SLEEPING NIGERIA LEADERS, WHAT DID THEY SMOKE?

Icheoku asks what was probably "infused" in these peoples drink or food that they all dozed off during a presentation at the last bombed-out 2010 Nigeria independence day anniversary celebration in Eagles Square Abuja? The above picture taken at the event shows past Nigerian leaders, from left to right, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Shehu Shagari, Muhammadu Buhari, Ernest Shonekan and Abdulsalam Abubakar as they dozed off during the event? Anyway, it somewhat validates the allegation that these men only slept while on duty, during their respective tenure in government serving as heads of state and presidents. Leaders under the influence of something? Now reader, still wondering why Nigerian economy has been comatose ever since her independence in 1960, especially since the regime of the genocidal Yakubu Gowon declared in the 70s that he does not know what to do with Nigeria's surplus money? 

MALACHY UZENDU TAKES TITLE - "NWA-CHI-NA-EMERE NA ABUJA!"

He is one of the upcoming, upwardly mobile, dynamic, young and ebullient Igbo pillars of light in Abuja. A journalist extra-ordinaire and current Deputy News Editor of Champion Newspapers Nigeria, chairman Nigerian Union of Journalists Abuja chapter, a dear friend of mine and former high school classmate, Malachy Uzendu, has been recognized for his industry by his people - the Igbo people of Nigeria resident in Abuja and they have honored him accordingly. They conferred him with a chieftaincy title, "Nwachinaemere N'Abuja' - translation, 'a child whom the god helps of Abuja'. Icheoku says congratulation, Chief Malachy Uzendu!

The honoree pictured above, is seen kneeling with his wife as they received some royal blessings from the "King of Igbo people in Abuja, Igbo 1, the Eze Igbo Abuja, HRH Eze Nwosu Ibe; who placed his royal hands on Malachy's shoulders, as supporters and well-wishers look on approvingly.

We wish Chief Malachy Uzendu well and pray that the recognition bestowed on him will serve as additional wind underneath his sail, as he continues to excel in his chosen profession and carry the torch of Igbo people of Nigeria especially those resident in Abuja. Once again congratulations classmate and may the gods of Igboland continue to guide and protect you and your lolo, our dear 'Nwachinaemere n'Abuja.' Malakai is now a red-cap high chief, hurray!

LIBYA NO FLY ZONE OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN, THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE?

Icheoku queries, if Muammar Gaddafi complies with the United Nations resolution today and ceases hostilities as well as pledges to  protect Libyan civilians or even takes a step further by withdrawing his troops to their position ante the march to Benghazi, would he have met the benchmark necessary for him to remain in power?


If not and regime change is the ultimate goal of those coalition partners, what then is the incentive for Muammar Gaddafi to comply with the resolution rather than fighting to finish and possibly dying in the process? But if following his withdrawal, it will then be okay for him to remain in power in his Tripoli enclave, does it mean that by necessary implication that Libya has been divided into two and that Benghazi and Western Libya will then constitute itself into a different country? Unfortunately, those pushing the withdrawal failed to take into cognizance that the whole territory of Libya was once under Gaddafi's control, hence their demand that he withdraws from the rebel held eastern part amounts to taking side in the conflict and peradventure dividing the country.


Conversely though, if Muammar Gaddafi complies and withdraws to his Tripoli post, at a later future date there will also be demand for him to completely go, failing which, there will be further military action against his regime to forcibly remove him from office. Thereafter, he may be tried and hanged like his Iraqi counterpart Saddam Hussein, alongside his sons; and there goes the whirl-wind story of the evolving power struggle in Libya. Either way, Icheoku could care less but the urgency of the United Nations in taking sides in the Libyan crisis is questionable in view of their wilful indifference to the ongoing carnage in Ivory Coast, preceded by Darfur and so many other black African countries. May be the urgency to remove Gaddafi is fueled by some hurt feelings and bruised egos of some European leaders now trying to use this opportunity to pay back Gaddafi for some perceived insolence and arrogance? Icheoku asks why did Sarkozy and Berlusconi not resign from office when faced with similar protests by their citizenry; especially Berlusconi who has in addition been accused of sexual molestation of an underage girl? Even America's Barack Obama was similarly called upon by the Tea Party protesters to quit; yet did he quit?


Icheoku asks, why is it that it is only in Africa that leaders are ordered to step down by these Western countries, who themselves nobody tells what to do; and which order they cannot extend to Russia, China and even Iran? Why was there no similar resolution in Iran during the democracy protest or in China during Tienanmen uprising or Russia during the Chechnya massacre? Gaddafi probably made a mistake in not acting fast to take his country back and may pay dearly for it and possibly with his life. A fast-thinking person would have sped up the counter-offensive and since taken back Benghazi so that whatever resolution to give anything back would have become moot. But no, he dig-dallied and his loquacious son boasted how they will go door to door in search of those rebels and drew the ire of the coalition partners who peremptorily bombed Gaddafi's forces to protect Libyan civilians?


Icheoku asks, what then is the use of Russia and China to their allies when they can only stand hands akimbo while the army of their fan number one, Moummar Gaddafi of Libya, is being decimated; awash of tons of useless weapons supplied by the same Russia and China? Why are they afraid to raise their voices in protest; at least if they will not fight, let them complain loudly in opposition; afterall Israel gets away with all that it pleases because America supports it totally and completely and without equivocation. So why can't Russia and China support Libya's Gaddafi with similar conviction and let the world's standoff begin! But more seriously speaking, Icheoku asks why is it not okay for a duly constituted government of Moummar Gaddafi to defend its Libyan sovereign territories from pockets of armed insurrection? Icheoku have seen other revolutionaries in Tunisia and Egypt and they were not armed with big guns and rocket launchers. These Libyans rebels might as well be what Gaddafi called them - al-Queida operatives; and by the time this coalition of the willing will realize it, it might be simply too late as al-Queida would have firmly established an operational stronghold in Libya. Until Gaddafi goes or Libya is divided, the guessing game continues but Icheoku says, double standards by the world elite countries is simply not rational.

BABANGIDA ALIYU ASKS BUHARI TO FORGET ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY!

“Nigerians must jettison ethnicity, religious bigotry and other divisive tendencies capable of subverting peaceful co-existence and national unity as the race for the presidency hots up. Obasanjo became head of state in 1976 as a result of the death of Murtala Muhammed. Goodluck Jonathan became the president as a result of the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. That was done by God. It wasn’t designed by anybody and if God gives somebody such powers, what we can do is to complement and then wait for the appropriate time. But where some people think it is theirs and they use every opportunity and every sentiment to make it look like it’s their legitimate right, we must fight it. We must resist it so that every child, no matter the circumstances of his birth, can aspire to become the president of Nigeria. Our nation is passing through one of the most challenging phases of our socio-political developments. We must therefore sit up and move away from lip service and loose talk about national unity. We must individually and collectively act in the appropriate direction by promoting activities that will engender mutual respect, trust and understanding for continued peaceful co-existence." - Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State. Icheoku says this doctor spoke well and articulated the thoughts of majority of fair-minded Nigerians. May be he should be the president of Nigeria whenever next, it becomes the north's turn at producing the presidency.

JAPANESE TSUNAMI, WHEN WHALES FIGHT BACK?

 Icheoku is just wondering if the seas just had enough and decided to fight back the Japanese for killing their "gods and goddesses" - those whales? Whaling is one practice the Japanese have resisted the moratorium placed on it and for a very long time, and continually savor taking the lives of these majestic and humongous sea mammals of the world.In some cultures whales are worshiped as gods while some other cultures regard them as mermaids or the guardian of the seas. But the Japanese could care less, hence the harpooning of the whales that goes on regularly within the Japanese society such that Icheoku wonders if these gods have had enough and decided to take their revenge and pound of flesh on the Japanese people; washing away thousands of Japanese own people in retaliation? Just asking, because as the Japanese tsunami has shown, when nature fights back it could be very devastating; so humanity must endeavor not to disturb the equilibrium and peace of a world jointly owned by them and other creatures. Icheoku calls on the Japanese people to please observe some moratorium on their whaling in order to make peace with the seas in accordance with the Tokyo governor that rightly advised that the gods are angry and should be appeased. Japanese people, Icheoku calls on you to please stop killing those whales so that the seas will leave you alone!

GOVERNOR OLUGBENGA DANIEL REGRETS APOLOGY, KNOCKS OBASANJO?

"By the special grace of God, we will hand over the mantle of leadership to people that you are going to be proud of. I don't know who but God knows. There are a lot of people who want to go in through the back-door; they are the people who have gone to get kangaroo judgment. There is no doubt that there was a lot of thunderstorm in Ogun State. Not many people believed that we are going to be here till today. Even, as I stand before you, those people are not relenting." - Governor Olu Gbenga of Ogun State dissing Olusegun Obasanjo over their fight for the control of Ogun State politics.

Icheoku says this u-turn of a statement probably now makes OGD a liar as he recently admitted that 'he had begged Baba and will continue to beg him', as well as recognizing Baba's candidate army man Tunji Olurin as Ogun State PDP's choice? Further Gbenga asserted that he understands what the Yoruba culture stipulates in matters of disputations between the young and the old which made hebeg Baba Iyabo; but this does not seem to be the case now with the present about-turn or could OGD have so easily forgotten the said Yoruba traditional etiquette? Finally the current statement of OGD shows that the alleged make-up between OGD and OBJ was just for the cameras and in order to enable President Jonathan conduct his campaign in a 'unified' Ogun State. But now things have fallen apart so soon after and the salvos have started flying once again.

Icheoku says when OGD fully recovers from the trauma of his under-pressure begging of Baba Iyabo, he should endeavor to apologize to Ogun State people for bringing their governor's office to such a new low as would prostrate before Baba-Iyabo; and must also denounce the apology he earlier tendered to Baba as not of his free will or act. What an irony and political volte-face that a man who once was on all his fours begging for forgiveness has now recharged, found his voice and is now fighting back. Icheoku supports OGD in the resumed fight to retain control of his state as well as the right to decide who will succeed him; afterall every other PDP governor did, especially those who doubled as President Jonathan's election zonal chairmen. But with the Otta deity still very much around, may be Gbenga has to wait a little much longer for the expiring or retiring of the army man, do or die acting politician.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN, WHO IS HIS POLITICAL ADVISER?

Icheoku is curious that in a political quicksand of 'Ali Baba and the forty thieves' scenario that Nigeria politics is, that President Goodluck Jonathan could afford to so naively trust his reelection bid in the hands of the north, a people who are so miffed at him for his audacity and are still smarting that he hijacked their turn at the presidency? Even while he was still the vice president to the then gravely sick President Umaru Yar'Adua, the north pressured Yar'Adua to sideline him and turn over power to the secretary of the Federal government Saleh? But now President Jonathan seem to have forgotten so soon the loath this people have for him and have put in their hands his reelection bid?

A more astute and much savvy political player would not take the chance or risk of allowing two northerners, Professor Attahiru Jega and Dr. Haliru Mohammed, in such powerful positions as could determine his fate in the coming April election as INEC chairman and PDP acting chairman respectively. What if they conspire against his candidacy? What if they are surreptitiously working for Arewa's common cause? What if they have a northern agenda and have a preferred northern candidate? What if they have a predetermined election result and only waiting to embarrass the president? What if Haliru Mohammed is tepid in his support of Jonathan's election campaign; hence not pulling all the stops to elect him president? And so many other what ifs.

If Icheoku were President Jonathan's political adviser, our advise will certainly be different - don't do it; trust but verify and please do not carry all your political eggs in just one northern basket.

In a functional society nothing is bad with any such arrangement or entrusting one's campaign in the hands of any person/s or group of persons. But in Nigeria, only a dreamer will permit such a situation, fully aware of the overriding effect of primordial allegiances that trumps over any other supposed loyalty that may exists; or believe that some "outsiders" shall be more catholic than the pope in championing one's cause or carrying its water. Nigeria is not a nation of one but an amalgamation of nations, where each fiercely compete among each other to protect their own butt. A much smarter Jonathan would have known that a disgruntled north will not have his interest wholly and instead relied more heavily on other similarly situated minorities of Nigeria and/or those without a dog in the fight this 2011 presidential election like the Igbos. Jonathan's trust on the north might backfire since Imam Muhammadu Buhari and Cassius Nuhu Ribadu are also running for the same office, added to the painful loss the north suffered in the PDP primaries. What about a PAY BACK TIME Mr. President since the north always remains the north in matters of politics? President Jonathan, Icheoku asks you to please wake up and smell the coffee before your presidential runs into the mired murky waters of a northern conspiracy, pursuant to their Plan B option of "any northerner but Jonathan?" May be it is even too late now to alter the equation with a more triangulated power base including an Igbo party chairman to counter-balance the forces? Anyway, goodluck to you Goodluck Jonathan; Icheoku still strongly feels the election is yours to lose!

MOTHER NATURE HAS LOST ITS MIND, PARKS CAR ON ROOF-TOP?

 When you think that the worst has been heard of mother-nature, then comes the parking of a care on a roof-top instead of the garage. One of the crazy things the Sendai Miyagi Prefecture Tsunami accomplished as it rampaged through the land is to mistake a roof-top for a garage. Our hearts goes out to the people of Japan in this time of great tribulation and we pray they pull through it in defiance of mother-nature who seem to have served them a quit notice from their land?

NIGERIA'S POWER PROBLEM SOLVED, USING JAPAN MODEL?

 Icheoku says the intractable power problem in Nigeria afterall have a solution - the Japanese way. Ten privately owned and operated electric companies providing power, from generation to distribution as well as supply to their delineated areas of the country. They are divided into ten sub-nationalities electric power companies of Hokkaido, Hokuriku, Chubu, Tohoku, Tokyo, Chugoku, Okinawa, Kansai, Shikoku and Kyushu.

The authorities in Japan had since figured out that because each area of the country has certain peculiarities, with varying climate and geography, it would be foolhardy and unproductive for one company to manage the entire country's electric supply. Therefore since supplying energy to each region has its own special characteristics, they reasoned that in order to meet each local requirements, different companies has to operate as independent generators and suppliers, forging close relations with local entities towards each regional development. These companies also "cooperate with each other to ensure a stable and efficient nationwide electricity supply;" which transcends their allotted service areas for the benefit of the entire electric power industry in Japan. These companies collaborate among themselves to exchange electricity, to provide power efficiently, to cope with emergency situations such as power outages or failures or to meet peak-hour demands such as during heat-waves. To ensure the smooth operation of power exchange amongst these various providers and suppliers, extra-high voltage transmission lines connect the entire country from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. These companies similarly partake in the cooperative development of electric power technology and the sharing of resources. 

Icheoku says, Nigerian government this one is for you to adopt in order to solve the lingering problems of the power sector which has defied every solution thrown at it in the past. Just emulate the Japanese, divide up the country and farm out each division's electricity requirement to different companies respectively. The Japanese have shown it can be efficiently done, so why not replicate same in Nigeria. Each contracting company will decide how best to generate its own electricity from nuclear to hydro to thermal to wind to solar and/or gas turbines. So with the problem solved, no one will ever complain that PHCN or NEPA has struck again or shout for joy each time light comes on. Nigeria is almost twice the size of Japan landmass although both has practically about the same population; so it makes for perfect replication for Nigeria to hug the Japanese way. Electricity is almost at par with fundamental human right in so many functional countries run by reasonable and rational human-beings; but in Nigeria, such officials as would make this possible are in the back pocket of generator mafias who profiteer from selling noisy polluting generating sets in Nigeria. It requires a president with some back-bone but Icheoku is afraid President Jonathan might not be able to stare down on these peddlers of death and dry their swamp by solving Nigeria's intractable power generation and distribution problem once and for all.

NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST IN JAPAN IMMINENT, USA ORDERS EVACUATION OF CITIZENS!

 Icheoku says the alarm bells have tolled and Armageddon is nearer today than it was yesterday in Japan otherwise America will not order the evacuation of her citizens from Japan. Icheoku says there must be something the Americans know about the exploding nuclear facilities in Fukushima Japan which the rest of the world has not grasped yet.Only fifty kamikaze nuclear fire-fighters who have pawned their lives trying to save those of millions of other Japanese and foreigners alike is what is the only thing standing between it at present. First was 8.9 earthquake, then a murderous tsunami and now a nuclear meltdown - all waging war of attrition on Japan. The gods must be angry at something the Japanese did to have sent these cataclysmic events all at he same time. Please dear god, call off these merchants of death waging wars of destruction on the Japanese!

APOCALYPTIC JAPAN, THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT?

Icheoku have watched severally the video-footage of the double disaster that mother nature wrath on Japan and each time, Icheoku asks, were it motherland, what would Nigerian government do? An 8.9 magnitude earthquake followed within just five minutes by a 52feet five-storey high monstrous tsunami that washed away everything on its path including thousands of human-beings, fixed standing structures such as homes and buildings as well as cars, ships, rail tracks and carriages, bridges, cars, roadways and even parked airplanes?

We are talking of the biggest disaster to strike a people known for their resilience and ability to rebound each time they are pinned on their back either by mother-nature or a powerful foreign army. The fabled stoicism of the Japanese once again is not in short supply as they maintained their unassuming demeanor despite going through one of world's greatest disaster comparable to the volcanic eruption that wiped out Pompeii. They maintained their cool, showing great patience and orderliness and in the face of churning stomachs and parched throat, they did not betray any emotion or got frantic but maintained their staid. Icheoku commends the Japanese people for showing a good example of how to conduct oneself faced with helpless situation which is beyond anyone's control. It makes it easier for government officials to do their job without much distraction. The Japanese by their conduct has laid to waste the proverbial stiff upper lips the Brits are known for, as they proved that not even mother nature was capable of making them shiver and panic.

We are talking about a country reputed as the most prepared for disaster in the world; yet they found out that no amount of preparation is enough when mother nature decides to show its fury. With so many cities and towns wiped off the face of this earth, one would expect to see the Japanese hysterical and frantic; but no, they were as cool as cucumber and fastidiously going about their business of search and rescue and attending the thousands of their people rendered homeless and without food. For people of faith, these could be end-times prophesies come to life; but either way, at least the world has ended for those ten thousand plus already confirmed dead and missing Japanese. With radiation now spewing from damaged nuclear reactors at some crippled nuclear power plants in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan, who knows what will come next but it sure don't look good. Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and may the good Lord help them cope with the monstrosity that visited them.

GADDAFI SURVIVES LIBYAN REVOLUTION, ACT OF GOD TO THE RESCUE?

Icheoku says it appears that God or Allah is against the planned external intervention in Libya; otherwise why is it now when the world is putting its head together, weighing the best option possible  to ensure the removal of Gaddafi from office that hellish earthquake and tsunami struck Japan; thereby shifting world's attention to the more important issue of the day?  Now it is a question of which one is more important - helping a devastated society survive two tragic catastrophes or helping to destroy another that has some semblance of normalcy, irrespective of the so called ongoing but almost squelched peoples revolution.

Icheoku says there should be no external intervention in Libya otherwise the purported revolution will lose its flavor of a peoples move against their unwanted leader and becomes an aggression. How much is too much to ask for especially coming from Muslim Arabs who are still cursing and abusing the United States of America over its foreign policy initiatives and interventions in other Muslim countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. What suddenly changed or is Libya no longer one of their Arab country that must be left alone and free of American imperialism. Arabs do not like America or its foreign policy objectives, so why would the same haters of America now desire the same American foreign policy manoeuvres which they have hitherto condemned as Zionist-instigated? Why would it suddenly be okay now for America to intervene in an Arab Muslim country, Libya, when it is not okay to do so in other such countries as these Muslim Arabs have severally consistently protested. They do not want us and we should therefore not make ourselves available for their selfish need to get power, not this time of a fork on the road at Tripoli.

The revolting Libyans called it a "peoples revolution" and such a revolution should it remain; so if they want Gaddafi out, let them take him out by themselves and not make us do their dirty job only for them to later throw us out with the added abuses and insults such as burning our flags and stomping on our national glory? Egyptians removed their Hosni Mubarak without our help or intervention; Tunisians did same without our assistance, so why must it now be incompetent and incapable Libyans who cannot pull theirs off that we must assist; moreso after blowing up our PAN AM airline over Lockerbie Scotland killing our 208 nationals. What are the Libyans giving us in return - the alleged bomber who was released to them on the urging of British government or what? America must secure some guarantee from Libyans before stepping up, if ever otherwise lets just say to them, we are not interested. Icheoku says American intervention in Libya is not a good move as it will later come to haunt us as has always been the case with our other interventions in the Arab world. If France Sarkozy wants to do it, oh well and dandy, but not with our help or assistance as the French has been lukewarm with helping us out in matters of our foreign policy adventurism throughout the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Let the French go into Libya and pay the cost both in treasure and blood required to unseat Gaddafi for all Icheoku cares; but there must be no American assistance for them.

At the moment, Icheoku is of the opinion that two successful revolutions are more than enough in the Arab world and that America should just help Tunisia and Egypt consolidate their gains instead of over-extending itself trying to secure Libya too. With Iraq and now Egypt and Tunisia, a flourishing democracy in these three countries will help the rest of the region do what is needed at the appropriate future time; but they all do not have to democratize at the same time and not NOW. One commentator queried, assuming America were to intervene in Libya now, what happens if some dissidents in Saudi Arabia or Jordan call upon her tomorrow to also intervene to remove their leaders? What will happen to their prospective requests and when will enough be truly enough with America trying to be everything to everyone in the world. Power is what it is and never freely given, so if those revolting "highly medicated" Libyans want it so badly, they should go and get it from Gaddafi but without our assistance. It is not our place to secure a revolution for those Libyans and we should tell them exactly so and let them decide what their future is but in any event, they should leave us out of their domestic problem. Look at the Egypt's revolution that has now transmuted into religious ideological fight with Muslims burning Christian churches and you wonder who actually is pushing this supposed revolutions; or may be Gaddafi was right that al-Querida is sponsoring these revolutions to create their Islamic caliphate in Northern Africa spreading into Middle East.

But Moummar Gaddafi may, if he cashes in on the shifted attention caused by the double whammy tragedy of Japan and acts swiftly, reassert his control throughout the Mediterranean coastal region of Libya including Benghazi the stronghold of those dissident; thus giving credence to the assessment of his army spokesman who said that those rebels are "a group of rats and vermin" who will raise their hands in surrender as soon as they march into the city. Icheoku cannot wait to see how this Libyan crisis is finally resolved and would love to see France forced to withdraw their recognition of a non-existent government made up of the same opportunistic people who served in the same Gaddafi's regime they are now disparaging and raising arms against. Icheoku asks at what point did these so called do-gooders in the interim national council realize that Moummar Gaddafi is a despot; yet they served him for a very long time without complaining. The good news however is that the Libyan revolution now seem to be petering to a halt, having been aborted by an embolden Gaddafi army killing off the insurgents and any attempt by the world to rekindle it through military intervention of any kind will only hurt Libyans and the world oil price - two scenarios no reasonable leader wants to see happen. So, let the Libyan people cart their own destiny, if they want Gaddafi out, let them do the heavy lifting but in any case, America must stay out of intervening in another Arab Muslim country, period!

PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S LITANY OF PROMISES, ANY ROAD-MAP TO FULFILLING THEM?

“If I am elected, my administration will revive the railway system, create more job opportunities and ensure that more refineries are built. We will also tackle the security situation to ensure that the security challenges become a thing of the past.” - President Goodluck Jonathan addressing campaign supporters in Ogun State. Just another one of his numerous campaign promises as the president traverses the length and breath of the country, seeking votes and urging the people of Nigeria to elect him president in 2011.

The myriad of promises so far made by the president has caught so many peoples attention including Icheoku that we are now forced to align forces with the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Sa'adu Abubakar, in asking President Goodluck Jonathan to "put it in writing" - his promises to do this and that for everybody and groups in Nigeria. Campaign promises are one thing, finding the money and political goodwill to see those projects through is another and it is on this premise that Icheoku calls on President Jonathan to tone down the flurry of promises; especially their specificity such as building sea ports, refineries, power plants, international airports etc as such capital intensive projects might not be all fully accommodated within his four year promised term by Nigeria's lean finances.

The April 2011 presidential election is President Jonathan's to loose, hence he does not need to make all these tall flowery promises to remain in contention but should try to keep it real - just general promises that he will strive to improve on what is and will do more, funding permitting. To date, President Goodluck Jonathan promises on his campaign trail has reached more than ten trillion Naira and Icheoku wonders how Mr. President plans to fund them within just four years when elected within the next few weeks as is most certain he will.  All the same, Icheoku wishes the President well and hopes he delivers on his promises to avoid being tagged long on promises short on delivery; his election is as good as concluded, the CPC/ACN much anticipated alliance having not materialized to give the PDP any meaningful challenge. Godspeed Mr. President but please keep it short and real.

OLU GBENGA HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO BEG BABA-IYABO!

"I am a true Yoruba son, and in Yoruba-land it doesn’t matter who is right or who is wrong. It is the younger that will beg the older person, so I have begged Baba and I will continue to beg him.” With those words Governor Olu Gbenga of Ogun State went prostrate before the Otta deity asking for forgiveness. Icheoku asks OGD when he finally realize that he is a Yoruba son of the soil and one who understands what the Yoruba culture demands and stipulates in matters of disputes resolution between a young and the old?

Anyway Icheoku has nothing against the manner which OGD choose to make peace with his erstwhile mentor, but when one takes a gift from the devil like OGD took from OBJ, what else does he expect but absolute obedience and complete submission to the devil's whims and caprices. OGD ate Obasanjo's 'command and control' potion and lacks any moral fortitude to now fight him; so he had no choice but to capitulate to the real deal, the deity of Otta and now Ogun State without preconditions. The humiliation of going down on all fours is good for OGD; what a great lesson for all other future power-hungry politicians who turn to the devil for help. The moral lesson of OGD travails is that such sniveling power seekers cannot fight or revolt against the giver of their power as they will always be humbled at the end of the day. Governor Olu Gbenga, like Abubakar Atiku, has now been forced to eat the fabled OBJ's humbled pie and will never recover from it; neither will he ever be fully and truly forgiven by the very vindictive OBJ. Icheoku says this very Daniel has no judgment at all; what a pity!

PETER KING, ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IS NOT THE ONLY FUNDAMENTALISM IN AMERICA?

Icheoku makes bold to state that Islamic fundamentalism or radicalization within the American society is not the only extremism sprouting up in America and for which there should be concern. It is therefore an absurdity, propelled by a seething disdain for those who knock their foreheads on the ground in worship, for Long Island Republican Congressman of New York, Peter King, to so selectively pigeonhole Muslims communities in America as the sole incubator and harbinger of radicalization as well as fundamentalism in America.

Please do not get Icheoku wrong on this matter by interpreting our remarks as a felicitation with Muslims or the figurative sleeping with the enemy; no if Icheoku was in a position of authority during the infamous 9/11, Icheoku would have nuked some place in the Middle East for supplying those airplane bombers. Icheoku knows these guys and what they are capable of doing in the name of their religion and in order to spread it such as the violence they can visit on infidels; so anything they are accused of by Representative Peter King is understandable. However, our position on the ongoing congressional hearing by Peter King is somewhat at odds because it is not all inclusive of all known radicalized groups. Icheoku is of the opinion that such congressional hearing should not be exclusive Muslims, but should encompass other radical elements of the American society that is intolerable of other Americans including such groups as produced the Oklahoma City bomber, Timothy McVeigh; abortion-doctor killers and the Rush Limbaughs of this country whose stock-in-trade is to continuously spread hate-messages against people with different skin-pigmentation. Icheoku says nothing is more radicalized than the daily dosage of asinine messages oozing out of the mouth of Rush Limbaugh and his cohorts, disparaging not only the "Nigger President" occupying "their" White House, but also every other person who seem not to fit the template of their "great American?"

Representative Peter King's hatred for 'THAT ONES' is palpable and Icheoku still remembers his comment concerning Michael Jackson while the rest of the world was mourning his loss. Calling a dead Michael Jackson a pervert is the height of disrespect from a hypocrite who did not see anything wrong with the Irish Republican Army terrorist bombings of yester-years in Northern Ireland. According to this extremist, yes Peter King is an extremist, Michael Jackson "was a pervert, a child molester; and a pedophile. I just think we're too politically correct. No one wants to stand up and say we don't need Michael Jackson. He died, he had some talent, fine. He may have been a good singer, he did some dancing. Bottom line is, would you let your child or grandchild be in the same room with Michael Jackson? What are we glorifying him for?" Icheoku asks what a hate-filled soul would say such uncomplimentary things about an entertainer, whom the world acknowledged as the King of Pop music and this Representative Peter King failed to admit that the allegations of child molestation was not proved by a jury of his peers and that MJ was acquitted of the trumped up charges. A case of willful misinformation and selective dementia by Peter King who settled for lashing out at a dead man. Once again this Long Island Irishman in New York is using the same "not being constrained by political correctness of majority Americans" to attack another disparate group - the American Muslim Community.  A man who would not respect the dead and so brutishly made such uncomplimentary remarks of a world reknowned mega superstar is capable of anything, but Icheoku blames the people of Long Island who continuously send him to Washington as their congressman.

Icheoku says Peter King's house hearing on "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response" is disproportionately skewered against Muslim groups in America who have been singled out as poster-child of extremist behavior in America. It failed to include other radicalized groups such as White Racist Groups who are known trouble makers-in-chief of America as well as some arm of the Black Panters Group who have since become radicalized. The Pat Robertson Group and so many other "Men and Women of God from hell" who preach intolerance were also excluded from the House hearing and one wonders who Peter King is deceiving with his purported house hearing on radicalization. Also Rush Limbaugh and co groups were not included for investigation and Icheoku wonders who else if not them? Fairness demands that equity be observed in such house investigation and being against radicalization, should have been against all manners and forms of radicalization and not just restricted to Islamic radicalization. Or could it be that America is witnessing the rise of another Senator Joe McCarthy of our time; but Icheoku prays that Peter King shall not have his way and that the morality in many of us shall triumph over the warped, ideological-driven antics of a bigoted fellow who happened to be a US congressman called Peter King.

Icheoku says what Representative Peter King is attempting to do with his House hearing is nothing other than the conduct of an Islamophobic hearing and eventual persecution of Muslims in America, based on unfounded allegations and innuendos of Muslims hatred of America? What Peter King is subjecting American Muslim minority to is akin to an inquisition and near perfect copy of the time worn rites of passage which every American minorities of the past were subjected to. Icheoku prays the latest Muslim minority to be discriminated against shall survive Peter King's onslaught and come out of it whole, intact and more audacious. God bless America and God bless American Muslim community so long as they are being Americans and without secret agenda to cause it any harm.

EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN, ICHEOKU EMPATHIZES!

 What a world we live in that is a mix of ephemerality and hopelessness such as the awesome power of mother-nature that destroyed Japan. In some fleeting moments, all that we cared for and that are endeared to us become part of 'ancient' history - GONE!

Except you did not watch the footage of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami which swept Sendai, Miyaki Prefecture of Japan like one giant monstrous sweeper, then you can live on still thinking those funny thoughts swirling in your head. It simply shows that we are not in control of anything despite our arrogance pretending otherwise. Icheoku's heart goes out to the people of Sendai Miyaki Prefecture as well as the entire Japanese population for what fate had visited on them early hours of this morning (our time). To the people of Japan, Icheoku says the whole world is with you as you at this time of great destruction and as you clean and eventually rebuild your devastated society as you have previously done in Kobe, our prayers are with you. Goodluck.

SCOTT MCCREERY, A COUNTRY FOR AMERICAN IDOL?

 Icheoku was boycotting American Idol 2011 for the loss of Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and the introduction of Jenny from the block. But channel-surfing landed Icheoku to a performance by Scott McCreery, singing a country tune. There and then Icheoku concluded that American Idol 2011 will go to a country singer named Scott McCreery and we are prepared to put our bet on it. Moreso it is been long since country won the show and it will be nice to retain the good ole folks down south who are tuned in. Scott has what it takes - the voice, the presence, the cowboy demeanor and moreso he is from North Carolina and Icheoku could not have imagined a more perfect mix. Icheoku therefore says that Scott McCreery is the American Idol to beat this 2011 season. Icheoku must add, Ashton Jones is impressive too.Congratulations crooner! Icheoku once again tunes off as our protest is ongoing.