FARIDA FIRED!

The eagerly awaited, much anticipated and long overdue relief from duty of the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chairwoman, Farida Waziri, is finally here. It would appear that finally, the over-deliberative Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has come around full circle and summoned  enough courage to let the EFCC-madam go. 

Icheoku expected the hamstrung chairwoman to have resigned long time ago, but she fell victim to the Nigerian cultural shackle which does not permit the emergence of brave public servants of conscience, who could stand on principles but just tagged along just to get along. She took it both front and back, honestly thinking to persuade a society that was not listening, that somehow magically her commission would do their job; and was in this suspended state of euphoria until her unceremonious kicking to the gutter. How could anyone worthy of his or her weight in law enforcement operate under such a stringent condition where she was  constantly scornfully derided and ridiculed as a toothless bulldog? Under her soft-touch, touchy-feelly EFCC, so many high profile corruption cases including the corruption charges against former speaker Oladimeji Bankole just stalled without more. Anyway, good riddance and hopefully her successor Ibrahim Lamorde will be courageous enough to do what is required to turn in results. Icheoku hereby calls on Aso Rock to without delay confirm Mr Ibrahim Lamorde as a permanent chairman as that would make him a more dedicated and committed hands-on chairman, without creating a situation where he will be thinking "whats the point," since soon they will also relieve him of the post as they did before. 

However the symbolic changing of guard at the EFCC alone will not cut it or do the magic, as what the commission is facing is a contemptuous society which is so neck-deep corruption and fights bullishly to be left alone and undisturbed in their debauchery. Icheoku says, how about a committed judiciary to help put away these corrupt officials being indicted every day by the EFCC without any one of them ever going to prison? How about special legislation to fast-track some of these corruption proceedings through the courts? How about special courts and tribunal being created to deal with EFCC generated corruption cases only? How about procedural law being specifically tempered and tailored to deal with EFCC corruption trials only? How about the Nigeria Bar Association making commitment to help EFCC deal with these prosecutions without unnecessary delays on technicalities used as a clever ploy to frustrate prosecutions? How about judges handling EFCC corruption cases being made to take special oath not to compromise themselves and security agencies put on their trail to ensure they upheld their commitment? 

Icheoku says Madam Farida Waziri did not fail EFCC or Nigeria; but was simply frustrated out from doing her job by a society which did not want her to succeed in the first place because they loath her commission. In the former EFCC madam Farida Waziri's own words, "the best a law enforcement agency can do is to properly investigate cases and file charges; the frustrations faced by law enforcement agencies within the tedious common law process must be avoided." So there is really not much such a conscript agency can do in the circumstance and the Nigeria Chief Judge was heard to say that plea bargain would be abolished? Also an agency without full authority to decide its prosecutable cases and the best possible choices faced under unique circumstances, but is amendable to the wishes of the Attorney General, is to say the least, encumbered. 

On a lighter note, how about President Goodluck Jonathan just firing himself for not being at par with the duties of his office or is it just only Farida Waziri who could not do her job - wiping the corruption slate clean and had to be replaced? It is all political and seemingly an attack of a soft target - the womanhood, firing a woman corruption czar, otherwise why just her? This reminds Icheoku of the shoving off of the other previous Madam NAFDAC and later Information Mommy Dora Akunyili, who is considered a rabble-rouser and simply too much of a headache to be left around the corridors of Aso Rock? The headline of United States' Washington Post newspaper which reported of the EFCC chairwoman's sack was quite instructive on President Jonathan's ironical position. It wrote "President of graft-prone Nigeria suddenly fires head of anti-corruption agency." 

What a pun at the president, who could not or have failed to tame graft in his country, yet is firing an innocent woman who was doing her best to confront a ferocious glacier of highly corrupt and powerful people of Nigeria, who it appears finally had their way as they did her in? Icheoku says if according to President Jonathan's spokesman, "the removal of the chairwoman is part of President Jonathan's determination to revitalize the fight against corruption," how about removing IGP Ringim to revitalize the police force and some other security agencies to revitalize the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorists? If actually President Goodluck Jonathan was serious with giving his commission needed teeth, he would have begged Muhammadu Buhari to fill the position. Best of luck Ibrahim Lamorde and hopefully Aso Rock will make your occupation of the chair permanent.

JONAH UKADIKE ESQ, AN OBITUARY.

It is with sadness but gratitude to God for a meritorious life well spent that UNEC LAW Class of 1989 announces with regret the passing away of one of their own, Senior Magistrate Jonah Uchenna Ukadike. 

Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Jonah Uchenna Ukadike, who rose to become a Senior Magistrate in Imo State judiciary was a course mate in University of Nigeria Enugu Campus Law Class of 1989. He died on September 24 2011 after a brief illness, aged 48 . 

His Worship Jonah Ukadike was survived by wife and children as well as many classmates. May his magisterial soul now rest in peace; hopefully he has ascended up there to preside over some time-sensitive very important cases, not just for anyone but Jonah, the reason the On High had to recall him this early in life. We mourn his loss and treasure his memory; he was a good classmate indeed - ever jovial and ready to render a helping hand or head as the case may be.

Signed

UNEC LAW'89

SUICIDAL IRAN INVITES ATTACK, MAY THEIR WISH BE COMMANDED.

To the boastful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Senior Commander Amir-Ali Hadjizadeh, Icheoku admonishes you to beware of what you wish for. Soon and pretty very soon, your wish might come through and it is going to be devastatingly so convulsing that you will not know what hit you. Instead of toning down the rhetoric as a necessary baby-steps towards creating enabling environment for a more peaceful resolution of their nuclear weapons pursuit generated world tension, the Islamic Republic is adding more insult to injury by pouring gasoline on a flaming fire. As the world fidgets and fiddles on what to do about Iranian's atomic weapons, Iran is yet again escalating and exacerbating the situation; and mouthing off acerbic threats in defiance of world opinion.

Now they have threatened to drop "a nuclear or dirty bomb on Israel;" otherwise what other weaponized 'energy source is capable of consigning a country to the dustbin of history?" In the mullah's very own words, he said, "Our (Iran) greatest wish is that they (Israel) commit such a mistake (attack Iranian nuclear weapons sites). For some time now there has been a hidden energy we hope to expend to consign the enemies of Islam forever to the dustbin of history." Who this threat is meant for and directed at is without doubt, the Jewish State of Israel and it technically qualifies as a formal declaration of war. Therefore, no person or country should blame Israel if they took this direct threat to obliterate them literally and go on the offensive this moment to preempt Iran's threatened annihilation. Israel reserves the right to defend their right to exist and actual existence; and also to preemptively guard against being turned into a powdery desert. The best defense is an intrusive offense and if not now, when?

EGYPTIAN MOHAMMED ELBARADEI, WHERE IS HE NOW?

As Egyptian Arab Spring revolutionaries, who drove Hosni Mubarak out of power last February, suddenly realizes that they traded a dog for a monkey; and that between Mubarak and the military they still have a four-legged animal running the affairs of Egypt, Icheoku asks where is Mohammed ElBaradei NOW? 

Icheoku remembers watching on television as the former IAEA boss marched alongside other revolutionaries, denouncing Mubarak and emphatically criticising Mubarak's September 2011 offer of a handover. Icheoku also recalls how Mohammed ElBaradei as well as many other Egyptians complained that Mubarak's September date handover was rather too far and before that time, so many democracy-struck Egyptians might die longing for democracy? They demanded to have their democracy and have it they must, NOW(then). 

Suddenly the September promised date raced by; came and went yet Egyptians have neither democracy nor an elected government. Instead the military that sired Mubarak, strictly speaking his catering primary constituency for all intent and purpose, are still firmly entrenched in Cairo and running things. It would appear that suddenly Egyptians had an epiphany and realized that Mubarak may still be very much around and could also possibly be calling the shots behind the curtain of his incapacitation? They would have none of that, so once again they trooped to Tahir Square to demand that the army help them finish and complete their revolution by stepping aside and allowing a free election to elect the government.

The army, not used to civilians telling them what to do, sent twenty four protesters to their early graves as a warning shot across the bow that resistance is futile. The world watched and is still watching to see what becomes of Egypt's answer to democracy. Icheoku is also wondering whether Mohammed ElBaradei and his cohorts are now suffering some buyer beware remorse and on hindsight, regretting why they did not take Mubarak on his September offer to cede power to a democratic government? May be, by now, Egypt's transition would have been three months long completed and leading the way of democratic transitions in the Arab world.

ENOUGH OF IRANIAN PROVOCATIVE FIERY RHETORIC, LET THE SHOWDOWN BEGIN.

Icheoku is sick-tired of hearing Teheran's incessant threats of an apocalyptic reprisal, raining thunder and brimstone on its enemies, should there be any attack of their nuclear facilities. It is about time therefore the world or even Israel, acting alone or in conjunction with the US and its willing European partners, called their bluff by attacking those known nuclear facilities scattered throughout the Islamic Republic. If the attack causes the heavens to fall, so be it. If the attack causes the entire Persian Gulf and/or the Middle East to all go up in flames, it shall not be the end of the world. If the attack conversely causes the world to implode on itself, then let civilization as we know it come to an end; but stop, the world must, of Iran's nuclear weapons pursuit. 

Of all the things Tehran could be doing with their scientific expertise and/or abundant human and material resources, the only thing attractive to them is the pursuit of the science of splitting of atoms; and you wonder why such prioritization if there is no urgent maniacal fervor and determination by the mullahs therein to fast-forward their end-time?  Icheoku says this with confidence that a lunatic miscalculation by Tehran to drop the bomb anywhere including Israel will elicit an earth-quaking response that will render the geographical entity known as Iran, a once existed country. It will be so devastating a destruction that Persia will become a nuclear winter-land and you wonder whether those in leadership authority in Tehran are well seized of this fact of consequence as they, by necessary implication, progressively pursue their own destruction with their nuclear weapons pursuit? What the heck one would ask, do those mullahs in Tehran think they are doing, continuously thumbing their nose on the entire world and trying to bluff their way to the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction. Icheoku is emphatic that the time to give Tehran concrete deadline is now and bombs should start raining down from the skies over Tehran and/or Natanz at the expiration of such firm deadline. 

World peace is imperative and is at stake here. Admitted it is a general goal of all mankind but sometimes some people need to be coerced, even if forcefully, to get that into their zealotry skull and if it means by using deadly force, so be it. Listen to Iranian spiritual leader mouth-off on a possible confrontation with the West:- "Our enemies, particularly the Zionist regime of Israel, America and its allies, should know that any kind of threat and attack or even thinking about any military action will be firmly responded to. The Revolutionary Guards and army and our nation will answer attacks with strong slaps and iron fists." What is Tehran defending or are they merely boastful of a threat they are incapable of exerting? Icheoku says the world should take them on the strength of their boast and acquiesce that they have developed the capacity to walk their talk; hence rise up in unison to say to Tehran, no to your nuclear weapons pursuit disguised as energy purposes. According to former United States Secretary of State, no one should wait to see mushroom cloud somewhere in its territory before proactively preventing such a scenario. Iranian threat is real and they are actively pursuing weapon-capacity to bring it about; so what else is the world waiting for before swooping down hard on them to stop them from wrecking the threatened havoc, especially on the State of Israel? 

The fact that Iran does not recognize or acknowledge the existence of the Israel is a cause for serious concern and in the event they acquire the means to bring to fruition such an avowed fanatical hateful desire to see the Jewish State wiped off the map, they would suicidally do it without blinking an eyelid. Icheoku says the world must therefore not wait and watch helplessly as Iran acquires the means of carrying out their stated objective of destroying an existing State of Israel. It would be better to peremptorily deny Iran such capacity now, through an attack of their known nuclear sites; than to watch in askance as they terrorize the world with their newly acquired weapon of mass destruction later. A possible detonation of such annihilating weapons of mass destruction by Iran over Israel is a high probability; admitted it is maddening to contemplate. Icheoku says that volatile region of the world, already pulsating with so many time-bomb situations, could use less of such an extra nuclear-Iran triggered code-red tension. 

It requires gutsy political decision to put a stop on this recalling decimal of repeat threats out of Tehran. It is about time the rubber met the road with stopping Iran's quest for nuclear weaponry. Let the back and forth tirade come to a head and with it a final solution to whatever constitutes Iranian nuclear threat to the world especially Israel and the Middle-East/Persian Gulf. 

Icheoku have watched with seething anger as both the Iranian Spiritual Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, continuously taunt the United States of America as well as Israel and daring them to attack Iran if they can. Whether this is a ploy to coerce some response from the West, Icheoku does not know; but suffice it to say that Iran with its current disposition towards the State of Israel should not and must not be allowed to go nuclear as they will drop the bomb somewhere as soon as they acquire same. They run their mouths as if they are not rational and nuclear bombs in the hands of such religion-driven zealots are not a bargain the world should make or be ready to accept or accommodate. Whatever be the cost in the short run, it would be much cheaper than its long term cost of having to perpetually cajole and plead with a nuclear armed Iran not to detonate such weapon over Israel or any other place. If it means oil price momentarily rising above $200 per barrel or the near annihilation of mankind through a resulting devastating third world war, so be it. That way the economies of the world still in doldrums, will receive a much needed steroid-shot in the arm to help it bounce back fast; as mankind takes time to rebuild its destroyed infrastructure and restock its depleted reserves. So a third world war, triggered by attempt to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapon capability, might be the silver bullet the world needs to fire-up the sauntering world economy.

Icheoku have weighed many possible scenario in the event of shooting hostilities between Iran and the West over its nuclear weapons match and came to the conclusion that although it might stretch resources, it might cost a lot in blood and treasure, especially with a possible Russia and China taking sides with Tehran, but eventually,  Iran will be defeated and shamed. Moreover Russia and China cannot afford to antagonize old friendships by directly fighting a shooting war against the West in defense of Iranian's nuclear weapon. Both countries are more interested in economic benefits for their countries and as happened with the Arab Spring, they would take a passive none confrontational position in the event their voicing of concern was not enough to deter an American led attack of nuclear-weapons bound Iran. In that circumstance, all that is foreseeable is a none-governmental indirect weapons and possibly mercenaries flow into Iran to help it prosecute its self-imposed war. Icheoku wonders how an Iran which could not convincingly defeat Iraq in their wars of the eighties could now make a mince meat of an American led assault on its nuclear facilities? The possibility of such a Persian victory is utopia at best; so with such a favored outcome but nasty scenario as a guide, Icheoku says the recalcitrant Iranian situation calls for a military confrontation - let the showdown to stop Iran's match to acquisition of nuclear weaponry start and start NOW!

NIGERIANS MUST DISCARD OLD THINKING - BOLA TINUBU

"Mandatory rotation of elective positions in Nigeria is an affront to democracy and places us further down the road of selection rather than election. It exalts mediocrity and access over talent and worth. This type of mind-set is what had fed the anachronistic and false distinction between indigenes and settlers that has cost so many lives, destroyed so many communities and marred our national identity.  We must apply the constitutional guarantees in this kind of situation. If we must deploy tanks and armed soldiers for peace, we have already lost something. 

After the civil war, the military sought to re-fashion Nigeria in its own centralist image. They thought the way to manage the country’s diversity was to bury it under the suffocating control of an all-powerful centre. By imposing a unitary state on a naturally federal society, the military sought to substitute a chaotic diversity with imposed uniformity, which they thought was necessary to promote order and development. Unfortunately, all the supposedly democratic dispensations since the civil war have substantially mirrored the over-centralised and unduly bureaucratic military political cultures. The consequence of this rigid model retards pluralism rather than advancing it. The Nigerian state thus presents the baffling paradox of appearing at once so powerful when protecting the narrow interests of the elite, yet so fragile in providing the barest services of a modern nation to the bulk of the populace. 

Nigeria is run like a closely held private corporation with a revolving ownership.  While the leaders may change, one thing remains constant. Those who run the corporation, run it solely for their own benefit. A nation that does not respect pluralism and the diversity of its own people can never achieve her full potential. A disregard for pluralism means a disregard for the peculiarities of citizens. Any nation that operates with such herdsman mentality will only end up diminishing itself. To free ourselves of the old mental shackles, we must discard old thinking.  We cannot do this by talking as we have talked before. The problem is that we have not produced an alternative world view. People must think and act on something.  Before they leave the old, you must offer them the new, which is superior or more preferable. The nation that we model our government on has a saying, ‘from many, one’ to signify America’s unity.  We have distorted this fine saying in our own regard. Our motto has become ‘from many, even more. 

The progressives want to change the way we interact politically and economically to bring greater democracy and economic development.  The conservatives believe in the status quo, hence have gotten us into this hole. The progressives believe in the development of new ideas and its operationalisation. I believe when the progressives win power, they will be able to lift Nigeria out of the hole by turning our riotous diversity into cooperative pluralism. No more the lack of continuity in development planning which has seen different governments enunciate different and often confusing socio-economic policies." (Culled from speech delivered by Bola Tinubu at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.)

TIRED OF LIVING A LIE, ASHTON KUTCHER WALKS AWAY FROM AUNTIE DEMI MOORE.

"Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail." - Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore's former boy-husband. Icheoku adds, but who said it ever works; except that society puts a facade to it while they pine away in hellish sorrow beneath. Just get a life and be man enough to say hell no to the "M" word. It never worked, does not work and will never work. 


Man was not born that way - to be monogamous for life and under the perpetual spell of a singing anopheles mosquito which never gets tired of buzzing. 


At last the scales have fallen off Ashton Kutcher's eyes and he saw he was hitching a ride of life with his sugar-mummy and not a real soul-mate within his age grade? Auntie Demi thought what men can do she can do better as she preyed on a younger male for a "husband". Just reminded that Demi's husband number two, Bruce Willis, recently took a girl half his age for a wife?

OBASANJO, HAPPY OVER WESTERN COUNTRIES ECONOMIC TROUBLE?

 Icheoku is at a lost that former Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo felt elated over the economic woes militating against many Western countries of Europe. The former Nigeria president speaking at his investiture as the First Grand Patron of Nigeria-China Business Council (NCBC) Lagos Nigeria recently, expressed gratitude to God for Western countries economic quagmire. According to Olusegun Obasanjo, “While Europe is wobbling and fumbling; thank God for that; America since 2008 has not come out of economic recession. I doubt if it will not affect Obama’s second tenure.” 

So Icheoku asks Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, what is it to be grateful that people are suffering and why he is rejoicing for the deep six most economies of the West are in or is he manifesting his notorious sadistic behavior, jubliating at other people's tribulation? Such expressed lack of empathy is rather unbecoming of a former president and an aspiring world's statesman and should be condemned. Icheoku therefore decries Mr Olusegun Obasanjo's remarks as being off the mark, having strayed off the reservation of diplomatic speaking. It is indeed very careless and reckless a statement to make.

OBAMA, SARKOZY AND CAMERON'S NATO, HOW ABOUT SYRIAN PEOPLE?

So many have died, so many are dying and so many will still die. Syrian people, being slaughtered by their own government; yet those pretender-keepers of world order, alleged protectors of world civilians, the police men of the world are looking the other way. Icheoku asks is it because Syria does not have oil and therefore nothing to plunder therein-after, that the lives of Syrian civilians, being wasted by Bashir Assad, is not worthy of protection by NATO and its principal promoters. 

The world was recently told that NATO had to intervene in Libya because Gaddafi was just about to massacre Libyan civilians? But in Syria, where the massacre is no longer merely preparatory but ongoing, Icheoku asks, why is NATO not similarly bombing the oppressive regime's army or declaring a no fly zone over Damascus or the entire Syrian real estate in order to protect the Syrian civilians? Icheoku does not know or pretend to understand such a blatant double-standard indifference when it comes to a people with oil and those others without that black gold as it appertains to Western definition of "protected and protectable" civilian population. May be it is about time the West simply came forth and shamelessly confess and admit to the world, that the actual underlying consideration for their interventions such as recently happened in Libya, is the covet of resources and in the case of Libya, their prized oil.  They should also admit that their mission-statement of protecting civilians or women and children is simply a subterfuge to make their mission look dignified and their effort appear noble; otherwise why their continuing passive indifference to the unfolding carnage in Syria. 

Or may be it is about time Turkey and other surrounding Arab/Muslim countries take the initiative themselves and intervene militarily in Syria. They should not wait as usual for the West to once again do their dirty job for them in Syria, only to be told later to take a hike as was the case in Iraq, Afghanistan and every other place they have spent their blood and treasure liberating the people only to find an ungrateful population mouthing off against "imperialists" occupying their lands? 

To the infamous butcher of Damascus, King Bashir Assad, Icheoku warns you to learn a lesson from history especially the recent history of Libya's Gaddafi, Egypt's Mubarak, Tunisia's Ben Ali and Iraq's Saddam Hussein that dictators never outlast their people. It also does not matter how many Syrians you slaughter or are forced to die under your despotism, a day shall come when they will certainly take their revenge. Hopefully you will wise up before it is too late; put a stop to the ongoing needless blood shed in Syria of Syrian civilians before the world watches a U-Tube or phone-camera of you begging for your dear life; followed with your lynching in the streets of Damascus like a dog. NATO and America, time to intervene in Syria is now; or at least encourage Turkey to take the lead. If Russia and China does not like it, let them take sides and if it results to a third world world, so be it as it is about time stuff are destroyed and in the process of rebuilding same, there will be jobs for the world to do and peradventure it will help fix the world economy. But what is it with dictators who don't know when it is to go or so deaf to hear the end is near or think that by killing their own people they are making the needed blood-offerings to remain in power? King Bashir Assad, Icheoku says please go away - just go and leave the Syrian people alone and in peace and NOW!

OSCAR RAMIRO ORTEGA-HERNANDEZ, AMERICAN OSAMA WANTS TO KILL OBAMA?

 Icheoku says the crux of this attempted assassination is that this loony was able to fire and strike the White House without being stopped by the proverbial Secret Service. There are so many what ifs involved in this case - what if the president was struck? What if the Obama girls were playing in the lawn and came in the line of fire? What if it is the First Lady or even their family dog that was struck by the volley of bullets? 

Icheoku is quite surprised that someone could fire nine rounds of bullets at the White House with two striking its window and the Secret Service were unable to catch or even shoot him to death before he escaped all the way to Western Pennsylvania; where he was finally arrested in a hotel room. Anyway thank God he did not succeed with his evil machination to do harm on the president.  Surprisingly, Oscar Ramiro Ortega Hernandez is a Hispanic and not a typical white right-wing racist redneck, the people usually associated with pulling such madness off. Icheoku wonders if he is an illegal or here legally? Hopefully he would rot in prison.

FELA IN SAN FRANCISCO.

"Fela!" explores the idea that "you have as much freedom as you are willing to pay for;" - that was one of the things in my mind that separates him from most rock musicians. Everyone is disgruntled with the status-quo, but there are very few people who will go to the mat like he did, wrongheadedly or not." - BIll T. Jones, Producer, "Fela, the musical" is now playing at Curran Theater, Geary Street, San Francisco, California through December.

DOMINGO EZIRIKE, A TAXICAB DRIVER MURDERED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

Icheoku says regrettably the gist of this unwarranted wastage of a human-life was lost on virtually all that reported on the case. What is more important here and which should have been the newsworthy item is not that a man was killed driving a taxicab and over 75 cents disputation. No, the crux of the matter is that a breadwinner, husband, father, son and brother of some people was killed on duty, doing his job from which he puts food on the table for his family of a wife and three young girls as well as other dependent relatives, clothes on their backs and roof over their heads. Icheoku admonishes the world to stop seeing Late Mr Domingo Ezirike as a Nigerian taxicab driver who was killed over 75 cents; but to remember him as the father, brother and husband he was doing an honest job for an honest wage. At least he represents those 99% of Nigerians living in the US who are not engaged in fraudulent activities and for this, he should be mourned and missed. 

Driving taxicab is a JOB; admitted that many people with PhD, law degrees, computer science degrees, banking degrees, teaching credentials, medical degrees as well as other advanced humanities degrees, who found themselves driving taxicab in the United States would rather be doing something else. These people did not wish that driving taxicabs were their first job. It is called situational condition and in America so many people are so conditional where you have to survive first before thinking about preferences. As an American would tell you, you gotta do what you gotta do. Would the late Mr Ezirike wished he had a 9 to 5 job on Wall Street pulling in high six figures every year, you bet; would the late taxicab driver Domingo wished he was a legislative assistant to a congressman in DC wearing shirt and tie to an air-conditioned office each day, probably yes; would the late Mr. Domingo Ezirike wished he was employed in one of the Prince William's county municipalities, pushing the pen or keying away on a keypad, yes; but in America the realities are different from the fabled and so many immigrants end up doing what they would not ordinarily settle for in their homelands including the risky driving of taxicabs.  Literally stranded in America, they have to do what they have to do to survive as running back home to their motherland is not an option, some being already in debt and the northern star of their families in whom so many hopes are vested. Moreso many of such immigrants are raised not to be dependent and too steeped in dignity to settle for government handouts, they would rather pick leaves off the lawns for a living. 

Yes, Icheoku is proud that 40 yr old Nigerian cab driver, Domingo Ezirike, was shot and killed in the line of duty, doing a legitimate job and not as a bank robber holding up one community bank in DC or a liquor store on the northeast corner. There is dignity in labor and provided it is legitimate, there should be no shame in that, no matter how lowly or menial that might be. Also the alleged disputation over 75 cents might seem paltry, but that is on a hindsight; moreso a cabbie who tolls all the roads trying to makes ends meet knows that such change adds up. Icheoku says late Domingo never knew he had a runaway from the Youth Correction services in his cab otherwise he would have waved him on without more and the murder suspect was not carrying a badge of infamy on his head announcing that he was going to kill the cab driver if he demands for his complete fare to be paid. Not even the police who stopped his cab and spoke to him about his unfastened seat-belt knew that they were speaking to a dead man driving a taxicab; or that the youthful passenger in the back seat of his cab was carrying a concealed weapon with which he would kill him within a short period of time. Should we now blame the police for not profiling a black male in a taxicab that night in DC by ordering him out for a stop and frisk which would have revealed the concealed weapon and perhaps prevented the commission of murder? 

Icheoku says people tend to see the 75 cents as so trifle, but they should not be carried away by the seeming littleness of the amount in question; but should see the underlying principle that Mr Domingo Ezirike probably did not want to allow a strung-out on crack nigger-head to reap him off his hard earned money. It comes with the territory and drop by drop a bucket is filled; so he was not ready to be intimidated into losing some money by a troubled youth who saw him as that African here to serve them. Icheoku says let the 75 cents not becloud what really took place here and only if this would make the the bereaved family to share up a bit that their son, husband, father and brother did not die a shameful death but was a victim of a gun-ho society and a troubled youth who did not know any better. A dear friend of mine was similarly shot in a DC area of Oxon Hill sometime ago delivering pizza, by two juveniles who were declared minors and ineligible to stand trial for the crime. Although it was painful, but he died trying to earn his living wages and there is no shame in doing an honest work whatsoever. Take heart Domingo Ezirike's family. 

FYI:- Mr Dominogo Ezirike was gunned down at 4300 Ponds Street, Northeast DC on October 22, 2011 at approximately 3.35am following a fare-drop originating from Morgan Boulevard metro station in Landover Maryland. The deceased cabbie was on a night shift which probably was drawing to an end judging by the time and may have been on his last fare run when 20-year-old Rashad Terrell Slye, a troubled youth and escapee from DC youth corrections services, shot and killed him. A ride of $27.75 which was paid short 75 cents resulting to argument, followed by robbery and then the murder. For those Monday night quarterbacks who are now arguing that a mere 75 cents is not worth loosing a life for, Icheoku asks them to name just that thing that is worth loosing a life for? Are they telling Icheoku that had Mr Ezirike known that it would cost him his life, that he would have argued with that crazy youth? 

The guy was probably hustling for a Christmas visit to Nigeria and would literally kill for every dime, so do you blame him for demanding that the suspect paid his full fare? And when he gets to Nigeria his family will not allow him to rest because he is coming from America and should solve all their financial problems; assuming armed robbers and kidnappers did not get to him first? But like a popular Igbo aphorism goes, people will not because there is killing at the war front refuse to go to war - it comes with the territory so soldier on boys must. Hopefully a good lawyer will get some money for the family, suing DC for damages caused by an escapee from their Youth Correctional facility and possibly the taxicab company for failure to provide a safe work environment?  

But in America, workers of every kind and manner get killed on their jobs - from lawyers as evidenced in the San Francisco law office massacre of some years ago, to cement plant killing as recently happened in San Jose California, to the proverbial going postal as a result of recurring post office workers killing co-workers. Even in hospitals, staffs have periodically lost their minds resulting in the killing of co workers, talkless of the military where a PhD military psychologist some few years ago lost his mind and killed several soldiers he was supposed to be counselling. So hazards of the jobs is not peculiar to certain trades or profession only, but comes handy whenever a nutcase losses his center and goes on a rampage. Nigerians are not the only nationality that drive cabs in America as Russians, Afghans, Pakistanis, Indians, Brazilians, Nepalese, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Somalians, Chechnyans, Eritrea as well as so many other immigrants world-over drive cabs in America. Most of these people are professionals from their home countries who could not stand the typical politics of America's job places, assuming someone cared enough to hire them in the first place. Some of these nationalities are just too proud a people to play the kissing-ass game that is required to get along in typical job environment in America; hence they would rather be their own independent contractors, risking their necks, driving cabs to pay for Uncle Sam's accommodation. 

So as we mourn the loss of Mr Domingo Ezirike, the story should not be that a Nigerian cab driver was killed in DC over 75cents; rather it should be that a hardworking immigrant Nigerian, who was doing his job as a taxi driver, was gunned down by a troubled youth who was supposed to be under the custody of Washington DC Youth Correctional Facility which failed both the deceased and the suspect. There rests the case and that is the story of Domingo Ezirike, period. Icheoku says may his soul rest in peace.

"AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN" - HERMAN CAIN REPLIES DETRACTORS.

"As far as these accusations causing me to back off and maybe withdraw from this presidential primary race? Ain't gonna happen."With this terse statement, Republican Party's presidential candidate wanna-be, Herman Cain, soldiers on and this is exactly what Icheoku canvassed yesterday on the position he should take. 

So what if Cain groped Sharon Bialek after splashing such mouth-watering indulgence on her - an expensive hotel suite, a fine dinner at an Italian restaurant and some fine bottles of very expensive red wines? Assuming they even had sex, which under the circumstance was most probable, so what? Both were consenting adults, at least as far as their secret rendezvous in Washington DC was concerned, and what the heck if Ms Bialek later had an after-thought or better still was offered a spot on a television reality show for her story. Icheoku says and still maintains that fourteen years was just too long for an allegedly violated woman, of seemingly easy virtue, to be heard to complain that what she directly sought and got was against her will. Icheoku ain't buying this crap and so should you!

SIASIA PUNTS BLAME, FAILS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

Icheoku says an arrogant and annoyingly defensive Samson Siasia, just made matters worst by failing and refusing to acknowledge that his obstinacy and nothing else cost him his job. By stubbornly refusing to forgive and forget and call up Nigeria's currently most tested and most reliable goalkeeper numero uno, Vincent Enyeama for such a crucial match, despite numerous pleas to do so, Siasia set himself up for his final disembowelment. He should therefore not blame anyone else but himself for that failure of judgement which cost him his job.

Icheoku says had Siasia listened to the pleas of the so many Nigerians who beseeched him to forgive and recalled goalkeeper Enyeama and Nigeria still failed to qualify anyway, he would have been cut some slacks. He would still have his job today as pressure would have been mounted on NFF, on his behalf, to give him some more time as the head coach. But an egotistic Siasia felt he is rather too big to listen to Nigerians' supplications to let bygone be bygone and stuck to his gun. Moreso Enyeama had since apologized for whatever Siasia deemed he did wrong. But as far as Icheoku is concerned, speaking out against a below-par travel arrangement is not such an insubordination as would warrant benching of Nigeria's best and finest, especially in such a crucial match. Nigerians waited and hoped and even prayed that Siasia will not give them the rope with which to hang his sorry neck by qualifying without Enyeama. Unfortunately, he delivered the rope already noosed, and there ended his head-coaching stint with papa-eagles.

Now he is hopping from pillar to post looking for who to blame and seriously trying to apportion blame where none existed. This Samson Siasia has just made Icheoku mad by the whiny way he is bemoaning his sack by the NFF. This Samson Siasia have lost our respect and admiration by not being sportsman enough to accept full responsibility for his intransigence that led to Nigeria's ouster from the Nation's Cup competition, so that Nigerians can begin to forget his mediocre stint as Eagles head-coach. Samson Siasia, Icheoku says to you, get yourself together, get over your sack and get it into your tiny skull that you brought your damnation unto yourself. You should please stop looking elsewhere for a person or persons to scapegoat for your downfall.

Samson Siasai, Icheoku admonishes you to please show some humility - be humble enough to acknowledge your horrible decision made through pettiness; then properly and sincerely apologize to Nigerians for that intentional act of sabotage of their football by not playing Vincent Enyeama in that crucial match where Nigeria was leading until the last few seconds to go. then and only then would your rehabilitation earnestly begin. But as long as you keep on running around like a possessed munchkin, looking for someone to blame and blaming everyone else but Siasia for that your abysmal failure, then that long shall Nigerians see you as that little arrogant and self-righteous raccoon who deserved all that was thrown at him by the NFF. Icheoku says, may be NFF should make you refund the contract money collected for your non-performance of the condition subsequent of your contract to qualify Nigeria for the Nations Cup. Since you were hired to do something and you failed to deliver same, shouldn't fairness compel you to cough up the consideration paid and received for a performance not rendered? By the way Samson Siasia, which "similar incident are you talking about that caused your downfall?" Icheoku reiterates that Samson Siasia is personally responsible for his downfall and on hindsight, must probably now be wondering why he strung out against recalling Vincent Enyeama. What a jerk.

INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE, CHINESE POLICE SEIZES MAN'S HAND AS EVIDENCE?

Icheoku says when you think you have heard it all here comes the incredible but true story of a Taiwanese man, visiting his girlfriend in China, whose arm was cut off by thieves just to make it easier for them to steal his gold Rolex watch and ring? As if that was not hairy enough, the Chinese police compounded his nightmare when they refused to allow the man exit China with his severed limb and insisted they will keep it as evidential exhibit of the crime? 

Icheoku says here you have a man who is now both suffering the trauma of loosing his hand and also of having his hand seized and separated from him by the Chinese police. What a double whammy of a life-changing experience and Icheoku hopes another story will not soon emerge that the confiscated hand have been eaten by rats or sold to people trading on human body parts? Icheoku understands why the man wanted to go home with his amputated hand, in order to have his complete body-parts in one place, so that upon his death he would be interred complete. Icheoku is similarly keeping a pulled tooth, well preserved, awaiting the last day when a complete and whole body will be returned to mother-earth.  

The 60 year old victim, Hu Chi-yang, pictured above lying in his hospital bed, was visiting his girlfriend in the Chinese city of Putian, south-east Fujian Province; when he became a story of a mugged man who lost his hand to Chinese muggers and also had his severed hand seized  by the Chinese police for evidence. It is also noteworthy that "emergency" does not exist in the dictionary of the Chinese police as they held-up treatment and surgery of the victim for about three hours in order to finish collecting their evidence and write their crime report? Now expect Icheoku to be on the next available flight to China, particularly Putian, Fujian Province and would you be my BFF on that flight? Lest Icheoku forgets, such violet crime is not restricted to China only as an American man holidaying in Italy was recently killed there by thieves on Mo-ped who robbed him of his Rolex wrist-watch before shoving him to the ground where he hit his head on the pavement and died.

"I CAN'T BEAR NETANYAHU, HE'S A LIAR" - SARKOZY.

"Everyone talks about everyone. Sometimes even good friends say things about each other, certainly in such competitive professions. So you have to consider the main things. Is Obama a friend of Israel? Is Sarkozy a friend of Israel? Is their policy a consistent policy of support for Israel? The answer to all of these questions is affirmative and, as far as I'm concerned, that is what's important." - Silvam Shalom. 

Icheoku agrees and adds, name calling has never killed anyone and so what if Bibi Netanyahu lied to push his Israeli peoples agenda forward; afterall their biblical patriarch Abraham lied about Sarah in order to protect his skin? It is called the good lie and every person once in a while engages in one just like the latest Herman Cain sex scandal denial of "I don't even know who this lady (Sharon Bialek) is;" - a page taken from Clinton's infamous in your face lie - "I did not have sex with that woman Monica Lewinsky."

ABORTION VOTE REJECTED, BAD ELECTION NIGHT FOR REPUBLICANS.

Icheoku says if the results of today's elections in both Ohio and Mississippi States are harbinger of the upcoming 2012 election, then there is no cause for alarm for President Obama and the Democrats as Americans have wised up and are now ready to take on the Republicans. It would appear that Americans are tired of the Republican deceit as well as their inclement anti-peoples policies that they are now ready to make statement with their ballot papers. It also does not matter what the Tea Party loonies think or do as this is not their 2010. 

Two highly controversial Republican backed propositions against labor and woman's right to choose, were voted down as anti-human and retrogressive effort by the Republicans to put Americans under unnecessary chain. In Ohio, Republican supported and financed anti-union Collective Bargaining Law was rejected by Ohioans who saw it as too overreaching. And in the Bible belt southern state of Mississippi, home of former senate majority leader Trent Lot, the voters there rejected a whack proposition to make fetus a human-being for the purposes of criminally punishing abortion. Their fable that fetus incapable of independent existence outside the womb is a living person for the purposes of protection under the law, which would have criminalized all abortions including in cases of rape, incest or breached pregnancy, is rather over-broad and preposterous. Proposition initiative 26 or the "Personhood Amendment Law" could have made abortion a death-penalty offense in Mississippi.  

"Icheoku says imagine a state as impoverished as Mississippi, where it is okay to put people to death, is spending scarce resources trying to criminalize and punish medical flushing out of blood clot? Who knows when they would have extended such a planned Talibanistic law to also guard against masturbation and/or the monthly menstrual cycle, which by necessary implication, could be interpreted as living persons; using the intended Mississippi's warped and peculiar standards/rules of interpretation? Icheoku commends both progressive votes by the people of Ohio and Mississippi states and urge them to follow the pattern in 2012 . It is a new and good day in America when voters in America start using their heads more often instead of their hearts, to vote right and vote correctly.