BABANGIDA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BACK TO POWER, WARNS THE CLERGY?

Icheoku commends the activism of the bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, Bishop Michael Ipinmoye, who recently called on the evil one, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, to forget about coming back to rule Nigeria again! Icheoku heretofore, invites the other men and women of God in Nigeria to rise up in unison and follow the lead in speaking against the evil that is threatening to engulf Nigeria with the declared intention of the evil genius for the presidency. We believe that anyone of them who remains silent amidst the confusion created by Babangida's declaration of intent to be president again, serves not the almighty One but a special interest!

Evil thrives in a society when good men keep quiet and fail to do something; so now is the time for all the good men and women of Nigeria to unanimously join the lead of Bishop Ipinmoye in saying big 'NO' to Babangida's attempt at a second coming since the first one was more bloody than beneficial to Nigerians and Nigerians are still to recover from his bombardment? Civil rights groups, civil societies, other groups including market women and traders as well as NLC etc must rise up now to condemn the devilish audacity of Babangida and tell him, enough! Babangida's declared presidential ambition after the wrath of his previous eight years of military interregnum was simply very insensitive of his to think that Nigerians were not hurt during his regime?

Bishop Ipinmoye condemned what he called the recycling of past tired bankrupt self-aggrandising leaders who have nothing new or more to offer to the people and the country of Nigeria; and asked Nigerians to resist them and not allow such bad leaders to continuously occupy positions of authority in the country. Continuing, the bishop said that “Babangida should not have dared to raise his head for any political office in Nigeria, due to his antecedent leadership, which woefully failure of colossal proportion; reminding IBB not to forget how he hurriedly left office in disgrace through the mythical "step-aside' volte face? The bishop cited as most damning Babangida's albatross, the death of Dele Giwa, the annulment of June 12 election, which was the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria, the death of the winner of the election MKO Abiola, the issue of corruption which took flight during his regime and concluding that Nigerians would not forget in a hurry their experience under the infamous toothy fairy of Minna.' The bishop concluded that 'all these old horses should stay away completely from politics so that we can move forward in this country; and that we have been standing on the same spot, all motion and no movement simply because our tired old leaders lack fresh ideas to move the country forward.”

Icheoku says, well spoken bishop; and lets hope the voice of the clergy is the voice of God and that Nigerians will listen this time and stop the evil genius cold at the steps before he makes his way to Aso Rock. The leopard never changes its spots and as Olusegun Obasanjo proved, once a despot always a despot whether or not the cloak of choice is starched khaki or flowing agbada? Icheoku calls on numero-uno conscience of the nation, Wole Soyinka, to lead the stop Babangida express, notwithstanding that Babangida had once compromised him with a 700 million naira Road Safety contract as the first Marshall General of the Federal Road Safety Corp? This is a time when Icheoku wished that the only man Babangida could not compromise, Chief Gani Fawehinmi was still alive to show Babangida pepper; and tell him to his face, how much he is hated by Nigerians, many of who are now cowering in fear and cannot voice out how really they feel about him and disapprove of his devilish ambition? Cardinal Olubumi Okoje allegedly have a sex-tape of his with Babangida and may not be stepping forward in opposition, so we call on Reverend Matthew Kukah and others to lead the effort and compliment Bishop Ipinmoye crusade to stop Babangida cold. Other political leaders and leaders of thought in Nigeria should also start speaking up against the evil that was witnessed under the treacherous regime of Babangida and how that alone disqualifies him from the presidency in 2011? This is not such a time when silence is golden and the man in all Nigerians will certainly die if they remain silent in the face of the tyranny that is Babangida trying to seize power again in Nigeria for the second time. Enough Babangida, Nigerians have suffered enough in your hands and under your watch, so just go away!.

BABANGIDA 2011, NOT A CHANCE IN HELL, SO JUST IGNORE HIM! - an article by Chinedu Vincent Akuta

I have been following with keen interest the decision by the former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida to contest the 2011 Presidential election. Personally, I don’t think he (Babangida) will go far. A good example was when ex head of state (Gen Gowon) tried to contest the presidential election in 1992/93. He (Gowon) failed in his primary constituency. In the case of Gowon’s attempt, Option A4 Electoral System was in place. Though that we have a different electoral law in place now, he (Babangida) will be shocked the way he will loose election. I also think, he might be seeking undue attention because events have relegated him to an obscure background.

History has indeed consigned him to garbage heap of forgotten tyrants. People should not loose sleep about his plans. Its just that one still wonders how people like him think, otherwise there are other things he should have engaged himself with, other than seeking to come back to power. I had in some of my articles advised him (Babangida) to use his influences to work for the re-introduction of Option A4 Electoral System back to our legal books. He should also use his contacts to lobby the present government to posthumously announce the official winner of June 12^th 1993 presidential elections and for government to pay compensation to the families of Abiola.

Quoting Thewill (an online news publication; http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/4209-Nigerian-Youths-Are-Not-Capable-Leading-Nigeria-IBB.html), Babangida said that Nigerian youths are not capable of ruling Nigeria . I strongly disagree with him. Rather his statement is an acceptance by him, that he lacked leadership skills when he ruled Nigeria as a youth.

I am also sure that some of his (Babangida) colleagues, associates and friends (birds of the same feather) might want to contest other elections (Senatorial, gubernatorial, etc). Now that he has declared his intension to run for the highest office of the land, patriotic Nigerians should also declared their own intentions to mass mobilize Nigerians to vote the rightful candidates. Action should be equal to reaction. I had in my previous articles suggested to Nigerians on the need to start political evangelism using various kinds of media outlets. For the sake of good governance in Nigeria , let all patriots become political evangelists. In addition, this will be an ideal time for Nigerians to constitute a shadow judicial process and retry all cases like Dele Giwa’s death etc.

Amongst the most potent means of political evangelism will be to prepare messages on DVDs, CDs, Videos, etc on local languages. Nothing can compare with picture effects. Using home videos and televised religious evangelism as case studies, one will agree that many people have been changed through those means. In the same manner people can be mobilized after viewing political messages. Another reason for this method (political messages on DVDs, CDs Videos, etc) is because government and some private television stations might not like to air such programs. Therefore DVDs/Video recordings will suffice.

Times International Magazine of April 19^th 2010, pages 18-19 showed where people of Southern Sudan gathered to watch an educational film on fair elections. A well prepared political/electoral documentary on DVDs can have serious impacts on voting patterns. In case of any documentary in line with the above suggestions, I will recommend the following to be included (a) clips/films of how people of Eastern Europe resisted and dismantled communism (b) clips/films of how Thai people (Red Shirts) exercises peoples power (c) clips/films of how South African resisted Apartheid (d) clips/films of motivational speeches by Martin Luther King Jnr, (e) clips of speeches by our own Tunde (Pastor) Bakare etc.

Political evangelism methods have the potentials of increasing political awareness amongst our folks. We can also choose the direct marketing strategy, whereby we meet people one on one and advise who not to vote. Firstly we can start with our immediate and extended families then proceed to the community levels. I know that many people might be vulnerable to following the money bags, that’s why patriotic Nigerians will have to increase their political evangelism so as to win more souls to see reasons to vote rightfully.

Finally, please remember to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria .

Chinedu Vincent Akuta, activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK.

BABANGIDA KILLED MANY NIGERIANS, SO NOT WORTHY OF THE PRESIDENCY!

MKO Abiola, Dele Giwa, Mammam Vasta (pictured right), Gloria Okon, Bongos Ikwue, military officers killed in the Ejigbo plane crash, Gideon Orkar and group, the people of Zango Kataf as well as numerous other unsung and less profiled Nigerians, victims of the state under Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida's terrorist hijack of the Nigeria state, want you to help them stop another hostage-taking of Nigeria by this devil incarnate. They want you to be their voice of freedom as you chorus, 'never again IBB; not this time nor any future time shall Nigerians again suffer under your crass brutality!'

Will you help these Nigerians, crying out aloud from their graves stop this maniacal killer before he strikes again? Remember he made so many enemies including Great Ogboru, John Fashanu, the families and dependants of all those he killed while in office as well as majority of Nigerians who his government tortured extensively, excluding those sycophantic town-criers of his; so he is coming back with vengeance to take his pound of flesh and must not be allowed. It will be a very shameful experience for Nigerians should this madness ever come to pass and becomes a reality; a notorious criminal as Nigeria's president?

Such an unforgiving despot who killed his best friend and the man who was his best-man during his wedding to late Maryam, Poet and army general Mamman Vasta, for daring to question his intelligence to lead Nigeria, will not hesitate to finish off all those his so-called 'scoundrels' as soon as he is empowered. Babangida is daft; mean; vicious, brain-dead; unforgiving; uneducated; ruthless and endemically corrupt; so who wants such a lunatic as his/her president? Nigerians, will you allow this abomination of a Babangida's second coming ever take place under your watch? Please be decent for once and stop this bloody despotic bastard from ever getting near the gates of Aso Rock, never again Nigerians, not this time! Do it for the memory of his victims, do it for Nigeria. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida is not a fit and proper person to rule Nigeria again; his forcible 1985 hijacking of the Nigeria state notwithstanding. Babangida is evil and deserves death for what he did to Nigeria; only that Nigeria is not a country that holds real criminals to account; failing which, he ought not to ever be forgiven by Nigerians, talk-less of being allowed back into office as president?

STOP BABANGIDA NOW, NIGERIANS!

ICHEOKU CALLS ON NIGERIANS TO REJECT BABANGIDA !

With 27 killed so far and many more injured, Jatuporn Prompan the leader of restore democracy in Thailand said, "although the road is rough and full of obstacles, it's our duty to honor the dead, who died fighting for democracy, by bringing true democracy to this country." As their struggle continues despite the murder of 27 of their country men and women by the hold-out discredited government on the throes of being showed the way out, the Kyrgyzstan's example; Icheoku says, this kind of patriotic bravado is alien to the Nigerian society. This is the sole reason Nigeria is repeatedly raped by these ignoble 'leaders',including the 71 year old tired despot Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida who now wants to recycle himself again back to power? What a shame and only in a banana republic like Nigeria! Nigerians, it is not yet too late to salvage yourselves and country, just reject Ibb in 2011.

STOP BABANGIDA:- NIGERIA'S GREATEST PROBLEM IS RECYCLED TIRED OLD LEADERSHIP!

'The biggest problem in Nigeria is doing more of the same, repetition. The recycling of its tired old brains as leaders remains the greatest undoing of Nigeria, in its failed quest to attain greatness.' - Peter Stephenson, Director of Trade and Investment UK High Commission! Icheoku says, this man spoke the truth and nothing but the truth, so Nigerians hearken to his voice of wisdom and reject this attempt to recycle another 71 years old, tired semi-illiterate and ruthless military dictator, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida back to power in 2011. Do not be a sycophant, say no to IBB 2011, join 'OPERATION STOP IBB 2011' in your area today! Stand up and be counted Nigerians; enough of these Nigeria hostage-taking retired army men; or were you happy with your experience under Olusegun Obasanjo eight years of hell?

ONLY NIGERIAN RETARDS WANT BABANGIDA IN 2011, ARE YOU ONE OF THE SHAMELESS FEW?

"If in 2011 we are still asking for the likes of IBB even after the disaster called OBJ, I think ours should be a hopelessly retarded country that is totally irredeemable. If actions carry consequences, those who created yesterday’s pains should not control tomorrow’s potentials." -Joe Igbokwe!

Icheoku says an IBB presidency will be very calamitous for Nigeria. It will also be evidential of a people so mercilessly traumatized, irrecoverably psychologically damaged, a humanity gravely wounded and eternally scarred that they have given up all hope at survival and cannot fight back? It will show Nigerians as a people completely and totally emasculated, castrated, of spine docility, complacent and moronic, effectively so checkmated that they just turn the other cheek? Icheoku says, IBB's second misadventure in governance will undeniably also depict Nigerians as a people who frighteningly cower in the face of their traducers, with their surrendering hands in the air and cannot fight back these marauders, including this evil genius Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

Think about June 12th, Dele Giwa, Gloria Okon, Mamman Vasta, $12billion dollars first Iraqi gulf-war oil windfall, 419, the unwanted gift of midget of Kano Sani Abacha and all the other sundry crimes against Nigerians which this self styled evil-genius perpetrated on them? Anyway, a country deserves the type of leadership it gets, so Nigerians could prove themselves to be "irredeemable retards"by voting for for IBB in 2011; or reject him like a putrid offal in order to confirm their sanity! Also Nigerians should be mindful of the eight years of torture they endured under the other retired army man Obasanjo, fully aware that this another army man IBB will not be any different? They are both barrack-mentality former army men, one with area-boy background and this other with an almajiri up-bringing. Both men are not savvy nor cultured in the ways of gentlemen; and like Olusegun Obasanjo, Babangida will thuggish(ly) rule over Nigeria if allowed? Worst of all, both men are ruthless and have blood of Nigerians in their hands. So Nigerians, be conscionable, reject PROJECT IBB 2011; it is the correct, moral and right thing to do! At least you owe yourself that much to say, never again IBB.

HALLIBURTON BRIBERY SCANDAL, BAN BABANGIDA FROM POLITICS FOR LIFE!

The Pandora's Box of the Halliburton $180 million dollars bribery scandal has been opened and inside of it was found the stout itchy hands of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida! Now he wants to use some of the proceeds of the bribe money, his share of the Halliburton's kick-back, to buy his way back to power and then mortgage whatever remains of all Nigeria's present, subsisting and future financial interest and pocket the proceeds in his pocket? Recall that this evil genius is yet to account for the $12billion dollars first Iraqi war oil windfall, seventeen years after his forcible misrule of Nigeria. Nigerians please tell Babangida that Aso Rock has no price-tag and that even if it has, that Nigerians will not accept such tainted bank-notes from his filthy hands, in payment for their presidency.

Like he denied MKO Abiola the presidency, now opportunity calls for Nigerians to remind Babangida of that infra-dig and pay him back in his own coin; - mete out to him the same treatment as he gave to Abiola and always bear in mind that with a friend like IBB, no one needs an enemy! Nigerians please say no to Babangida, tell him not this time and never again shall such a notoriously corrupt army man be allowed to enjoy that which he previously denied others - Shehu Shagari in 1983 and MKO Abiola in 1993 respectively! Shamelessly enough, Babangida is now asking that the 2011 elections be free and fair; and that votes be counted with the peoples' elected candidate allowed to govern? Icheoku says, look who is talking, the toothy fairy madman of Minna, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida; a devil incarnate who never allowed a similar free and fair election of Chief MKO Abiola to hold, and thereby denied the people of Nigeria their rightfully elected choice president to govern? What goes around comes around as Babangida now stares his forthcoming nemesis in the face, and Icheoku prays that he will live to feel the humiliation and dejection that come with a denied mandate, assuming he ever gets one. It is called Karmic law!

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida having been implicated as a partaker of the Halliburton's $180 million dollars bribe money, and thereby tarnished Nigeria's image further; and compounded Professor Dora Akunyili's "re-branding Nigeria" effort more, Icheoku says he is not a fit and proper person to rule Nigeria and should therefore be banned from contesting or holding any future public office in Nigeria, including the presidency. Nigeria's problems are already compounded enough to add another stigma of a country being governed by a notoriously corrupt and bloody president. In the spirit of the newly revived war against corruption, sanctioning Babangida will be a necessary good first step and no other sanction will be more far-reaching than to deny him his dream pet-project of ruling Nigeria legally. The first time was as a thieving illegal coup-plotting junta, which he wants so much to wash away by being duly elected by the people of Nigeria as president and in order to atone for his sins of that nation hijacking.

Icheoku therefore call on the National Assembly to pass a law immediately, banning any person implicated in the Halliburton scandal and/or any other public official bribery and corruption, from ever aspiring, holding, accepting appointment or nomination of or to any future political office in Nigeria; or on Nigeria's behalf, elsewhere, everywhere and anywhere in the world. Such a measure will send a strong message that Nigeria is now seriously and earnestly fighting corruption; and confirm that at last, the issue of corruption has reached its final bus-stop. Choke off the head and the body withers away, so corruption must be fought to finish from top to bottom in order to defeat it once and for all. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida is a good specimen for the experimentation of seriously defeating corruption and this Halliburton's bribery scandal provides a golden opportunity to rein him in and set an example with his bloody self.

Evil-genius and president wanna-be, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, must be damned for being such an over-reaching eyesore for Nigeria. Such a notoriously corrupt person and bribe-taker does not deserve to ever wear the toga of a Nigeria's president again; and must therefore be banned from standing in any future presidential election or other office for that matter. A bribe-taker is such a low-life imbecile that should not be allowed to be president of Nigeria otherwise his sin of taking bribe will affect the moral standing of the general populace and by implication, rubbish the 're-branding Nigeria' effort of Professor Dora Akunyili. Who in Nigeria wants a bribe-taker to be his/her president; not any person known to Icheoku and you and you too?

The Senate have courageously done a similar thing in the past when they voted to deny former coup-plotting heads of state any state pension; and should now summon the mother of all courage to stop this corrupt and virile Babangida from ever realizing his eternal dream of becoming a legitimate president of Nigeria or even running for it, his declared intention to run for president in 2011 notwithstanding. Only such a goal-directed action is capable of sending the desired message, loud and clear, that it is a new day in Nigeria; and that no one, no matter how highly placed or notorious he or she may be, including Babangida, is any longer above and beyond accountability. Babangida must and should be held to account for his sins of partaking in the Halliburton's bribery and as a consequence thereto, stopped from marching into Aso Rock! The ban should include the rest of his thieving corrupt accomplices, implicated in this bribery scandal, including Mike Akhigbe, Rilwan Lukman, Philip Asiodu, Oladipo Diya, Mike Okigbo, Aminu Saleh, Ibrahim Aliyu, Anthony Ani, Ismaila Gwarzo, Alhaji Gidado Idris, Tom Ikimi, Orji Kalu, Babagana Kingibe, Patrick Dele Cole, Aliyu Mohammed Gusau and Jeremiah Jerry-boy Useni.

It is instructive that Orji Kalu, the only Igbo person who benefited from this massive bribery largesse; has now risen so far among the echelon of corrupt Nigerians that he now shares in their evil booty?A man Icheoku formerly greatly admired but whose participation in this bribery scandal has greatly tasked our loyalty that we hereby, withdraw all past, present and future endorsement for higher office, hitherto bestowed on this man and abundantly? Icheoku asks where are the NLC, SNG and other NGOs who parade themselves as the conscience of the society protesting this nefarious and heinous revelation from the Halliburton Bribery Files? Icheoku has always known that the weighty list of the Halliburton bribe-takers had hindered its release and/or prosecution of those implicated culprits till now. Acting President Goodluck Jonathan must now show that he has what it takes to be a leader and be bold in stopping Babangida and his band of thieves from going back to Aso Rock to finish looting whatever is left of the meagre treasury; admitted that he is yet to account for the $12 billion dollars first Iraqi oil windfall. Enough Nigerians, stop the roguish IBB from bulldozing his way back into Aso Rock in 2011 - just ban him from standing for the election, period!

So like they say in a popular lingo, 'show me the money;' Acting President Jonathan Goodluck must now show us his courage and determination in tackling the monster of corruption in Nigeria! A good place to begin will be to "Ban Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and his corrupt co-travelers in bribery land, from running and/or holding any future political office in Nigeria or on behalf of Nigeria, anywhere and everywhere in the world! Jonathan's pledge to fight corruption to a finish will be meaningless as long as this imbecile remain the 'godfather' of Nigerian politics. So as Jonathan opens the Halliburton Files, he must instruct Madam EFCC Farida Waziri to immediately go to work, using Babangida as the headline suspect! If Jonathan musters the courage to do this, his name will forever be etched in the annals of Nigeria history as that man who trampled where angels feared to tread.

Icheoku asks Jonathan; now that history has called on you, will you be courageous enough to answer? Icheoku asks Jonathan, as Nigeria is asking who shall I send to fix her, will you be able to say, 'here I am send me?' Please Mr. Acting President Jonathan Goodluck, do not let this golden chance pass-by unanswered; Babangida is the most hated Nigerian alive, second only to Olusegun Obasanjo, except that many Nigerians fear his ruthless maniacal and murderous dispositions; so moving against him will be a very populist thing to do; so give it a shot! Please Jonathan, help Nigeria heal and move forward, force Babangida out of the presidential race, arrest and indict him for corruption, hoping you have the balls to take on such big monster. it is the stuff heroes are made of and you must stand up to be counted as the leader that did big things. BAN BABANGIDA NOW!

IBB 2011, A THREAT TO NIGERIA? - an article by Robert Azu!

Just when you think we are finally getting into the kind of mature national conversation needed to make progress come 2011 in Nigeria. It seems that it’s also the time the cookies chose to crumble and as usual its one step forward, a ten backward.

The Nigeria civil society community having virtually decimated, with mere pen and common sense, a tiny but dangerously gluttonous evil cabal operating by ill thought blusters and endless infantile gimmickry, was about to focus more comprehensively on the electoral reforms. Which one of the first steps must include the removal of the widely discredited INEC chair, Maurice Iwu in order to reassure and reengage the incredulous on the integrity of our electoral system? Then enters the self styled evil “genius”, Gen Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, 70 years, back to our national discourse. The former tyrant, dictator, despot and maximum ruler who was one of the masterminds in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of President Shagari in 1984 and who also callously annulled the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, widely acclaimed to be the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history is threatening to impose his tyranny on Nigerians come 2011.

When IBB and his co-putchists subverted the democratic will of the Nigerian people in 1984, they told a frightened Nigerian people, that their treasonable acts was borne out of patriotic zeal to save Nigerians from the excesses of the politicians, whom the sanctimonious soldiers claimed to have been corruptly enriching themselves. We now know better. What followed was capricious release of convicted corrupt politicians, sequel to his second coup in which he finally captured his ultimate prize, our national purse. There is no award for virtually any Nigerian to reel out the many details of how IBB allegedly stole his country blind and none need to be stated here. What is important is that IBB remains a poster boy for corruption in the minds of Nigerians. An image he have repeatedly flunked all the opportunities to redeem. The hard facts will remain sacred and unchallenged in the scrolls of Pius Okigbo report, John Fashanu’s exclusive revelations, World Bank corrupt third world leaders’ report etc.

Under IBB’s eight years and seven months tyranny, unemployment soared in an unprecedented level, milk disappeared from the breakfast table while income fell abysmally as the dictator unleashed his structurally adjustment programme, a policy which many have argued was too sophisticated for the dictator’s barely educated faculty to comprehend. Sapped and squeezed at all sides by a newly bold institutionalised corruption, Nigerians cling on the dictator’s promise to restore civil rule. After needless loops of self deceit and gimmicks, that earned him the ignominious sobriquet of political maradona, he finally chose an August 1993 date for civil democratic transition. History have demonstrated to us all, how honest he was to this sacred promise to the Nigerian people. Suffice it to say, that hope ’93 was violently dashed and the political effects have continued to rock the political firmaments of the nation. This is reason enough to bar him from politics.

IBB have come to remind us of the wounds and damages he wrecked on our country. At best, he strikes me as a megalomaniac at the apogee of his disdain for the opinion of his fellow countrymen.

Ordinarily, there is nothing untoward on a citizen’s offering to run for President of his country, despite his unpopularity as such will be sorted by the electorate. But IBB is no ordinarily citizen. He is said to be loaded, in the Nigerian parlance in a manner unrivalled by any Nigerian alive. Every responsible community or indeed a nation will and should be wary of character wielding large bags of unexplained wealth, if it sincerely intends to abolish all corrupt practices as Nigerian constitution stipulated. Nigerians have reason to suspect that their disconnected political class would not bat an eye before selling their own mother for cash. Like a coquette, not particularly choosy with her men, it would not matter to the ruling elite that what is at stake is the soul of our great nation: her values, freedom and commonwealth.

That otherwise reasonable people could actually imagine bringing back, the same people they accuse of wrecking our nation speaks volume of the fundamental damage IBB inflicted on our national value. It is at best intellectually dishonest and at worst serious madness. Madness in this instance could be defined as having the same old men, playing the same old game, over and over again and somehow expecting a different result. We already know IBB’s position and records on official corruption, freedom of speech and the press, other human rights, respect for judiciary, poverty alleviation, etc. Let’s declare it loud and clear the mere thought of IBB again in Aso rock constitutes a disturbing nightmare to the Nigerian people. And no amount of paid or wannabe hirelings can wipe out the stench of the IBB years.

To end lightly, one of IBB sympathisers claimed bizarrely on the back page of Thisday newspaper last week that IBB at 70 could pass as a young man, because people are living longer these days. Really? A country, the United Nations put the average life span of her IBB sapped males at 47! Talk of out of touch.

AMERICA - NIGERIA RELATIONS THAWS, AS OBAMA WARMS UP TO JONATHAN?

Icheoku asks, what suddenly changed to warrant this sudden about-turn regarding Nigeria, on the part of Washington; after-all both President Umaru Yar'Adua and then vice president and now Acting President Jonathan Goodluck were beneficiaries of a discredited Olusegun Obasanjo's doctored election 2007? And if feelers are right, America has beef with the manner of the 'election' that brought them both to power; hence the earlier subsisting cold-shoulder to their government; which continues till date with the acting presidency of Jonathan Goodluck? Icheoku is really now at the deep end with this sudden warming up to Jonathan in view of the earlier turning down of the plea of then not bed-ridden Yar'Adua to visit Washington and meet with President Obama.

Strangely too, America recently allowed the hitherto embargoed Ibrahim Babangida to visit and nurse his late wife Maryam while bed-ridden in a Los Angeles hospital and suffering from ovarian cancer, from which she never recovered. It is also rumoured that Obama's Washington is actively encouraging Babangida's presidency in 2011 and you wonder which side President Obama is on - the Nigerian people or their corrupt leaders? It is albeit so strange that wonders shall never end in that a youthful energetic leader of the free world is allegedly rooting for the return to power of a 71 year old tired despot; whose hands is forever soiled and dripping with the blood of so many Nigerians? Dele Giwa, Mamman Vasta, Gloria Okon, Gideon Orkar, MKO Abiola, Ejigbo military officers plane crash, just to name a few all perished under his watch, as a military coup head of state in Nigeria for eight years? A known scofflaw who disrespectfully refused to honor summons by the Justice Oputa duly constituted legal investigative panel to testify and give evidence over some burning state issues; and who created the enabling environment for 419 to thrive in Nigeria, is the kind of man preferred as Nigeria's president by Washington? Please say it is not true and Icheoku hopes it is not true; as such inexplicable and misplaced allegiance will surely have a discomfiture in Obama's admiration by the Nigerian public. Why in a country of 150 million people, littered with so many highly educated professionals, would the choice of Babangida be preferred by Washington's Obama? Something is not right with this trending and Nigerians must rise up to stop Babangida and whoever is sponsoring his candidacy!

Now to the issue of Jonathan's sudden embrace by Washington, can anyone with insider knowledge please tell Icheoku what changed? Is Acting President Jonathan Goodluck no longer tainted by the charade of the Obasanjo tele-guided 'election' of 2007 or is he communicating to these Americans better and in the language of oil, which they understands most? It would have been all good and dandy; except that it sends a bifurcated message across to the various ethnicities in Nigeria that one 'duly elected' president is a taboo and another 'doctrine of necessity' produced acting president is welcomed to the Americans? Something is certainly not right, but very fishy and unnerving with the picture. We don't know about you but we are very suspicious of the motive behind this new "Jonathan is good, Yar'Adua is bad" dance scenario in and by Washington. Go figure!

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, PLEASE LEARN TO IGNORE THIS SARAH PALIN!

Icheoku calls on President Barack Obama to henceforth completely ignore and stop responding to any and all jabs of the Alaskan air-head, Sarah 'mother of Bristol' Palin. It is not the president's place to engage her in her vile comments, as such is somewhat diminishing of his very high office, responding to every hot-air out of this 'street-brawling' woman's mouth. Sarah Palin was not even the Republican Party's presidential candidate and does not currently hold any public office to merit a presidential rebuttal or response to her frequent maniacal outbursts. Icheoku advises the silent treatment for Sarah Palin as this will make her go away and out of national spotlight, as 'duking it out with the president,' is the kind of story our national media thrives in and such will keep her on television.

The president of the United States should not continue to spend his highly valuable time responding to some hallucinatory imbecility of a stay at home, jobless mom in faraway Alaskan wilderness, who was not even a good mother enough that her unwed teenage daughter Bristol got pregnant under her nose. Icheoku wonders how this psychologically disorganized woman who could not even effectively manage her home knows best what is good for America or how to run her fantasy America of her dream? If she was paying attention or was watchful enough over her family, her daughter Bristol would not be having unprotected sex inside her house and possibly on her matrimonial bed, yet she wants to tell us how best to run America; and by her? Only in her deranged mind, may be? Sarah Palin sincerely speaking, is a caricature of American politicians and very delusional about her clout or following; which a presidential rhetorical-engagement helps to sustain.

Such exchange of brickbats between the president and Sarah 'beauty-queen' Palin sends a wrong message that Sarah is effectively the opposition, hence is attracting the president's attention; which ironically succeeds in raising her profile further. Icheoku says, if any future outbursts from her 'you-betcha-ya' mouth ever deserves any response from the White House, such response should be given by some junior White House staffer or any other person but definitely not the president himself. It is our opinion too that even Vice President Joe Biden should not stoop so low as to take on Sarah Palin since she is not worth all the unmerited attention being given to her. Therefore, a better White House policy towards Sarah will simply be to just ignore her; and in that way, facilitate her quick diminishment and disappearance from our national television discourse. But should her upbraid become so asinine that a high up response becomes unavoidably necessary, then Vice President Joe Biden can step in and lead the effort, but never President Obama himself.

Sarah to most discerning and intelligent Americans, is a non-issue; but she represents the crack-heads branch of the Republican party which adores her and which the mainstream republicans themselves find very repulsive that the are even ashamed of identifying their party with? Every decent American including the enlightened section of the Republican Party are tired of Sarah Palin's street-brawl type of politicking; and such down and dirty politicking must not be glorified with presidential responses. Admitted that the president was dismissive of her over the nuclear question as not being a nuclear expert whose opinion should matter; in addition however, Icheoku says that Sarah is not an expert in anything whatsoever other than in stoking the worst ragamuffins of the republican extreme right, who hardly knows their right from their left and cannot even discern a thing as little as the fact that Sarah Palin knows little to nothing?

Good enough a republican heavy-weight and Secretary of State during their idol, President Ronald Reagan's administration, George Shultz, a man who should know and hence an expert, has scored President Barack Obama highly for what he accomplished by the new SALT treaty! Such views as his are what counts and not a pedestrian assessment by a beauty and no brain woman from Alaska who sees Russia from Alaska; and strictly speaking does not understand the gamut of the SALT treaty, both the expired and the renewed one to even offer a credible opinion? To see how little her comprehension of big issues as nuclear weaponry are and the very pedantic puerile manner she sees them, read her take on the recently signed treaty when she said, "No administration in America's history would, I think, ever have considered such a step that we just found out President Obama is supporting today. It's kind of like getting out there on a playground, a bunch of kids, getting ready to fight, and one of the kids saying, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face, and I'm not going to retaliate. Go ahead and do what you want to with me." Icheoku says this is the person the republican party wanted to be a heart-beat away from the presidency who sees everything in the eyes of a a "bunch of kids"? Sarah Palin also forgot that a nuclear-free world is a pet-idea of their much touted President Ronald Reagan which President Barack Obama merely continued? Could somebody please tell this Alaskan wild-life killer, Sarah Palin, that nuclear issues are a serious business and not kid's play-stuff; and that she should not so reduced it with such condescension?

Also from what she said at the Southern Republican (Un)Leadership Conference in New Orleans, one would see a person still so fixated on the president that over two years after the election her side lost to President Obama, she is still talking about community organizer, part-time senator, and full time candidacy? What type of a laced cool-aid does this Sarah Palin drink that she is still yoked to her campaign talking points several years after the electioneering campaigning was over and a duly sworn in, sitting president have accomplished almost half of his campaign promises to America including a health care reform? Sarah Palin also failed to realize all the efforts currently being made by the Obama's administration on North Korea and Iran; admitted both countries nuclear effort started way back before President Barack Obama came into office? And in her lunatic fixation on President Obama, she failed and/or refused to note that their own revered President Ronald Reagan it was, who first championed a nuclear free world with the original SALT treaty. In George Shultz own words, "President Obama has picked up on the notion that we can seek a world free of nuclear weapons, and that was very strongly felt by President Reagan!"

Icheoku says, George Shultz is the best thing to happen to President Obama's nuclear reduction treaty with the Russians, as it boosted it and also linked it undeniably to the republican party through their Ronald Reagan. It further commended its incorporation of additional clauses on "verification permissions and continuous investigations". But regrettably all these pluses were lost on this Alaskan mother, who could not even properly raise her daughter well enough, as to teach her not to get pregnant outside wedlock and in her home? Concluding, Icheoku says, Sarah 'beauty and no brain' Palin has proved once again that she is very naive and playing in a league far and beyond her abilities. She is an apologetic shame to all the intelligent women of America, especially those of them in Republican politics, who are now being evaluated through Sarah's eye, being their representative? For not seeing or appreciating the merits of the newly signed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (SALT), which President Ronald Reagan originally mid-wived, Sarah Palin is now a testament by herself and speaks volume that "with Sarah Palin, the Republican party has no candidate and should start searching for a flag-bearer beyond 2012." What a shame that she still has some following, admitted from the fringed lunatic far-right wing of the Republican Party, the Tea-baggers!