GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: FOR WHO THE BELL TOLLS NEXT.

Just five people shy of Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting incident that claimed 26 lives, the Uvalde Texas Robb elementary school mass shooting at 21 victims, now ranks among the highest grossing gun carnage in America. It is sad that such frequent blood spilling has tragically become part of our culture as a society. May the souls of the killed now rest.

25th AMENDMENT: ITS NOW ALL CRICKET.

Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi once questioned former President Donald John Trump's fitness to remain in office due to what she claimed was his declining mental capacity. Does anyone know what Madam Speaker presently thinks about the incontrovertible case which America is now saddled with? Just curious!

WHO WILL REBUILD UKRAINE?

The West should convert frozen Russian assets, both state's and oligarchs' owned, into a full seizure and set them aside for the future rebuilding of Ukraine. Like the Marshal Plan, call it the Putin Plan.

A HERO IS BORN.

I am staying put. I will not run away and abandon my people. The fight is here in Ukraine. What I need are weapons and ammunitions, not a ride out of town like former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani - President Volodymyr Zelensky.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

"There is too much hate in America because there is too much anger in America." - Trevor Noah.

WORD!

A life without challenges is not a life lived at all. A life lived is a life that has problems, confronts problems, solves problems and then learns from problems. - Tunde Fashola.

NOW, YOU KNOW.

When fishing for love, bait with your heart and not your brain, because you cannot rationalize love. - Mark Twain.

JUST THE FACT.

In our country, you can shoot and kill a nigger, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings - Dave Chappelle

DO YOU?.

“What you believe in can only be defined by what you’re willing to risk for it." - Stuart Scheller.

HEDGE YOUR CRISIS.

Never get in bed with a woman whose problems are worse than yours. - Chicago PD.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

'The best way to keep peace is to be ready to destroy evil. If you Pearl Harbor me, I Nagasaki you.' - Ted Nugent.

OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

Empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings. - Cardinal Matthew Kukah.

WORDS ON MARBLE.

"Birth is agony. Life is hard. Death is cruel." - Japanese pithy.

REPENT OR PERISH - POPE.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not ordained by God, therefore same sex marriage cannot be blessed by the church - Pope Francis.

CANCEL CULTURE IS CORROSIVE.


FOR SAKE OF COUNTRY.


MAGA LIVES ON: NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

TWITTER IS BORING WITHOUT HIS TWEETS. #RestorePresidentTrump'sTwitterHandle.


WORD.

"If you cannot speak the truth when it matters, then nothing else you says matters.” - Tucker Carlson.

#MeToo MOVEMENT: A BAD NEWS GONE CRAZY.

"To all the women who testified, we may have different truth, but I have a great remorse for all of you. I have great remorse for all of the men and women going through this crisis right now in our country. You know, the movement started basically with me, and I think what happened, you know, I was the first example, and now there are thousands of men who are being accused and a regeneration of things that I think none of us understood. I’m not going to say these aren’t great people. I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue. We are going through this #MeToo movement crisis right now in this country." - Harvey Weinstein.


RON DELLUMS: UNAPOLOGETICALLY RADICAL.

"If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” - Ron Vernie Dellums.


WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE - STEVE JOBS

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me. God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth. Memories precipitated by love is the only true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on. The most expensive bed in the world is the sick bed. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life. Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.” - SJ

EVIL CANNOT BE TRULY DESTROYED.

"The threat of evil is ever present. We can contain it as long as we stay vigilant, but it can never truly be destroyed. - Lorraine Warren (Annabelle, the movie)


ONLY THE POOR WISH THEY HAD STUFF?

“I’m not that interested in material things. As long as I find a good bed that I can sleep in, that’s enough.” - Nicolas Berggruem, the homeless billionaire.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

SUPER BOWL XLVI, IT IS NEW YORK GIANTS.

Icheoku congratulates the New York Giants for winning the XLVI Super Bowl 2012. The Giants defeated New England Patriots 21 - 17 to carry the Vince Lombardi trophy in a spectacular game in Indianapolis, Indiana. Icheoku says that will at least make San Francisco 49ners somewhat consolable that they lost to the eventual champions. Well played NY.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

GENERAL IBRAHIM BABANGIDA'S DOCTRINE OF SETTLED ISSUES" - FEMI FANI-KAYODE

"There is a doctrine known as the ''Doctrine of Nigeria's Settled Issues'' and nobody should attempt to tamper with them.  Number one, I don't want any one of us to tamper with anything to do with Nigerian unity. Number two, the republican constitution is also a settled issue, more or less. Number three, the states are the federating units of this country and number four we are a capitalist country. Anybody that wants to talk about this country must make sure that he doesn't do anything that will disrupt these basic settled issues in our political life.'-  Ibrahim Babangida, The Daily Trust Annual Dialogue, Abuja, 26th January 2012.'  


I" have nothing but the deepest love, respect and affection for General Ibrahim Babangida and those that know me can attest to this. He is not only a great and profoundly good man that has sacrificed so much for our nation but he is also one of the very few truly detribalised leaders who genuinely and honestly loves Nigeria and who passionately believes that the interest of every Nigerian is better served if our country remains as one. I do not for one minute doubt his sincerity of purpose or his deep sense of patriotism. Anyone that can take a bullet to keep Nigeria one must always be given his due respect and honour. He, General Yakubu Gowon, President Shehu Shagari, President Olusegun Obasanjo, General Muhammadu Buhari, General T.Y. Danjuma and a handful of other past leaders and elder statesmen have done more to hold this country together by the sheer force of their will and their sense of patriotism than any other group of people since 1966 and for this every Nigerian owes them an enormous debt of gratitude. They have also consistently put their lives on the line for our country which is no mean thing. However whether we like it or not, this is the beginning of a new dawn and a new era for our country and Nigeria is once again at a major crossroads just as she was at the beginning of 1966. And despite the genuine affection that I have for General Babangida I am afraid that, from an intellectual and political perspective, I have to respectfully and humbly disagree with him on this issue. I do not believe that there is any such thing as a ''Doctrine of Settled Issues'' in our body politic and neither, in my view, is Nigeria as we know it today a sacrosanct, unbreakable or unchangeable union. It is trite that the only thing that is certain in the life of men and nations is change. Whether we like it or not change is like an irresistible tide and, when it's time comes, it is like a moving train and a raging wind which crushes or blows away anyone or anything that stands in it's way.

You either bend with it or you break. I am a student of history and it may interest those that subscribe to this rather arcane and anachronistic theory known as the ''Doctrine Of Settled Issues'' to know that Nigeria remains the only mega-nation and forced union of incompatibles and numerous nationalities that the British colonial masters cobbled together at the beginning of the 20th century that still remains together today. There were actually three in all and the other two, namely the Sudan and India, have broken into two and three pieces respectively over the years. Why should Nigeria be any different? More importantly why should we be told that Nigeria MUST be different? Would this have been so if there was oil in the north? Again when one considers the delightful and miraculous ''crumbling'' of the almighty Soviet Union (another forced artificial union) or the breaking up of the old Yugoslavia and the emancipation and creation of numerous new countries in the Balkans and eastern Europe which came as a consequence of that magnificent change, I ask again, why should Nigeria be any different? The words of the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher are instructive here. In the September 2, 1991 edition of Newsweek she said, ''the lesson of this century is that countries put together artificially will fall apart. National identities will not be suppressed''. Twenty years after these famous words were spoken we are beginning to witness their relevance and veracity in Nigeria. The right to self-determination and to forcefully resist what many feel is an internal colonial system is a legitimate and inalienable right of all free men and women. You cannot hold me down and keep me in your house on your own terms and deny me the right to be free or to say or do as I please. If you do not treat me fairly and if you continue to make me feel worthless and full of fear of your terror and ability to inflict violence on me and mine, then eventually, whether you like it or not, I will leave. No one signed their life or their future away to bondage and none of us subscribed to the view that decisions about our country and our future can and have been made by our past leaders and heroes and that they can no longer be changed or altered. I say that they can if the circumstances determine that this must be so. And if you do not give us our rights eventually we will exercise them by force and regardless of how you feel. 

As much as I am amongst those that have criticised the Goodluck Jonathan administration forcefully, objectively and vigorously over some of their policies in the last few months let me make two things clear. Firstly my criticisms are borne out of my concern for our country and nothing else. I have nothing against Mr. President personally other than the fact that by not getting it right he is playing into the hands of the ''born to rule'' northern cabal who believe that he does not have a right to be President simply because he is an Ijaw man. Ironically General Babangida himself has been criticised by this same group over the years for being ''too liberal and accommodating of the south'' and they have often accused him of not towing their line. That is how racist, myopic and absurd some of these people can be. Thankfully the overwhelming majority of the Hausa-Fulani intelligentsia and northern elites do NOT belong to this cabal and are indeed decent, law-abiding, rational and patriotic Nigerians. However there is a small, powerful and strategically-placed cabal that do espouse this Hitlerite philosophy and do believe that no southerner should have the right to rule in peace without being told what to do and without being teleguided and controlled by them. This small group have sworn to make the country ungovernable for Jonathan and we are now seeing the results of that threat. For the record let us just warn these ethnic supremacists that they must not misconstrue the position that some of us have taken when it comes to this government and it's policies as an endorsement of their deeply conspiratorial and despicable ethnic agenda. I should also add that Jonathan must not die under any mysterious circumstances because if this were to happen there may be no Nigeria left afterwards. The new Nigeria has no place and no room for those that believe in the ''born to rule'' philosophy or those that subscribe to any form of Boko Harm or Taliban-style islamic fundamentalism. We will not tolerate it, we will not bow to it and we will resist it with every fibre of our being. 

I have said it before and I will say it again- if Nigeria is not a place that every ethnic nationality is regarded as being equal and is treated as such then let there be no more Nigeria. There is nothing that is sacrosanct about a forced union of incompatibles. If you are in a bad marriage you get out of it before you kill each other. The Lugardian ''poor husband of the north'' cannot force the ''rich wife of the south'' to remain in this unholy and iniquitous union for much longer unless the terms are right and unless there is equity and justice for all. The mistake we made in 1967 by not standing on Aburi will not be repeated. The days of the master/servant relationship that we have witnessed between the north and the south for 51 years of our national existence are long over and they shall never return again. This country is moving forward and she is not going back and if President Goodluck Jonathan can just get his act together and vigorously resist the hegemonist giants in the land he would have my full support and that of millions of others. This is the time for a new vision for our country. It is the time for new leaders who are ready to stand up and speak the truth about our precarious state of affairs and about the direction in which our nation must go. It is the time to talk about the convening of a Sovereign National Conference and to answer the Nationality Question. It is the time for courage. Let us not take our unity for granted or treat it as ''a given''. Nigeria must change, she must be restructured, she must be reformed and she must make every single ''Nigerian'' believe that he or she can get to the top regardless of their nationality or faith.

On a final note permit me to point out the fact that it does not help when you have a northern Governor of Central Bank who seeks to create a subtle but clear intellectual justification for the existence and activities of Boko Haram by telling the Financial Times of London that ''there is clearly a direct link between the very uneven nature of distribution of resources and the rising level of violence. When you look at the figures and you look at the size of the population of the north you can see that there is a structural imbalance of enormous proportions. Those states simply do not have enough money to meet their basic needs whilst some states have too much money''. The subliminal message and signals are clear to the discerning. Yet it does not stop there. Thisday newspaper (28th Jan. 2012) reported that that same individual said that ''attempts to redress historic grievances in Nigeria's oil-rich south may inadvertently have helped create the conditions for the Islamic insurgency spreading from the impoverished north-eastern region of the country''. I am astounded by this contribution and having read it, it is now very clear to me that President Goodluck Jonathan was absolutely right when he told us that there were secret members and sympathisers of Boko Haram at the highest levels of his government. The Governor of Central Bank's rationalisation and attempted justification of the shameful and unacceptable activities of the murderous islamist sect Boko Haram are an eloquent testimony to that fact. Yet he is not alone. The northern Speaker of the Federal House added insult to injury by saying that Boko Haram should be ''forgiven'' for their sins and called to the table for ''dialogue and negotiations''. And this was just a day after the Kano bombings. Mr. President apparently took his advice because just a few days later he reached out to Boko Haram on CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, asked them to identify themselves and attempted to open a dialogue with them.  In return, and predictably in my view, he was rebuked, spurned, treated with contempt and disdain and told to ''repent and become a muslim'' before any form of dialogue could begin. So much for the advice, counsel and rationalisations of the ''insiders'' and secret members of Boko Haram within our government. My advice to Mr. President is to identify these fifth columnists, name and shame them publicly and weed them out of his government  before it is too late. The longer he waits the more dangerous it will be for him and for a united Nigeria. Let us pray for our country

Friday, February 3, 2012

NDUME ALI OF NIGERIA, A SENATOR-SPONSOR OF TERRORISM?

Icheoku says his is a case of a senator gone rogue. A senator, supposedly elected to help with law making process in Nigeria, decided to cross the fence into law breaking? This is the story of the now arrested and detained Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from Bornu State, who is standing trial for sponsoring and palling with Boko Haram terrorists of Islamic Northern Nigeria. Icheoku says unbelievable, unimaginable and unpalatable!

It is simply unacceptable for a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be cavorting with Nigeria's enemy number one, Boko Haram. Icheoku says such a treasonous and despicable person as "Senator" Ndume Ali has no business being a senator in Nigeria or anywhere else for that matter. Since this rogue-senator had the temerity to take up arms against Nigeria vicariously through Boko Haram, Nigeria should in turn show no mercy but descend the full weight of its law on this law maker turned terror-sponsor. If that means giving him the death penalty so be it, but a real example must be set of this mallam to warn off all those others like him waiting in the wings to continue from where he was now forced to stop.

Icheoku says nothing short of meting a very severe punishment on this man would be enough to serve as a deterrent to others and send a clear message that no one, including a senator, is above the law. He is not worthy of being called "Honorable Senator" any longer since he stepped into infamy by joining forces with Boko Haram against Nigeria. What an anti-Nigeria senator of Nigeria this Ndume Ali is who has shown by his action to be getting the back of Boko Haram thus qualifying him as Senator Boko Haram. What a jerk and a jackass, without any thinking brain on his shoulders this mallam is, otherwise what was his reason and/or rational for ganging up against Nigeria with Nigeria's most wanted and most hated group, Boko Haram? Icheoku therefore decrees Ndume Ali, the Senator Dumb and Dumber, Senator Terrorist, Senator Boko Haram and Senator Treason and therefore should no longer worthy to be addressed as  Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His seat let another take; just send him to the gallows upon conviction and his trial must be expedited too.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

TRUMP FOR ROMNEY, THE ENDORSEMENT THAT WILL HURT.

Icheoku says with this endorsement, the battle-line has now been clearly drawn between "the them and the us" - America's 1% and the other 99%. The one per-centers are now ganging up against the majority ninety-nine per-centers in order to protect their nest and continue to profit on the back of the working poor that substantially constitute the 99%. 
When you think the Massachusetts plastic-man and perpetual presidential candidate wanna-be would have learnt some lessons in politics and told The Donald, thanks but no, thanks; he sheepishly accepted the fatal endorsement from the man who changes women like Newt Gingrich? Maybe Newt would have been the natural candidate for Trump to endorse since both share similar characteristics of high turn-over of wives or should Icheoku simply say, women? But when there is money to be made, the rich can pawn even their soul to the devil, so the 99 percent gets the gist of the endorsement.

Icheoku was however not surprised that the blabber-mouth birther apostle-in-chief and a reality television persona sided with the Mormon bishop from Massachusetts, Mitt Romney; as birds of the same feather flock together and both men are filthy rich. The two men possibly also share similar agenda to continue to profit off the back of the ordinary working poor of America and only a Mitt Romney's Utopia presidency will guarantee this continuous erosion of the middle class as well as the bottom dwellers of the American economic chain. So little surprise that The Donald is now backing his cohort one1 per-center as their class are pursuing a clandestine agenda against America's poor and must not be allowed to succeed.

However, Icheoku warns that this is an endorsement Mitt Romney would eventually and very soon, wish he never had nor accepted. His avowal that he does not care about the poor would now reverberate and resonate much stronger, with an attitudinal billionaire, Donald Trump, lining up behind him. Icheoku wonders if it is this Mitt Romney's admission of his disdain for the down-trodden that actually motivated Donald Trump to change his mind and endorsed him since it rumored previously that the thrice married Donald Trump was going to endorse the also thrice married Newt Gingrich? So The Donald suddenly changing his mind and endorsing a poor people-hating Mitt Romney; which by necessary implication paints Donald Trump as also not being comfortable around or sighting the poor of the society, raises some insinuation?


Anyway, whatever may be The Donald's real game-card here, Icheoku does not know; but suffice it to say that the gathering of the hawks is never a good sign for the chicks. The 99 per-centers of America have been sufficiently put on notice and must see this Donald Trump's endorsement of Mitt Romney as an ominous sign that Mitt Romney's presidency will spell doom for the have-nots of America. Therefore they, the 99 per-centers, must see this as a declaration of class-warfare against them and take up the challenge in defense of their right to be humans too. They must do the right thing  and STOP MITT right now before he forces them off the cliff of their precarious economic perch. 


Remember that a vote for Mitt is a vote for economic slavery of the 99%; so be a free man, reject Mitt Romney's candidacy. Also remember he does not like America that much otherwise why would he stash his millions in a Swiss bank account instead of investing it here to create jobs; except that he would rather be firing people instead of hiring them. America Mitt Romney is a phony and has been hiding a lot about himself; so do not trust a political conman to fix what is broken as a reliable hand is on the tiller and doing the best out of a very bad situation, none of which was his own making. Say no to Mitt and send him packing back to liberal New England Massachusetts.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

ROMNEY TELLS THE POOR, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

"I'm not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there, if it needs repair, I'll fix it. We will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor. You can choose where to focus, you can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus." - Mitt Romney.

Icheoku says finally the cunning Mormon bishop from Massachusetts have finally let slip his true closeted position, his rabid aversion of poverty and disdain for poor people. Accordingly, short of only "fixing their safety net when he considers it needing repair", Mitt Romney said he will do nothing else for the poor and will not in anyway help lift them out of their economic doldrums. This is Mitt for you and Americans, a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for the 1% and the rest of us 99% can go live in Newt Gingrich's austere moon colony for all this Mormon bishop cares. Icheoku decries Mitt Romney's apathy for the poor American people as being un-American; living the poor to languish with their fate and not being compassionate enough for their life situation.

If Icheoku may ask, what happened to the Christian injunction of being ones' brothers keeper; except that the last time icheoku checked, Mormon is not a Christian sect but a CULT, so trying to help lift American poor out of poverty is not their strongest suit. Oh Mitt, where are thou compassion?

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES, MITT BUYS FLORIDA?

In the battle for the Republican Party's presidential nomination primaries, it is now Romney - 2 states win, Gingrich - 1 state win and Santorium - 1 state win. Mitt has taken Florida in addition to his earlier New Hampshire victory, Newt's South Carolina as well as Rick's Iowa. 


Icheoku says no surprises at all that the Mormon Bishop came up tops in Florida, the over sixteen million dollars he sank into the state's primaries considered? Imagine an uneven matched spending power where the Mitt out commercialized the Newt by the ration of 65 to 1 campaign adverts and then go figure the eventual result.

Anyway, like Gingrich said there are forty-six more states to go and who knows when his implosion will occur, especially now that his Jews-hating anti-kosher meal decision while governor of Massachusetts is going to occupy the center-burner. Either way or either candidate or even both of them, it is simply no shaking for the incumbent who has rendered a good account of his first term and would easily coast to a second term thank you mandate come November. But who is afraid of the plastic Mitt; not Icheoku and not anyone on the other side of the aisle, so Republicans, bring him on!.

WILBUR AND TERESA FAISS, MARRIED FOR TOO LONG?

Icheoku says but for the none existence of a crime of "married for too long," this couple would have otherwise been guilty as charged. Married for 78 long years, America's longest married couple, Wilbur (100) and Teresa(96) Faiss have a piece of advise for the Kim Kardashians of this world. The secret of marital longevity is simply - "give and take and compromise." 

Icheoku, while wishing this exemplary couple many more happy anniversaries; regrets that times have since changed as both parties in a marriage now struggles over who wears the pants in the house; hence the topsy-turvy battle-field royale that is the hallmark of today's marital relationships. If only the parties knew their sphere of influence and responsibility, maybe the ship of marriage will have a distinct captain and co-captain to safely navigate the treacherous waters of having to share your life with another stranger? But it is the way of the new world as things have irretrievably changed and even Jennifer Lopez is now fast pursuing Liz Taylor's record on who would marry the most number of men and the most number of times; which begs the question why do it if you are not the marrying type?

Monday, January 30, 2012

MITT ROMNEY DEBASES JUDAISM, CUTS OFF KOSHER MEALS FOR JEWISH SENIORS?

Icheoku wonders why this line of attack or should we say truth telling never surfaced much earlier in the week that Mitt Romney does not care about other peoples religious beliefs but his Mormon cult? According to latest available information, Mitt Romney while governor of Massachusetts and bishop of the Mormon cult, took an ax to old Jewish peoples' kosher meal. Icheoku asks, were those elderly Massachusetts Jews Mormons, would the Mitt have cut their food ration and by necessary implication wished they starved to death?

The then Governor Romney, it said, "cut off kosher meals for Jewish senior citizens who were on Medicaid to save five dollars a day, thereby denying them their "religious prescription." Icheoku queries why this attack alone is not sufficient to earn the plastic-man Mitt Romney the anti-Semitic stigma in US politics as forcing the Jews off their age-long held religious belief and practice is a direct attack on their identity; needless to add that the same Mitt Romney had no qualms carving up an "unclean" pig before a world audience? What a phony and Jew-hater, this liberal from Massachusetts is.

Florida Jews, know who will get your back and vote right. Just for the asking, if John Kennedy's presidency was initially resisted because of his affiliation to the Catholic church and the fear that he will possibly be taking dictations from Vatican, why is America not raging that a bishop of a sect - the Mormon Cult covets the presidency? What he did to the Jews is a tip of the iceberg on what awaits every other religious denomination in America as this man is certainly on a revenge mission to avenge the travails of the early Mormons in the hands of Christians including his grand-father's forced exile to Mexico. America, Mitt is the foretold real anti-Christ and a vote for him will be so damaging, it will hurt every person who is not of the Mormon Cult. Do right by and for America's secularism, do not vote for a BISHOP of the Mormon sect. Mitt Romney is not good for America

Sunday, January 29, 2012

MOHAMMAD SHAFIA, AFGHAN SHAMEFUL DIS(HONOR) KILLER IN CANADA.

Icheoku says it must be a very stupid culture, steeped in fanaticism, to kill one's children simply because they have become  too liberal to be controlled? This was the sordid case of one migrant Afghanistan family in Canada, whose patriarch conspired with his wife and son to kill his three daughters, just to redeem the family's honor? Icheoku queries what type of honor worth redeeming is left in a man, so callous and so wicked, he would kill his own biological children who once called him dad? 

A case as this makes Icheoku wish it were in Texas United States of America that these horrible and atrocious criminality were committed, as these murderers arses would have been strung like a hamster on a gurney and executed laying face-up. But it was in liberal Canada and all these murderers got is a mere twenty-five years imprisonment for cruelly killing by drowning, their three innocent daughters and sister to the son? It is as condemnable as it is unimaginable, that a family, supposedly now meshed in Western values having lived in Canada for some years, would still hold tenaciously to a stupid tradition where a father believes that he has inalienable right to control his daughters lives and who they meet and mingle with? A father, irked particularly because his daughters wanted boyfriends and wears legs-revealing clothes, which runs counter to "his twisted notion of honor" according to the presiding judge or better still put, his archaic polygamous Islamic values, one would imagine; now decided to take the laws into his own hands and snuff lives out of them? Mohammad Shafia called his daughters horrible names including whores and prostitutes and also called on the devil, whom he apparently worships, to defecate on the murdered girls graves; and this is a fit dad and not one deserving of a place in a cuckoo nest? 

To Mohammad Shafia's protestations that they are not criminals, not murderers and did not commit the murders; Icheoku says you people are worse than criminals and murderers. You had no qualm taking the lives of your own very biological children on the flimsy, most stupid and very irrational reason that they were coming of age and wanted what every other teenager like them wants, just boyfriends to hang out with. To see and treat this simple act of human sociology as a dishonor to your most irascible family honor-code and describing same as being "betrayed immensely" makes you a sociopath unworthy of cohabiting this part of the civilized world? May be you have no business leaving Taliban Afghanistan in the first place as the caves of Tora-Bora is where you naturally belonged but definitely not the Western hemisphere, you dog. You people should have been given the death-penalty and let your asses rot fast in hell, killers. Imagine a mother, a father and a son/brother having the stomach to kill their daughters and sisters on such absurdity of an excuse? 

HERMAN CAIN ENDORSES NEWT GINGRICH?



Icheoku says it takes one adulterer to endorse another adulterer as suddenly all the pretensions of morality and high family value no longer matters, otherwise why Newt? A man with his catalog of marital infidelities as well as several divorces, which supposedly are contrary to family values, should not be rewarded with "Christians' support or the Tea Party's which Herman Cain seem to project?

But hey Jesus Christ was right when he admonished about the Pharisees who preach one thing and do another; as is the case with the current deluge of "Christian" evangelicals and fundamentalists who are lining up behind Newt Gingrich's candidacy despite his horrific records and known character-flaws. Anyway the American people will have the final say come November and it does not matter what all the fanatical Sarah Palins, Herman Cains, Michael Reagans etc of the Republican Party say at this time or who they irrationally chose to support or would like to secure the party's nomination.

Icheoku however warns, that a vote for Newt Gingrich is a vote to continually divide Americans and drag our country in the mud of this and that ones; while taking the country back to the last century and no reasonable American should stand for this or ignorantly bite the bait of a Newt Gingrich's presidency. Icheoku says, reject retrogressive politics, say no to Newt. Say to Herman Cain and cohorts, thanks but no thanks!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

IBB QUITS POLITICS FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME?

Icheoku says don't believe the con-man as he has said that before only to make his usual Maradona(ic) b-line to contest for the presidency. So Nigerians should see his latest "never to seek political office again" position statement as a rehashed hog-wash and only believe it when they see it

MIKE REAGAN PREFERS BAGGAGE-LADEN GINGRICH TO ROMNEY?

"I would take Newt Gingrich’s record any day over Mitt Romney’s,” so said Michael Reagan, adopted son of former President Ronald Reagan. Icheoku says, and Gingrich records include several adulterous infidelity misbehavior, unmitigated arrogance, divorcing a dying sick wife on her hospital bed, talking down on people, calling Palestine an invented people, calling Hispanic the language of the Ghetto, calling African Americans food-stamp dependents as well as his latest fantastical hogwash of colonizing and establishing residence in the moon to be known as 'Newt Gingrich Moon Habitat/Colony?' Yet this litany of woeful issues is not sufficient to dissuade or weigh against such endorsement?


What a rude joke this son of a former president is that is fanatically supporting a known divisive figure of American politics. Icheoku warns these fundamentalist Republicans supporting Newt Gingrich to beware of what they wish for as they might as well be granted their wish; admitted that in today's America, Newt Gingrich presidency is simply utopia and unrealistic. Icheoku reiterates that Newt Gingrich is too toxic for America and should and cannot be elected president; assuming he rolls over the plastic and ever wobbly cultist Mitt Romney to secure the nomination.

Friday, January 27, 2012

NIGERIA, WE HAVE A NEW IGP (ABUBAKAR).

Finally, the ineffective President Good(BAD)luck Jonathan of Nigeria has summoned enough courage and fired the also incompetent former IGP Hafiz Ringim. Icheoku had long advocated for this as a necessary step towards putting a lid on the insecurity in the land, hence we are not overtly excited about this long over-due development. However Icheoku maintains that the blood of all Nigerians killed by Boko Haram while the president dithered and delayed the decision to fire Ringim rests squarely upon his slow-motion over-deliberative zoology head, period.


The new IGP Mohammed D. Abubakar, should know that only one thing is deserving of his new office - to arrest the Boko Haram situation and bring them to justice or take justice to them by all means possible and every means necessary. The new IGP should adopt a script from America's mantra, "To your enemies, kill them;" and Nigeria has no worse enemy at the present time than the murderous Boko Haram terrorists and they should all be shot at sight, no questions asked. So while Icheoku congratulates the new Inspector General of Police Abubakar, lets hope he got the message clearly - that he has just one instruction or sole mission statement - END THE CARNAGE IN THE COUNTRY, GET RID OF BOKO HARAM NOW

Thursday, January 26, 2012

REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES, THE GREATEST COMPETITION OF IDIOCY AND IGNORANCE - FIDEL CASTRO.

Icheoku didn't say it but merely amplifying that the world has since realized that this present bunch of Republican Party presidential candidate wanna-bees include all manner of men and a woman. One of them dismissed an entire people as mere "invention?" The same insane grandfather candidate wanna-be is so mean that he divorced his dying sick wife on her hospital bed, while she was battling cancer? It also includes a candidate who is so plastic that even his promise of America sounds hollow. It also includes a candidate who wants to colonize the moon? It includes a candidate who is so rich that he stashed some of his 'Benjamines' in a private secret Swiss Bank Account? Meanwhile there is no product in the market that he manufactures or that can be attributable to his name; yet he claims all these wealth just fir himself and family? It is needless to add that he belongs to a Cult called Mormon. It also includes a jester who want all immigrants to "self-deport" themselves?


Anyway America, the choice is for you to make; but be aware that even Fidel Castro has weighed in on the caliber of men who wants to move into the White House come November. According to the Cuban grand-daddy, "The selection of a Republican candidate for the presidency of this globalized and expansive empire is — and I mean this seriously — the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been." Icheoku adds, a word is enough for the wise; so be smart with your votes this November 2012 America. The Republican Party is really running on empty with the current pack of presidential candidate applicants, none of who gives us reason to think twice about returning the brilliant BO to a second term.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

PRESIDENT JONATHAN, IT IS TIME TO INVITE THE AMERICANS!

The likely disavowal in some quarters that this commentator sounds like a sell-out taken under advisement, Icheoku says to President Good(BAD)luck of Nigeria to hurry up and invite the Americans now to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram infestation or forever regret his inaction. It is obvious to any impartial observer that the security agencies in Nigeria have failed to live up to the billing of their offices and have also shameless refused and/or failed to resign as should be expected. Therefore, any similarly challenged president, privileged of some survival skills, would urgently look elsewhere to provide security for both himself and the people under siege; as a vote of no confidence on the local security apparatchik. President Jonathan therefore should immediately proceed to Washington to plead his case for help and assistance from the top-shelf security operatives the world has ever known - the Americans. Icheoku admonishes that no president or head of a family would stand by, hands akimbo, and watch helplessly as some maniacal Muslim terrorists incessantly kill, maim and destroy the citizenry without throwing his best punch forward and forcefully to help stop such wanton destruction of lives and properties. The level of the devastation, alarmingly, makes the president's signature speeches sound too hollow; now is the time to bring out the big sledge hammer and with it give those bastards hell. So President Jonathan, when would your red-line on the sand be deemed to have been crossed or are over one thousand Nigerian lives so far wasted not enough to say enough, never again?



From Iraq to Afghanistan to Philippines to Indonesia to Colombia to North Africa to Saudi Arabia to Lebanon to Somalia to Yemen and even Pakistan, the United States have always answered, with proven and provable success, clarion calls from victim-nations to come in and help drain their swamps of terrorists. Icheoku is curious that President Jonathan has so far not deemed it necessary to follow suit and invite the Americans to come and help him replicate in Northern Nigeria Islamic enclave what they know best how to do world-wide - extermination of sub-human specimens aka terrorists. Put in another way, Icheoku wants to know how many more innocent Nigerian lives need to be blow away by these murderous Northern Nigerian Islamic terrorists, before the president wakes up to confront them with deserved serious and commitment? Needless to add that this Boko Haram madness have taken over the country's psyche captive and gradually paralyzing to a crippling halt, a once highly mobile society known for enjoying life? Icheoku wants to know what it shall take for the president to really realize the magnitude of the problem at hand and the fierce urgency of now solution required, to reassure the Nigerian society that there is a worthy shepherd in charge of affairs in the land? That Nigerians are not all seating ducks waiting to be consumed by an exploding Boko Haram incendiary device and in an inferno of hate? Icheoku emphatically calls on President Jonathan to end the pestilence called Boko Haram now or he would forever be remembered as the wishy-washy and indecisive president, who was holed in Aso Rock while the country burned and waiting for an explosion inside Aso Rock before he realizes that the whole country is under siege of Boko Haram and their un-abating murderous carnage and destruction.


This latest Boko Haram bombings and high causality figure in Kano State blows every decent persons' mind and any president not rising up decisively in response thereto might as well be said not to be deserving of the office which he occupies. Icheoku therefore expects President Jonathan to demonstrate by action and not his usual sanctimonious blow-hot statements that he is actually deserving and worthy of the mandate which he is bequeathed. No Nigerian dead asked to be deported from this world by some crazy lunatics' bombs and this is the primary reason Nigerians gave President Jonathan the assignment of their protection. They deserve no less and should not be forced to make a buyer's remorse for electing an incompetent man to do the job at hand. So if President Jonathan fails or was to fail in this primary assignment of providing security, Icheoku would not hesitate in joining the chorus of those singing "his seat, let another take" if that will bring succour and solace to the polity. Imagine about 200 Nigerians dead in one fell swoop in Kano City alone and please let someone tell Icheoku that other cities are safer or daily lives in them secured? One observer pointed out that it is now a total security menace in Nigeria; to which Icheoku adds, it has already graduated to the worst horrific security nightmare ever seen in the country - just the stuff horror movies are scripted of.


Icheoku says this unnecessary Monday-night quarterbacking and pretentious show of bravado by President Jonathan, following each successful terrorist strike, visiting victims such as his visit to Kano to commiserate with the people on their killed, is not sufficient anymore. It is only a Nollywood show, orchestrated by Aso Rock to make the president appear seemingly in charge and unintimidated by the Boko Haram's ongoing carnage in the land. Icheoku is of the opinion that those forcibly dispatched to meet with their maker would have wished or preferred they lingered here on earth a little longer and not untimely forced out through a violent exit, not through any fault of their own. As usual, in his "talk is cheap" manner, President Jonathan intoned that his government will not rest until the "perpetrators are brought to book" and those "terrorist are wiped out;" to which Icheoku adds, Mr. President show Nigerians your game-plan and/or road-map to walk the talk.


Worst still these terrorists use modern communication equipment like cellphones, email, sms to aid their operations; yet Nigerian security operatives are finding it hard to track them down? Icheoku says one needs the suspension of disbelief to accept that these Boko Haram terrorists are not operating with full tacit approval of some very high and mighty members of the security agencies who provide them cover as well as some training and logistics. As a panacea, admitted it might sound like adding gasoline to the inferno, Nigerians should resort to vigilantism to protect themselves from themselves. Neighborhood watches should be able to arrest and necklace anyone with no meaningful connection or explanation in their neighborhood; just whatever it takes to peter this craziness to a stop.


Further this time calls for an eye for an eye direct reprisal approach of instantaneous justice as justice delayed is justice denied. If one church goes up in flames in the North, one mosque should simultaneously burn down in the south; if one live is lost in the North, a life should also be taken in the South. The Boko Haram induced insecurity in the land calls for a late President Yar'Adua styled no nonsense bloody crackdown approach as the days of "seventy times seventy" is and should be long gone. In short, the Mosaic Law should be instituted in Nigeria to deal with the scourge of Boko Haram since it takes a mad man to tame a mad man and a thief to catch a thief. So let us stop all these pretensions of civility and return to the days of stone ages of fire for fire to address this near complete breakdown of law and order in Boko Haram infested and quasi-controlled Nigeria.


Enough is enough and so should the president declare and NOW; before as predicted, the entity called Nigeria is no more as it yields to different separating federations! The time for drastic action to forestall the total and complete cataclysmic breakdown of law and order in the land is NOW as Nigerians, dead and/or living, are tired of all these hot-air pontifications coming out of Aso Rock without real meaningful action to back it up. A president with some backbone would have set the example of Sani Abacha when he decisively silenced the agitation of Ogoni people in Ogoniland by cutting off the proverbial head of their snake and hate him or love him, he succeeded in quelling that protest. But pandering or smooching the enemy never solves the problem as Gingrich would say of American enemies, kill them all. That is the only solution that gets result as a dead Boko Haram member cannot become a suicide bomber anymore, not in this life.


Such zero-tolerance approach works anytime it has been tried and have worked everywhere else successfully, so why not give it a chance in Northern Nigeria Islamic enclave to help wipe out these animals called Boko Haram. Just declare some swaths of Islamic Northern Nigeria, the Waziristan of Nigeria, a terrorists-infested region of the world and allow the Americans send in the Marines to come in and kick some arses. Any president worthy of his office should no longer tolerate the ongoing Boko Haram carnage in Nigeria and should do anything and everything, feasible and possible, to peter it to a stop. All possible outcry or allegation of genocidal extermination not withstanding, the president should do whatever it takes to get rid of Northern Nigeria, its Islamic Boko Haram termites, that is destructively eating up its body fabric. Imagine the atrocious audacity of this group trying to explain an inexplicable act of gross human lives wastage, as being a response to their members being detained? Icheoku counters that, at least for lack of better analytical comparison, their members are merely being detained and have not been killed or blown away; so where is the rationality for killing another just because freedom was temporarily deprived the other while awaiting trial? Insanity, insanity; these Boko Haram murderers are completely cuckoo.

CAN'T STOP BOKO HARAM, LET HIM GO!

PRESIDENT JONATHAN, FIRE IG RINGIM NOW!

WHOLESALE JETTISON OF POLICIES, BANE OF A NIGERIA STALLED?

Icheoku laments the wholesale throwing overboard of ideas and policies of past governments by their successors and the lack of continuity of some laudable programs started by such previous administrations, as the major problem militating against Nigeria's overall development. It is akin to a house which is midway to completion, being demolished by its new would be occupier who then starts it all over beginning with the drawing plan, blueprint and then foundational works. Then right before its completion but in advanced stage of construction, there is a change in title deed and yet again, the same old song plays itself out de-novo. The result is a house in perpetual state of being built which is never finished nor completed and which can never be finished just because subsequent occupiers find it psyche-soothing to always press the reset button each time and every time there is a change of guard. 

One popular aphorism has it that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different result is the shortest form of insanity defined; hence Nigeria cannot expect to grow into a major player within the un-enabling environment of its ever temporary governments and the cavalier manner with which they abandon or change existing policies put in place by previous governments. Such fluidity of policies make it impossible for any country to solidify and have a directional core; which in turn denies it the character of a tangible and meaningful place to  attract investors and their investments. Recently the Nigerians Aviation minister was quoted as saying that the concessionary contracts entered into by the previous administration as it concerns airports in Nigeria would be reviewed and Icheoku wonders which investor would like to risk his money in such a quicksand, roller-coaster investment climate where one's investment is not secured nor assured; but is malleable to political dictates of whoever is in power. 

Icheoku says any incoming new administration worth its name and in a place where things follow conventional procedure and not obfuscating parochial and primordial pandering, would first go through a well detailed and comprehensive transition or handover note to determine what policies of the past government need continuing, which needs dumping and which parts could be conveniently continued with some targeted fine tweaking. That way there would be a real bridge of connectivity between the past and the present government and by necessary implication, provide a platform for the new government to build upon. But a new government which does not see anything good in its predecessor or the need for there to be some basic life saving and preserving umbilical cord retained, will end up groping for direction for the duration of its term on how to steer the ship of the state. As a consequence thereof, such an unguided infantile government ends up failing as it most times performs worst than the one it succeeded; due to the simple fact that it was not properly grounded or anchored. 

The situation is not helped by the peculiar nature of Nigeria, where government is personified in the person occupying the seat of government; and the two becomes one or the proverbial "two-nity" (pardon my attempt at pun of trinity). The new comer brings along with him only his own people as every official that served in the previous government is swept out and with it, goes all their policies and ideas on how to move the government forward. With new officials, comes new ideas and untested policies; and the revolving door keeps on oscillating as successive governments emerge to continue the circus that leads to nowhere. 

Take for example some laudable Nigerian programs of the past which are now defunct and where still existing, are but their ghostly apparitions. The genocidal Yakubu Gowon, a man between who and Icheoku there is no love lost because of his controlled Federalist army genocide on Biafrans especially the women and children, initiated the three "Rs". A commendable policy geared towards making amends for the atrocities committed against the people of Biafra and to enable the war-wounds heal. No sooner was his government overthrown by Muritala/Obasanjo than the new regime discarded the reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation program that would have gone a long way to assuaged the ill-feelings of Biafrans and thus create enabling environment for the wounds of that war to heel. But unfortunately the man who ordered the Asaba massacre, Muritala Mohammed, did havoc to this palliative policy alongside his eventual successor Obasanjo, a man whose disdain for the Igboman is legendary. As a result, the psychological damage of that war of survival, a war which was forced on the Biafran people by the pogrom against the Igbo people in the North, still effervesce till today. This three "Rs" would have been the proverbial shot in the arm for Biafra and by extension Nigeria heeling process, but Muritala and Obasanjo decreed otherwise as they wished they had dropped an atom bomb on the entire Southeast? 

Then enter NYSC, the National Youth Service Corp program which is now a shell of its old self. Well conceived by Olusegun Obasanjo administration as a laudable means of integrating Nigerians by having Nigerian graduating youth go to other parts of the country to serve their fatherland. This writer's first foray into Yorubaland was as a result of the program which took him to Efon Alaaye in the then Ondo State and there started the budding love for the people of the Southwest whose hospitality and social life is yet to be equaled amongst other peoples of Nigerian. From a personal experience, but for the NYSC, may be Yorubaland would have been out of my radar; but suffice it to say that greater part of my adult life was spent in the Southwest and it was memorable; all thanks that the vision of OBJ, the man who Icheoku do not agree with for most part. Admitted that NYSC was recently threatened to its foundational existence by the madness in Northeastern Nigeria, when those animals decided to kill Nigerian youths sent to their land to help them out, Icheoku is of the school of thought that says no matter the provocation, the program is highly valuable and should be maintained. Instead of dismantling it like they did to Nigerian Law School, the authorities should find a way to guard against what happened in the past and ensure it grows in reaps and bounds. 

And speaking of the Nigerian Law School, Icheoku regretted the day that decision was made to cannibalize an Ibironke institution that helped harmonize law training in Nigeria and also brought lawyers in the making from every parts of Nigeria into one academic auditorium to interact and assimilate one another's legal point of view. The decentralisation is one huge mistake; yet they would not decentralize SANship and let every region or state award SANS to whoever plays the politics well instead of just the Lagos axis controlled body? If Nigeria is truly one, common percolating points such as the former Nigerian Law School Victoria Island should have been sustained to serve as a unifying institution for all would be Nigerian lawyers and by extension help various Nigerians meet and interact with one another towards understanding our differences and figuring a way out of the woods of prevalent suspicion and distrust that give rise to such idiocy as the ongoing Boko Haram siege of Nigeria. They have so far massacred hundreds of innocent Nigerians and counting; with the security agencies at best helpless or collaborating with them and giving them? 

Then enters OFN, Operation Feed the Nation, another brilliant idea of Olusegun Obasanjo which makes Icheoku wonder whether if Obasanjo was simply smarter during his first time in government or he just lost his compass on his second coming? The demise of this wonderful and revolutionary program makes Icheoku wonder out loud what is it that is wrong with Nigerian leadership or does it take rocket science to understand that a country being able to feed her citizens is highly laudable and a program to die for to sustain? But there were some interests, both foreign and domestic, who saw it as a threat to both their farmers in their respective home countries and their ten percent kickback from imported agricultural and food products and they ganged up and sabotaged OFN to death. President Shehu Shagari attempted re-branding it to Green Revolution and Icheoku wonders what he found faulty with an operation which is feeding the nation; needless to point out that his then Transport Minister, Umaru Dikko, was making millionaires out of his acolytes and party faithfuls with rice import licenses and rice imported from Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, India as well as other Asian countries. 

But on a hindsight, Icheoku figured out that the Green in the then 'Green Revolution' stood for greenbacks and that it was meant to pile up some "Benjamines" in coded secret accounts of then National Party of Nigeria faithfuls in Switzerland as well as other offshore account heavens. Icheoku emphasis that there was nothing wrong in OFN as a name or in Shagari continuing with Obasanjo's OFN program as begun, except that Shagari's minions and town-criers saw OFN as an Obasanjo legacy and wanted Shagari to have his own. At the same time, they forgot that Obasanjo established OFN for Nigeria and did not take it along with him when he retired to his farms in Otta. Nigerians also forget that truth can sometimes also come from imbeciles and that it does not matter whose idea a great idea is, a great idea always remains a great idea and such was Operation Feed the Nation. Icheoku hereby emphasis that OFN was one heck of a missed opportunity for Nigeria to feed herself and the rest of the world and reiterates that those who killed the OFN are responsible for any hungry stomach in Nigeria today. Why should Nigeria be importing billions worth of food and agricultural products with such a blessed climate and fertile lands that are plentiful in various places in Nigeria; and the government of Jonathan is talking about petroleum products subsidy removal when they can put the scalpel on agricultural imports?

With the arrival of Imam Muhammadu Buhari, a man who Icheoku loves to detest because  he murdered three innocent Nigerians based on a retroactive drug offenses death-penalty decree, came WAI - War Against Indiscipline. Icheoku have always maintained that but for the killing of these three innocent Nigerians, the Buhari/Idiagbon government would have still maintained its place in the annals of Nigeria history as the best government for correctly identifying and honing in on Nigeria's cardinal problem, INDISCIPLINE. But unfortunately however, the stubborn as an ass Buhari has refused till date to apologize for that his khaki-days rather youthful exuberant indiscretion, which still hounds him till today and would always stop him cold in his tracks on the way back to Aso Rock. Icheoku says not under our watch and not while Nigerians who lived through his gulag-like regime still have some air in their lungs. Icheoku says until Muhammadu Buhari makes a full mea culpa for the murder of Bartholomew Owo, Bernard Ogendengbe and Lawal Ojulope, apologizes and asks for forgiveness, that illegal killing would remain indelible in our memories and with it our vengeance through the ballot. 

WAI was effective as every Nigerian alive then would attest that the solution to all Nigeria's problem is the re-institution or reintroduction of the war against indiscipline. It was Buhari's war and a good war worth waging once more and forever; and for which Buhari/Idiagbo regime won so many of us over as fans to just that extent only. An undisciplined soul is susceptible to all manners of criminalities including the hydra-headed monster corruption, the 800 pound gorilla in the midst of Nigeria. Nigeria as a society is weighed down by millions of marauders for who anything goes and let the government worry about it; but who fail to realize that they are part of a whole and their indiscretion takes a heavy toll on the society. A report just realized has it that civil servants in Nigeria collected about three billion dollars in bribe within just one year and you tell Icheoku all is well with such a society? Who doesn't recall how people queued up for their turns in Nigeria during the WAI days of Buhari/Idiagbon regime? How police men arrested people who tried to offer them bribes? How NEPA and Water Board maintained a steady supply and flow of their utilities? How every Omo'EKo as well as other visitors in Lagos and other cities in Nigeria maintained a line to enter a molue? 

Those were the good old days of WAI and you wonder why the program died and why not recreate those times once again to help fight all the indiscretion Nigeria is saddled with? Even the EFCC would be put out of business with an effective reintroduction of WAI; likewise would money be left by politicians to deliver democratic dividends to their electorates instead of ferreting them away? Bad none motorable roads would become motorable as contractors would do the job for which they were mobilized and not abandon same after collecting their cost upfront? Would the plague of ghost-workers still inundate government treasury, Icheoku does not think so as Bar Beach Sunday show could be re-instituted to dispatch criminals to the world beyond. It is just too painful that problems with readily available solutions are still bogging down Nigeria just because no one have decided to tame the rats and the man given the assignment is simply too scared of some Goliaths to effectively discharge his duties. Icheoku says, lets bring back WAI and assuage Buhari's restiveness; it is a right thing to do as it will help tackle so many currently intractable vices impeding Nigeria's forward match into a future that is both bright and promising. It is a legacy to have and Icheoku commends Buhari for going to the heart of Nigeria's problems and trying to extricate it. 

But somebody discarded the program and in its place introduced his own version of mobilization called MAMSER. However Babangida failed to understand that you cannot mobilize a dis-shovelled society bogged down by indiscipline and that was the mistake that forced him out of power and which still hounds him till today. For instance, Dele Giwa's parcel bomb murder was uncalled for as Nigerians found out that one can kill the messenger without killing the message. The substance of the story he was pursuing and which his killers wanted to suppress still reached Nigerians and you wonder on hindsight, whether Babangida and crew are wondering why? But all things considered, Jerry Gana did a good job selling MAMSER as  their sloganeering campaign "if you are a teacher, teach well; a truck driver, drive well; if you are a lawyer, lawyer well; if you are a politician, politic well" and so on; that every Nigerian felt valued in whatever trade or professional calling he was engaged in. Unlike the today's madhouse where every Nigerian including the clergy now wants to be a politician as politics has become the only guarantee to ensure stupendous livelihood, absent bank robbery? Those were the days of MAMSER and you wonder why the subsequent government did not adopt the program and pass it on to their successor? 

There was also the Road Safety campaign slogan of "Dead men have no right of way, why throw your life away, drive with care for life is dear;" which have also gone moribund and you wonder the persistent carnage on Nigeria roads? Then factor in the harried fact that motor-parks have drinking parlors in them where drivers take alcoholic beverages minutes before embarking on their journey, then you have a perfect storm akin to pouring gasoline on a an inferno. Somebody is running the Federal Road Safety Corp and Icheoku wonders how many unlicensed drivers drive in Nigeria; how many drivers ed programs are available in Nigeria; how many times his department have revoked some bad driver's license deemed unfit to make use of the privilege of driving since it is not a right; how many defensive driving classes commercial drivers are made to undergo each now and then. Reading through the various reported accidents cases on Nigeria roads tend to reveal that majority of those accidents were avoidable human carelessness as when a drunken or sleepy driver fails to make a sound judgment and is overtaking a vehicle on a steep hill or in a hair-pin turn without a clear vision of what lies ahead. Some readers may accuse Icheoku of over sanctifying the issue and that accidents happen everywhere; but why not help stop those that can be stopped instead of busy picking up Nigerian dead on our roads all the time? All Icheoku is saying is that some driver education and PSA commercials could help lessen instances of road mishaps in Nigeria and should be encouraged by this government.

As far as Icheoku is concerned, Olusegun Obasanjo second coming to power left two most important footprints in Nigeria - the liberalization of telephones which makes it now easy for Nigerians anywhere to speak with their aged grandmas/pas in some remote villages in Nigeria and then his institution of the EFCC. Icheoku says but for the tragedy of desiring a third term, which caused the deviation of then Nuhu Ribadu led EFCC from its cardinal goal of fighting corruption into becoming an agent of Obasanjo, hounding vociferous perceived opponents, and thereby rubbishing a blooming legacy, the EFCC would have turned out to be another laudable legacy of Olusegun Obasanjo. But the shadow of a tragic hero which constantly foreshadows him cost him that feather in his cap.  As it stands today, the EFCC is but a shadow of its old fiery self, a toothless bulldog which barks all it can but without daring enough to sink its fangs on any of the readily identifiable corrupt public official. Icheoku wonders why it is difficult for Nigerian public officials to just resign if they cannot do the job for which they were hired or are prevented from doing same by undue pressure of the state or its officials? The present EFCC is now a scarecrow hanging lifeless in a corn field in middle of Kansas or rather Nassarawa State compared to what Nigerians knew of the good old days when Nuhu Ribadu was manning the tiller as a corruption watchdog czar.  

Late President Umaru Yar'Adua was only a blimp on the radar and his terminal sickness did not help matters at all nor allowed him to bequeath a legacy for which he could be remembered. Even his seven-point agenda have been devolved into a no point agenda; and his successor, the man who wears his tribal Ijaw native outfit so often that Icheoku wonders if the Ijaws of the Niger Delta Nigeria are the only one he is their president, is to put it mildly, have LOST himself in the labyrinth and maze of a Nigeria complex political landscape. Icheoku says except President Goodluck wakes up immediately, his government might go down in history as the government with neither an agenda nor any meaningful accomplishment and would not be remembered for anything talkless of a lasting legacy. All his electioneering campaign promises are still unfulfilled and supposedly being held hostage by some Goliaths, which have forced the president into a frightening tunnel-vision governance without really appreciating Nigerians numerous and diverse problems hollering for his urgent attention in the peripheral vision. If only the president is brave enough to send his sling shot into these Goliaths' foreheads and free himself of his mortal fear of their mortal threat. But he could not dare and is even afraid of mentioning that the principal Goliaths facing him down are Obasanjo and Babangida for crying out loud.

All said and done, were Icheoku a president, we shall resuscitate back all or most of these laudable programs of past administrations and bring them back to live and with it vault Nigeria into a place of reckoning. All that is required is the will to face-down enemies of progress and even those proverbial Goliaths who the current president is afraid of, not even to look into their faces and call them out for who they are. Icheoku had once advised that these Goliaths be named and shamed for the president and Nigerians to free themselves of their stranglehold. At least the biblical Israelites identified their nemesis Goliath, so David had a face before he swung his slingshot or catapult.  So how would Nigerians supplicate to God to help President Jonathan overrun his Goliaths when they have neither a name of face to take to God in their prayers? Icheoku says the first order of business for the president is to name those Goliaths and then see Nigerians charge after them; but a weakling who sees shadows or former military head of states and/or an ex-president and calls them Goliaths, might not be the proper person to follow into battle. 

Icheoku says nostalgically many Nigerians who were alive and could bear testimony to some of these laudable programs would attest that were these programs still alive today, the country would have been a different place, totally transformed, reformed and for good. But often good men are interred with their bones and so were these programs; hence a Nigeria in perpetual journey to lalaland is still going in circles round and round to nowhere just because successive governments choose to throw the baby away with the bath water and some good policies and programs got incinerated in the peculiar Nigeria politics of we and them and the lack of continuity coupled to the complexity of egotistic self-effacing new occupant of seat of power. Icheoku says this is very unfortunate, retarded and not progressive; it is the reason Nigeria is stalled and going nowhere meaningful soon and should be done away with!