the whole family? Part of the left note read "Why leave our children in someone else's hands?" Icheoku says, this cuckoo is an embodiment of a warped, selfish and egotistic maniac who cowardly wasted his family because he could not stand the thought of them in another person's caring love? If only he had taken just his life, the whole world will understand that he is an ordinary whimp who could not brave the wilderness, but for the heinous mass murder of his family, his place in hell is the core of the burning furnace!

NIGERIAN UMARU YAR'ADUA, YOUR ODDS IS BETTER WITH UCSF!
Icheoku writes this open letter to Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua who is critically ill of "renal failure" and hopes it gets to him sooner than later. Our sources tell us that you are making plans to travel to Ohio for a possible transplant and we ask, have your handlers shopped for the top hospital in the world of transplant?
With all the oil money Nigeria has, why settle for just "something" when you can afford to buy the best? Icheoku advises you to proceed immediately to the world center of transplant surgeries at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) at 505 Parnassus Avenue and reclaim your health, if possible.

You may also see our previous commentary on your state of health advising on this hospital, UCSF by clicking this link: - a cat with nine lives .
Monday, January 26, 2009
SOUTH AFRICA, UNRAVELLING?
South African former freedom fighter, political prisoner of conscience turned president Dr. Nelson Mandela owes the people of South Africa and that sub region one more lasting service; - to harmonize the warring factions of his African National Congress (ANC) before it is too late! If the simmering bickering is not urgently addressed and the revered statesman makes his exit, the unfolding whirlwind in South Africa's political landscape might blow away what he spent 27 years of his youth, in Robin Island prison, to achieve.
Regrettably, ego, greed and selfishness has pitched two former comrades, former president Thabo Mbeki and president in the waiting Jacob Zuma against each other and so have their flocks. This is a bunch who hitherto were brothers in arms fighting against the former repressive apartheid racist government of Botha's South Africa. Icheoku says no matter what it takes, the current rift between Mbeki and Zuma needs to be resolved urgently to starve off what might be the catalyst to permanently unravel black South African leadership!
Today there is a faction within the ANC and who knows what tomorrow might beget of the
se factions - may be a shooting war amongst brothers for no reason whatsoever other than the selfishness of their leadership? This is whe
re Nelson Mandela must come in as a respectable African world leader to mediate a truce or final resolution of this emerging conflict. As a regional power-house, Africa cannot afford to have a South Africa that is disintegrated or not fully galvanised to continue to provide the leadership in that region. The white minority may be amused at what is unfolding between this former comrades and will cease on any given opportunity to reassert themselves. Icheoku says, this is the gleam future that awaits South Africa should the current imbroglio between Mbeki and Zuma be allowed to fester on and metastasize. The other day a prominent member of South Africa's governing ANC Mbongeleni Zondi, 39, a staunch supporter of Jacob Zuma was gunned down in Umlazi, Durban. Mr. Zondi was great-grandson of Zulu chief Bambatha, known for leading a guerrilla campaign against British colonialists in 1906. According to ANC, Mr. Zondi was "brutally assassinated"! Icheoku says, what if the ANC decides to avenge the death or retaliate for the murder of their Zondi Mbongeleni? What if ANC's reprisal attack/s leads to an all out warfare between the ANC factions like obtains in today's Iraq, Afghanistan or in a turf-war like manner of the Mafia? When added to the already high crimes encumbering South Africa, such a street warfare between former ANC members will spell doom for South Africa. This is one reason why the living father of South Africa must intervene now as a matter of utmost state urgency. Comrades killing each other is a tragedy of the unfolding political madness in South Africa which might conflagrate the entire country barring a sudden decisive intervention by a commanding figure like Nelson Mandela.


Admitted that in a democracy, people of like minds are allowed to
unite around a common cause in the form of a political party of their choice to push their agenda but the Mosioua Lekota's Congress of the People (Cope), formed after the ousting of former president Thabo Mbeki, will only succeed in splitting the ANC amongst old friendship lines. Icheoku says this is not good for South Africa's future and demands an immediate intervention to stop these former friends and comrades at arms from soon becoming foes at each others throats, fighting for power. South Africa must not be allowed to go the way of other African countries; what is at stake is too much and all hands must be on deck to forestall such implosion.

Sunday, January 25, 2009
OBASANJO-ATIKU, AN OMINOUS HONEYMOON?

Saturday, January 24, 2009
BARACK OBAMA, A LEADER-PRESIDENT OF AMERICA!

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO'S INCEST, SON DIVORCES WIFE!

Friday, January 23, 2009
GHANA, JOHN KUFOUR'S GIFT, WELL DESERVED!
Icheoku have keenly followed the storm generated by the "gifts" of six cars and two houses allegedly given to John Agyekum Kufour, the former president of Ghana and concludes that the raging whirlwind is uncalled for. Our reason for taking this position, despite our established aversion to untoward gratifications, is that those enumerated gifts were quite "a token" considering the sit-tight dispositions of African leaders with the attendant legendary mass looting of the treasury! Both of these vices, your respectable John Kufour shunned. The only rational approach to understanding the cursed African leader's unwillingness to ever cede power is to find out why they so clutch to power till their last breath? Icheoku concludes, it is because of the "security of the stomach" and self-preservation of a perceived status, period! So for the one of a kind among the many African leaders, John Kufour, what is the worth of these gifts when juxtaposed to the alternative? Therefore a gift of about $400,000.00, two houses and six cars to a former Africa leader who could have chosen to sit tight and milk Ghana until her well runs dry is not too much? Ghanaians should always remember that former President John Kufour gracefully stepped down for the incumbent to step in without preconditions?
Icheoku says the gift is trifle and should be supported by all men and women of good will in Ghana. Former President John Kufour deserves all that could be given to him for displaying such an uncanny valour and statesmanship of a free power-transfer, which is very uncommon with many African leaders. Such a gesture will also encourage future leadership to yield power, fully aware that they will be properly taken care of by the incoming government; and by extension it might be a role-model for other African countries to institute welfare packages for their outgoing leadership. This might also reduce the penchant and disposition of African leaders to provide for themselves while still in power and hence abate corruption. Icheoku's only reservation with the gifts is that the five cars would have been spread over a period of time, like one car every three years till the end of his natural life. Commonly, pensions are paid all over the world to public servants in appreciation for their selfless service; except in Nigeria where such public servants pay themselves upfront, while still in office, with massive looting of the public treasury. The people of Ghana can afford to buy six cars and build or buy two houses for their former honorable president, John Kufour. Peradventure, were John Kufour as corrupt as Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo he would not need these gifts, as he would have built several mansions and even bought himself a private jet while still in office; but instead he left office a gentleman. Ghanaians, Icheoku says the two houses, one in a choice area of your capital city Accra and another in his country-home are very well-deserved gifts for the decent John Kufour, case closed! It is rather ridiculous for some Ghanaians to be "shocked" at this "pittance", considering the priceless pride John Kufour brought to Ghana by conducting a free and fair election that even saw the opposition attain the presidency. He could have perpetuated himself in power, rigged the election or better still clamped every dissenter into detention or sent state assassins after them to take care of business. He however decided otherwise, insisting that Ghana was greater than anyone man including himself and voluntarily relinquished power. If Ghanaians are in doubt of what an average African-leader monster is capable of unleashing on his people, they should ask Bola Ige and his co-victims of the ravenous machinations of Nigeria's megalomaniac, Olusegun Obasanjo? Better still, a look at Zimbabwe will suffice!


SOMALIA PIRATES, THIS HAPPY?

Icheoku is very surprised that this trio, accused pirates sitting inside the dock of a Somalia court-room, are rather sharing banters of their exploits instead of bemoaning the fate which possibly awaits them. But Somalia being the failed Islamic state it is, will not let anything happen to these arrested "expatriates" Somalia pirates, who now constitute part of the source of the country's foreign exchange earning capability; since the man with the cash is always the man with the authority. Icheoku regrets that they were not ease-dropped on to really ascertain what they were so happy about. What a way of life for these three Robin Hoods of Somalia?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
ATIKU, A MAN WITHOUT A CORE?
One of the cardinal philosophies of Politics 101 is that there is no permanent enemy or permanent friend in politics, only permanent interest bonds politicians together; the reason some people have tagged politicians as whores and prostitutes. "Shame on you; Shame on you, Barack Obama, shame on you" was the notorious Hilary Clinton's campaign war-cry, but today she is the Secretary of State for President Barack Obama's presidency? Icheoku asks, with the preceding in mind, what then is the beef with Abubakar Atiku's recent visit with the Otta medicine man, Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo? They are both politicians and politicians are very unpredictable people, as foes today can become pals tomorrow and vice versa, so Atiku and Obasanjo met, so what?




One commentator said that "it was this type of meeting between Atiku and Obasanjo in the latter’s home in Ota in 1998 that eventually culminated in the worst presidency Nigeria ever had. Their presidency and vice presidency held Nigeria in thrall for eight years, during which no day passed without one political turmoil or the other brewing and erupting in one corner of the country or the other." One other commentator described the meeting of the two political gladiators of Nigerian politics as a big irony after what they had said and done to each other these past years. The meeting shows that the two men lack principle, that they are both selfish and are both evil men, While another commentator was quoted as saying "I am truly spooked by this reconciliatory move because experience has shown that when Obasanjo and Atiku are friends, next to nothing good comes of it for Nigeria."

CNN LARRY KING, SON WANTS TO BE BLACK!
President Barack H. Obama has started delivering some dividend on patching up race relationship in America? Things are now getting so honky-dory between white and black races that a little eight (8) year old white boy now wishes he is black? Really and Icheoku will like to remind this enthused white-boy that being black is a big burden in America, our new president success, notwithstanding. However we understand the little Larry King's happiness with President Barack Obama's success.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009
THE BOY WHO BECAME PRESIDENT!
Icheoku is happy to share with you the picture of the little happy boy who became President Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th, on Tuesday January 20, 2009! May God Almighty protect and guide his actions, as he try to pilot America out of the woods of the many problems bedevilling us, in Jesus name we pray, AMEN! God bless America!
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