GODWIN DABOH, COULD NOT 'DABOH' DEATH.

Icheoku mourns the bold imprudence that was Godwin Daboh Adzuana, who like all mortals, has joined his ancestors in the land beyond. Commendably, he died in Nigeria surrounded by his loved ones; unlike so many other top-heavy Nigerians who embark on medical tourism and die in foreign lands surrounded by strangers who spoke in strange tongues. Daboh was 70 years old. 

Love him or hate him, Godwin Daboh was not a coward nor does he readily turn tail when the going gets tough and for this, Icheoku commends his manliness. Most recently he told Babangida to take a hike when approached to support the evil genius bid for Aso Rock and not many a Nigerian would dare look the toothy fairy prince of Minna in the eye and tell him to move away to make way for others. 

On this note therefore, Icheoku agrees with the assessment of Daboh as made by the petite Nigerian Senate President David Mark that "he was daring, fearless and courageous. He never shifted ground once he believed in a course. No matter how much you loved or hated him, Daboh was a politician of note who could not be ignored.” In other words, Godwin Daboh was very resolute. While wishing him well on his ethereal journey, Icheoku hopes he runs into Joseph Tarkar so that they both can continue from where they stopped in 1979, in their fight for the political battle of supremacy over Tiv land, as they "Tarkar and Daboh" each other. Adieu Adzuana.

HARRY MOSCO-AGADA, DEAD.

Icheoku mourns the loss of Nigerian foremost pop artist and member of the defunct Funkies Band, Egede-Udi, Enugu State Nigeria born Harry Mosco-Agada, made famous for his Country Boy and Sugar Cane Baby music hits.

Harry Mosco-Agada died in an Egyptian hospital of complications from diabetes, pulmonary and arthritis related diseases.  Icheoku says he will be sorely missed, especially by his Egede Community, which prides themselves of having produced such music talent. Adieu Harry!

SANTORUM WINS DEEP SOUTH, A MESSAGE TO ROMNEY 2012.

Icheoku says once again the message is loud and clear - anybody but Romney; admitted the Republican honchos seems tone-deaf to this continuing outcry by the base and soul of the Republican Party. Two things came out of the Rick Santorum victories in the redneck states of Alabama and Mississippi - one is a rejection of Mormon as not being a Christian church and two is that the "real American" Republicans want anybody but Mitt Romney so much that they are now prepared and ready to throw their lot with novitiate presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Anyway, what can Icheoku say except that the churning waters that is this year's Republican Party's presidential candidate primaries is a gift that keeps on giving. A case where "The Mitt" is not accepted or acceptable to the base while the honchos of the party are adamant in casting their lot with him.

What will eventually happen is a foist candidate on a party, who is not accepted by the base; a base who will in turn either sit the election out or cast a protest vote for the other side. But hey, whatever benefits reasonableness and rationality in our present day American society without taking us back to the fifties will always have Icheoku's support and the present bunch of the Republican Party's presidential candidate wanna-bees are fanatically tunnel-visioned in the past. It gets even better because of the near impossibility of a possible Romney/Santorum ticket because of their day and night ideological differences; but we shall see. Not even Obama/Clinton 2008 warfare came close to the internecine blood feud that Romney/Santorum represent as the former were both progressive liberals and accepted to both their base and party top-heavies while the later is just playing out before our own very eyes.

So with the Mitt Romney's routing in the deep south, another warning torpedo has been fired over the bow of Romney's boat to the Republican party's presidential candidate nomination and who knows the type of ammo that will come his way in the event he is imposed on the party despite being a bishop of the Mormon cult, not conservative enough, supports abortion, voted for Democrats and comes from liberal Massachusetts. That he is a member of the 1% club and repeatedly forces it down our throat each time opportunity calls to tell us he has friends who own NASCAR and NFL teams or wagering $10,000 does not help matters. Pet owners of America are also yet to come to term with the fact that Mitt Romney "hog-tied" his pet dog on his car roof for a 12 hour road trip to Canada. Then added to his hatred for the poor of America and his now notorious flip-flopping, all add to make his candidacy toxic at best. Those the Gods want to kill he first make mad and madness precludes one from hearing certain clarion calls such as the present vehemence of "Anybody but Romney" by the heartbeat of the Republican Party. However, Icheoku excitedly awaits candidate Romney 2012 to emerge as the attendant fireworks will make John McCain 2008's barrage a walk in the park. Did Icheoku forget to add that Mitt Romney comes across as a fake and not genuine; hence cannot be trusted by many Americans, the reason his campaign sputters and lacks steady traction.

KIM KARDASHIAN, CELEBRATING STUPIDITY IN AMERICA.

"Whether it's Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated. Being a fucking idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture (US-Hollywood). You're rewarded significantly." That is 'Mad Men' television star Jon Hamm keeping it real with Kim Kardashian, the woman with the shortest marriage record in recent history - she was just married for 72 days only. 

Icheoku says if only many more people will just start being more honest with how they truly feel about certain things, without too much deference to political correctness or someone else's possible hurt-feelings, certain things definitely would rather be scorned than glorified in our United States culture, where actors and actresses and other make-beliefs artists are celebrated more than the Steve Jobs of America. More kudos to you Jon Hamm, Icheoku agrees and lines up solidly behind you; although you missed specifically the pint-sized Snookie of Jersey Shores as well as those guys of Jackass.

OJUKWU, THE STAR THAT ECLIPSED ALL STARS IN NIGERIA FIRMAMENT - FEMI KAYODE

"He was a man that inspired such loyalty and courage by his very presence. He was a man that risked everything for the lives and liberty of his people. He stood firm when others ran. He was a great and a proud warrior. A true son of Africa. The strength and pride of the Igbo race. Ojukwu has fallen yet he lives. He is buried, yet what he stood for, the Aburi declaration included, is not buried with him. Those ideals shall live and endure forever and shall be manifested in our lifetime no matter how hard the Nigerian state tries to deny or resist them. The right to self-determination, the freedom to live in peace with our values and cultural identity, unmolested and intact even in a multi-religious and multi-cultural state, the right to be free from genocide, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution and tribal bigotry and oppression and the right to live in a country where all people are equal regardless of their state of origin, religious persuasion or ethnic identity are ideals that Ojukwu symbolised and fought for during the civil war and indeed throughout his life. These values and principles live and are not dead and buried with him. He stood firm and fought hard for his people when it mattered the most. The father of Biafra. He was a man of great courage, strength and vision. What an extraordinary and noble heritage that Ojukwu represents. Nothing else counts." Icheoku says Femi Fani-Kayode has once again delivered and we accordingly applaud and concur. Like Jesus declared, "it is finished!"

MITT ROMNEY FLOPS YET AGAIN, NO LONGER SUPPORTS MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE?

He once did when it was convenient but now no longer because the extreme far right wing of the Republican Party has yelled at him to either change his stance or they would turn their back on him. Now the Mormon bishop from Massachusetts and the man who has flip-flopped so often he makes John Kerry look "very consistent" has reversed course again, from "My view has been to allow the minimum wage to rise with the CPI [Consumer Price Index] or with another index so that it adjusts automatically over time" to now"There's probably not a need to raise the minimum wage."Icheoku says, needless to add that barely one month ago, when confronted with the same minimum wage issue, Mitt Romney had then declared that "I haven't changed my thoughts on that."

Icheoku queries how strong this Mitt Romney's backbone really is if he cannot stand ordinary pressure from some fanatics of his party forcing his John Kerry moment of "I was for it before I was against it and I voted for it before I voted against it" to become so glaring clear? How does he really plan to defend his quick-sand shifting positions on virtually all issues come November or is he praying that Americans would develop dementia not to remember the tumbling and somersaulting positions he repeatedly took on issues. Mitt Romney also prides himself as the man who understands how economy works and would fix the economy and that economy is his proverbial strongest suit? Icheoku however makes bold to ask, if Mitt Romney could not see the economic necessity for saving American auto industry which have since rebound, how then could he parade himself as an economic miracle-worker since economics depends mainly on forecasting trending future activities that will lead to growth and productivity.

Anyway, America, the greatest mistake we will make this November is to allow this conman to con his way into the White House based on his vulture capitalism records. Except probably you want him to "fix" the economy on your back by firing literally everybody and reorganizing America working force into the unthinkable and unimaginable. Icheoku concludes that Bain Capital economic recipe does not have a place in governance and since a president is not a CEO, he is required for political expediency to carry the people along; unlike Mitt Romney who likes to fire people and have no qualms issuing people pink slips.

APOLOGY REJECTED, "THE SLUT AND PROSTITUTE" SAYS NO.

Icheoku says boy is it good to see the right wing blabber-mouth finally cornered. Several years after making a name or notoriety for himself casting aspersions on people including his past three years drunken-fixation on President Obama and wife Michelle. It appears that the man who "runs America" and who gives marching orders to the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, has finally met his Waterloo as the "slutty and prostitutional" Georgetown Law student is now poised to become the David that took down Goliath Limbuagh - she may in essence be Rush Limbaugh's worst nightmare come alive. It is steadily looking more likely than not that the previously less known Sandra Fluke would eventually become the person who finally sank the titanic of talk-radio rascality on our airwaves.

Any listener to Rush Limbaugh will certainly agree that the redneck says outrageous things and sometimes is very personal and combative in attacking people who don't agree with his warped bigoted viewpoints. Icheoku tunes in periodically to hear what Rush would say next out of curiosity rather than love and if we are FCC, it would have been long time ago we closed that program and take him off the airwaves in the interest of a peaceful and united coexistence in our mosaic American society. So it is pitiful to hear Rush Limbaugh, in making his so called apology to the "slut and prostitute," claim that he have "always tried to maintain a very high degree of integrity and independence on his program?" To which Icheoku says one needs a suspension of disbelief to accept that stipulation as the Rush Americans know arrogantly balks at making apologies and have on so many occasions declared himself to be the titular head of the Republican Party and the man who runs America. Therefore whatever forced or coerced these apologies must be something so serious it threatened his very radio existence or financial status; otherwise forget about it as Rush would never have caved in.

Once again Icheoku calls on Rush Limbaugh to resign or be fired, as that would be the most appropriate thing to do under the circumstances. Precedents abound including Don Imus, the guy at MSNBC, Keith Olbermann, Dan Rather etc of people that were yanked from the airwaves for using inappropriate words on air. Luckily the no apology apology was rejected by the victim, hence increasing the pressure for Rush to make way by stepping aside from his bullying pulpit of more than 23years. Enough of his rabid tirades on the airwaves

A JENNIFER LOPEZ ON STEROIDS FASHIONISTA?

Icheoku says when the world thought that Puerto Rican born American Jennifer Lopez has won the contest for the most body-revealing fashionista, here comes screaming for recognition a girl from Nigeria who literally have outdone the Jenny from the block. You be the judge. 


The photograph was taken at a popular hang-out in Lagos Nigeria. 

Call Icheoku whatever you may, but no one is taking this gal to his mama's home anytime soon, dressed and looking like this cheap you know what. But hey, she forgot the primary rule of sexiness that sexy lies in making the suitor try hard or make reasonable effort to see it and not just thrusting it up on your face unsolicited; thus assaulting the eyes in the process? It thus cheapens the whole thing and who likes a cheap stuff? Men know it is there and wants to see it and the process of lifting the veil is what they feel challenged on and treasure the road traveled to get there. Real men prefer it when they sweat for it; so playing hard-ball is a silently cherished but often lip-criticized virtue.

ADIEU MY LOVING HUSBAND OJUKWU, A TRIBUTE BY BIANCA.

Icheoku says if to die is to live in the hearts of those who love you; then oh death where is thy speed. Ikemba was much loved and greatly admired by all including his detractors, who jealously secretly wished they were him or could trade places with him. But these munchkins failed to and did not advert their minds to the Igbo proverbial saying that if you learn the chirping of the bird, you should also learn how it takes to flight and that whoever is being lovingly called, there is always a reason for that. That it does not lie in the mouth to wish that one gets "Ogbodo's haircut, but that one should by the same token do what Ogbodo did to deservedly get the haircut. So it is that Ojukwu eminently earned all the encomiums being poured at this time of his great funeral; admitted Icheoku would have preferred they were poured while he was still alive and manifested while he was struggling both financially and health-wise. Or that the cost of all these show being put up at his funeral were plowed into his healthcare needs and spirited out of UNTH for a better medical attention abroad, especially in the United States of America, earlier before his condition irreversibly deteriorated. Icheoku however reiterates our gratitude to Governor Pete Obi of Anambra State for  shouldering Ojukwu's last expenses like a grateful beneficiary of his kindest love and personal sacrifice for the Igbo nation. Governor Peter Obi, Icheoku says thank you for coming through for the peoples hero. (Icheoku's "Ojukwu, do not mourn if and when he finally dies" was also published in SaharaReporters)

But hey every mortal shall die and happy are those whose bodies are buried and ecstatic are the very few whose burial attracted a seating president as did the peoples hero's, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. No one individual can ask for more than for the president of one's country to be present to personally honor and grace the funeral ceremony of the individual, particularly someone who in life was branded a rebel; but thankfully Wole Soyinka has qualified this particular rebel as a rebel with a cause. Very heart-warming and uplifting indeed. Be that as it may, Icheoku joins millions of lovers of brave souls world-wide to wish the Ikemba God's mercy and forgiveness of whatever sins he might have committed and that the good Lord reward him abundantly for saving his Igbo people from an assured extinction in the hands of genocidal Gowon goaded on by the mean spirited Awolowo, who visited Biafra with the most excruciating starvation pogrom that led to millions of kwashiokor-induced death of Biafrans. Shall Biafra forgive, you bet; but to forget, Biafra must not; as there is a reason why records are kept with posterity as its beneficiary. Ikemba, go in peace and may the good Lord give the Igbos another leader cloned from your mold. Igbos are not particularly asking for another Ojukwu as his uniqueness of character is impossible to replicate, but just for a leader who would always aspire and work assiduously to at least follow Ojukwu's stellar selfless example. Ojukwu's BIG-FOOT shoes are simply too big for any other Igboman's midget foot to fill; but the Igbos will at least know when an effort is being made by such next leader and which is good enough to pass for what is wished for and what could have been; and then, the available as usual will automatically become the desirable. 

As earlier observed, there have been several tributes in honor of this catalystical figure called Ojukwu since his demise. Bola Tinubu's tribute in TBS Lagos was quite outstanding; but Icheoku finds Bianca Onoh-Ojukwu's moving tribute from the depth of a loving wife's heart, both fantastic and riveting; hence our decision to republish same here for our teeming audience world-wide to enjoy. Now happy trail into the inner bosom of a widow truly shaken that her love is gone. 

"How do I sum up 23 years in one page? I don't know. How do I describe you? I cannot. Not in any depth. Not for anybody else - you were my husband, my brother, my friend, my child. I was your queen, and it was an honour to have served you.

You were the lion of my history books, the leader of my nation when we faced extinction, the larger-than-life history come to my life - living, breathing legend. But unlike the history books, you defied all preconceptions. You made me cry from laughter with your jokes, many irreverent. You awed me with your wisdom. You melted my heart with your kindness. Your impeccable manners made Prince Charming a living reality. Your fearlessness made you the man I dreamt of all my life and your total lack of seeking public approval before speaking your mind separated you from mere mortals.

Every year that I spent with you was an adventure - no two days were the same. With you, I was finally able to soar on wings wider than the ocean. With you I was blessed with the best children God in heaven had to give. With you, I learnt to face the world without fear and learnt daily the things that matter most. Your disdain for money was novel - sometimes funny, other times quite alarming.

It mattered not a whit to you. Your total dedication to your people - Ndi-Igbo - was so absolute that really, very little else mattered. You never craved anybody's praise as long as you believed that you were doing right and even in the face of utmost danger, you never relented from speaking truth to power - to you, what after all, was power? It was not that conferred by the gun, nor that stolen from the ballot box. No. You understood that power transcended all that. Power is the freedom to be true to yourself and to God, no matter the cost.

It is freedom from fear. It is freedom from bondage. It is freedom to seek the well being of your people just because you love them. It is the ability to move a whole nation without a penny as inducement nor a gun to force them. When an entire nation can rise up for one person for no other reason than that they love him and know he is their leader - sans gun, money, official title or any strange paraphernalia - that is power.

To try to contain you in words is futile. You span the breadth of human experience - full of laughter, joy, kindness and sometimes, almost childlike in your ability to find something good in almost everyone and every situation. You could flare up at any injustice and in the next instant, sing military songs to the children. You could analyse a situation with incredible swiftness and accuracy. In any generation, there can only be one like you. You were that one star. You were a child of destiny, born for no other time than the one you found yourself in.

Destined to lead your people at the time total extinction was staring us in the face. There was no one else. You gained nothing from it. You used all the resources you had just to wage a war of survival. You fought to keep us alive when we were being slaughtered like rams for no reason. Today, we find ourselves in the same situation but you are not here. You fought that we might live. The truth is finally coming out and even those who fought you now acknowledge that you had no choice. For your faithfulness, God kept you and brought you home to your people.

You loved Nigeria. You spent so much of your waking moments devising ways through which Nigeria could progress to Tai-Two ("Tai-One" stands for Taiwan and this is an ode to Taiwan's economic and technological feat which Ojukwu wished could have been replicated in Nigeria thus making Nigeria the "Tai-Two")!!! You were the eternal optimist, always hoping that one day, God will touch His people and give us one Vision and the diligence to work towards the dream. It never came to pass in your lifetime. Instead, the disaster you predicted if we continued on the same path has come home to roost. You always saw so clearly. Your words are indelibly preserved for this generation to read and learn and perhaps heed and turn. You always said the dry bones will rise again. But you always hoped we would not become the dry bones by our actions. Above all, you feared for your own people, crying out against the relentless oppression that has not ceased since the end of the war and saddened by the acceptance of this position by your own people. In death, you have awakened the spirit that we thought had died. Your people are finally waking up.

At home, you were the father any child would dream of having. At no point did our children have to wonder where you were. You were ever at their disposal, playing with them, teaching them of a bygone era, teaching them of the world they live in and giving them the total security of knowing you were always present.

In mercy, God gave me a year to prepare for the inevitable. I could never have survived an instant departure. In mercy, God ensured that your final week on earth was spent only with me and that on your last day, you were back to your old self. I cannot but thank God for the joy of that final day - the jokes, the laughter, the songs. It was a lifetime packed into a few hours, filled with hope that many tomorrows would follow and that we would be home for Christmas. You deceived me. You were so emphatic that we would be going home. I did not know you meant a different home.

The swiftness of your departure remains shocking to me. You left on the day I least expected. But I cannot fight God. He owns your life and mine. I know that God called you home because every other time it seemed you were at death's door, you fought like the lion that God made you and always prevailed. In my eyes, even death was no match for you. But who can say 'no' to the Almighty God? You walked away with Him, going away with such peace that I can only bow to God's sovereignty. Your people have remembered. The warrior of our land has gone. The flags are lowered in your honour. Our hearts are laden with grief.

But I will trust that the living God who gave you to me will look after me and our children. Through my sadness, the memories will always shine bright and beautiful.

Adieu, my love,

My husband,

My lion,

Ikemba,

Amuma na Egbe Igwe,

Odenigbo Ngwo.

Eze-Igbo Gburugburu,

Ibu dike.

Chukwu gozie gi,

Chukwu debe gi.

Anyi ga afu na omesia

SANDRA FLUKE, WHEN SEX BECOMES TOO PROHIBITIVE?

Icheoku says the controversy generated or currently being generated by Ms. Sandra Fluke's statement about having "too much sex" which makes contraceptive too prohibitive for students without insurance, is an unnecessary storm in a tea-cup in a country whose love of life and sex is unparalleled. We are Americans and we love to hump and there is nothing wrong about that; neither is it a prohibited act nor an act anyone should be ashamed of. To this effect therefore, Icheoku supports Sandara Fluke and advises her to consider instituting a defamation of character action against Rush Limbaugh and his EIB network for calling her a slut and prostitute; at least Sandra never charged or charges any of her "sexual partners for her services" and therefore does not fit a slut or prostitute defined. Further, the last time Icheoku checked, provided it is consensual and between two adults or in case of our teenagers, strictly between them, sex is not a crime; so it is not a big deal for Sandra to own up to having limitless fun and therefore she should not be pilloried for her comment from the heart. 

However calling someone a name or names just because she had the temerity to mouth what millions others are thinking or are unable to voice out is an uncivilized conduct. What Sandra Fluke owned up to does not in anyway demonize her and she should therefore not become the object of anyone's name-calling, ridicule or any other manner of crucifixion. Or what does Rush Limbaugh want all those women he was using Viagra for, before he belatedly married, to do, after such marathon orgies, sexual escapades and dalliances? Icheoku believes that if all Rush Limbaugh's ejaculated sperms were allowed to fertilize eggs and mature into full birth, that he alone would have had over one hundred children and we are just being modest in our estimation. 

Likewise those other millions of holier than thou American men, especially as found abundantly in the hypocritical far right conservative block, should back off from pretending that Sandra Fluke is a woman of easy virtue for saying what she said. But having said that, Sandra Fluke should have had some self-control regarding her unbridled appetite for unprotected sex since there is something known and called latex condom; admitted the skin to skin contact sensation is always the sex in every sexual relationships. Further aside of being possibly knocked-up like Bristol Palin, sexual transmitted diseases are also great possibilities of having unprotected sex. Icheoku is also surprised that amidst all the cramming of case laws that law schooling entails, someone in Sandra Fluke's position, a law student, would find enough time to be spreading her legs randomly and with such frequency as to expend such a huge amount of money on preventing and protecting her womb from nurturing a fetus. 


But is Sandra Fluke alone in this quandary of what to do with all those sperms being pumped out by men into women every second, NOPE; as the high libidinous state of the Western world especially America makes it almost imperative that we have to get our grooves on and all the time. So after the men have deposited their fluid and moved on, what do they expect the receptor to do especially when they are not married or prepared to receive a mini-me of them into this world? Icheoku agrees that the smart thing to do in the circumstance is to flush it out and this is what the Sandra Flukes of this world have been doing and it is a smart choice. Sexual proclivity in the Western world could also be attributed to the lack of circumcision in females aka female mutilation. This practice would have otherwise removed their clitoris; so with their trigger-gun of sexuality gone as is practiced in Africa and some other cultures of the world where women are sexually very conservative, no woman would go to Congress asking to be provided with something to technically encourage promiscuity? Further, the high protein energy food and lifestyle in the Western world, which always screams for an outlet to offload for relief, also turns both sexes into horny little monsters. So Icheoku gets it when the Sandra Flukes of this world bravely tells where it hurts. 

Icheoku asks, so is there a meeting ground somewhere in the molasses of the present controversy? Could men of consenting age made to pay for women's contraception since they are not the aliens from Mars that are literally "forcing" themselves to have unquantifiable sex with the Sandra Flukes of America; - remember Monica Lewinsky? Some sort of tax by these males to pay for their jacking off should be considered appropriate - call it "Jack-off tax" if you want and the revenue should be applied to pay for female contraceptives? Just trying to provide some answers. But until a compromise is reached or found, Icheoku says Rush Limbaugh should leave Sandra Fluke alone as she was just voicing out what everyone knows is the prevalent culture of our very highly sexually charged and active promiscuous society where testosterone, estrogen, erectile rumbling and "vaginal-jonesing" or women constantly being in heat run riot. Georgetown is but just one sliver of the greater American society where it feels so good to often let out steam to avoid or prevent the body from over-heating with passionate urges. Sex is good, healthy and recreational; and added to swimming, is the best form of exercise the body needs and can and should engage in.

NIGERIAN OR BIAFRAN FLAG, WHICH WOULD OJUKWU HAVE PREFERRED?

Icheoku curiously asks, were Ikemba to have made that choice, would he have elected for his casket to be draped with a green white and green Nigerian flag or the rising sun red, black and green Biafran flag? Where would his loyalty in death have otherwise laid or would it have been a flummoxed situation where the heart fondered in land so far away in a Biafra that could have been and the reality of his Nigerian-ness which fixated the feet somewhere different. 

Anyway Icheoku believes that Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu personally rested the quest for Biafra the day he accepted a full amnesty from a Nigerian President Shehu Shagari; then returned to Nigeria and ran unsuccessfully for a Nigerian Senate seat to represent Onitsha NIgerian senatorial district. Ojukwu's new disposition was further made manifest when he later swore that his next war if ever, would be to fight to keep Nigeria one united country. His national discourses as well ever since, were always anchored on the need to ensure Nigeria unity. And to keep any doubting Thomas at bay, the Ikemba accepted and received his pension and gratutuity as well as accrued arrears from the Nigerian Federal Government as a retired army colonel of the Nigerian army, the rank he held before the outbreak of hostilities between the Federalist army of Nigeria and the Biafra separatist army. 

All the expressed sentiments notwithstanding, Icheoku makes bold to state that Ojukwu was a Nigerian and not a Biafran at the time of his death. So any doubt as to what Ojukwu would have done or preferred as to his nationality was well put to rest while he still had air in his lungs, alive and well. Therefore, Icheoku agrees that wrapping Ojukwu's casket in the Nigeria's national colors was a right choice as that would be the correct interpretation of the Ikemba's final burial wish. Quoting MASSOB's Ralph Uwazulike, the man trying to fill the oversized shoes of Ojukwu as putative Igbo leader, "MASSOB want the best for Ojukwu and people thought that when the government declared it will give Ojukwu state (military) burial, we should come out to oppose it. Between Ndigbo and Nigeria burying Ojukwu, we prefer Nigeria. So why then should I say no, when the president of Nigeria said Ojukwu should be buried by Nigerians. It is better than Ndigbo burying him alone. So I want the best for my leader, for my father. If you say Uwazuruike should not talk about Biafra on that day, all well and good. Let’s give him that state burial. After the burial we’ll start talking about Biafra." 

Icheoku says a very well articulated statement by Uwazulike and we shall begin to watch more closely the MASSOB's leader. Icheoku is also very appreciative of Nigeria's President Jonathan for being so magnanimous in according Ojukwu a deserved national burial. Adieu Ikemba.  

OJUKWU, NIGERIAN OR BIAFRAN FLAG, WHICH WOULD HE HAVE PREFERRED?

Icheoku curiously asks, were Ikemba to have made that choice, would he have elected for his casket to be draped with a green white and green Nigerian flag or the rising sun red, black and green Biafran flag? Where would his loyalty in death have otherwise laid or would it have been a flummoxed situation where the heart fondered in land so far away in a Biafra that could have been and the reality of his Nigerian-ness which fixated the feet somewhere different.

Anyway Icheoku believes that Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu personally rested the quest for Biafra the day he accepted a full amnesty from a Nigerian President Shehu Shagari. Ojukwu thereafter returned to Nigeria and joined NPN, a national party; instead of the NPP, which was supposedly the regional party of the Igbo people. Ojukwu ran unsuccessfully for a Nigerian Senate seat to represent Onitsha Nigerian senatorial district under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria. Ojukwu's new disposition was further made manifest when he later swore that his next war if ever, would be to fight to keep Nigeria one united country. His national discourses as well ever since, were always anchored on the need to ensure Nigeria unity. And to keep any doubting Thomas at bay, the Ikemba accepted and received his pension and gratutuity as well as accrued arrears from the Nigerian Federal Government as a retired army colonel of the Nigerian army, the rank he held before the outbreak of hostilities between the Federalist army of Nigeria and the Biafra separatist army.

All the expressed sentiments notwithstanding, Icheoku makes bold to state that Ojukwu was a Nigerian and not a Biafran at the time of his death. So any doubt as to what Ojukwu would have done or preferred was well put to rest while he still had air in his lungs, alive and well, Therefore, Icheoku agrees that draping Ojukwu's casket in Nigeria national colors was a right choice as that would be the correct interpretation of the Ikemba's final burial wish. Quoting MASSOB's Ralph Uwazulike, the man trying very hard and courageously to fill the over-sized shoes of Ojukwu as putative Igbo leader, "MASSOB wants the best for Ojukwu and people thought that when the government declared it will give Ojukwu state(military) burial, we should come out to oppose it. Between Ndigbo and Nigeria burying Ojukwu, we prefer Nigeria. So why then should I say no when the president of Nigeria said Ojukwu should be buried by Nigerians. It is better than Ndigbo burying him alone. So I want the best for my leader, for my father. If you say Uwazulike should not talk about Biafra on that day, all well and good. Lets give him that state burial, after the burial we'll start talking about Biafra." Icheoku says well articulated statement and a very good response to a trigger, curve-ball question; which shows that the MASSOB leader is a very intelligent political leader; henceforth, Icheoku shall more closely watch and follow him going forward to see where he leads the Igbo nation. Icheoku is also very appreciative of Nigeria's President Jonathan for being so magnanimous in according Ojukwu a deserved national burial; admitted it would have been a different scenario were the Igbo-hating Otta deity, Baba Iyabo, still holding sway at Aso Rock. Anyway, Icheoku says, so long the peoples hero, Adieu Ikemba!

JAMES IBORI, TWO FACES OF A THIEVING-GOVERNOR

It is indeed the stuff a real and serious fight against corruption is made of - the denuding of a thief hiding under the cloak of a statesman by a country whose judiciary is not corrupt or should Icheoku say not too corrupt to be easily compromised? 


A former grocery store clerk/cashier turned governor/high chief and now a convicted common criminal and soon to be committed to prison for ten long years? What a changing fortunes of man or should Icheoku say once a rogue always a rogue and what is horrible with Nigeria where people with questionable character and not vetted are foist on society to mind the coffers and you ask yourself how can a bank-robber be handed the combination locks numbers of a bank safe? Only in Nigeria, the land of anything and everything goes.

C(t)hief James Onanefe Ibori now stands convicted as a common criminal, financial fraudster and thief who dipped his gluey hands in the pie of his Delta State and helped himself handsomely to the tune of several hundreds millions of dollars with States resources. 


A former high chief and former governor now posing for mugshot as a common criminal? What a shame and a very huge stain on Nigeria's already over soiled and badly tarnished image and notoriety as a cesspool of corruption. Icheoku hopes he will serve his ten year sentence in full in addition to full restitution and not disguise himself as an old lady in the manner of DSP Alamesigha and flee London. EFCC, do you now see how it is done?

CONVICT JAMES ONANEFE IBORI, DISSECTED !

“He was never the legitimate governor and there was effectively a thief in government house. As the pretender of that public office, he was able to plunder Delta State’s wealth and hand out patronage.” - Prosecutor Sasha Wass describing convicted criminal James Onanefe Ibori to the court. 

Icheoku says what a testament to Nigeria indeed; except that those thieves masquerading as leaders in Nigeria don't ever learn a lesson nor would they learn a thing from the Ibori's experience with the law in a functioning society of laws. This is the same thieving James Onanefe Ibori that an Asaba high court in Delta State Nigeria declared an incorruptible angel and you wonder how much such testimonial cost the Ibori team? Anyway, the verdict is in and it shows that once a thief always a thief.

CRUSADER RICK SANTORUM PLANS TO TURN AMERICA INTO A VATICAN?

Yes you heard damn right, he said it - that America should become a "Christian Republic of America" or better rephrased "Catholic Christian Republic of America" since according to him, all other Protestant religions/churches are now habitat for the Devil? Icheoku says move over Mullah Omar as the real extremist religious zealot and crusader has been located in the United States of America and his name is RICK SANTORUM. 

Luckily enough for Americans, this crusader, Rick Santorum, came out of his religious closet early enough for the people to know who he really is and to enable them run as far away from him as is possible; otherwise can anyone imagine the nightmare of fighting another civil war between these fanatic-lunatics and the more civilized live and let live of the American society. Good, good, good as Americans now know that this American Talibangelist is simply too extreme for America and he would be roundly rejected in his bid for the White-house. At least when the late former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a Catholic, ran for office, he clarified that The Vatican would not tele-guide his actions as president. But here comes another Catholic presidential aspirant, Rick Santorum, who have publicly proclaimed his preference that The Vatican take a center stage in his administration and he could care less of all other religious and none-religious of America? In his rabid and warped support for a religious government or theocracy as practiced in Islamic Republic of Iran, Rick Santorum said that he does not belief that there should be a partition between government and religion as the idea alone makes him wanna pewk. He posited that "the idea that the church can have no influence or involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and visions of our country." 

Icheoku is also disturbed that this fanatic who is a lawyer is deliberately misleading his gullible electors; trying desperately to throw them some red meat in order to get ahead in the Republican presidential primaries. It is rather doubtful that an educated person such as a lawyer would mean all these gobbledygook oozing from his mouth such as saying that education is elitist and people should not go to college because they are indoctrinated therein? Rick Santorum for crying out loud is a lawyer and benefited from college education immensely, so why the now turnaround of "education is dangerous for you" campaign against making education a befitting imperative. Icheoku asks, if education as presently seen by this crusader's jaundiced eyes is so bad, why has he not renounced his degrees and why are his children being educated? Anyway America knows better and will accordingly respond to this man's provocations with a resounding NO at the ballot.

 While American military forces are fighting all over the world to liberate and give people freedoms including that of religion, here we have an American Mullah Omar Rick Santorum advocating for the loss and emasculation of our freedoms including that of religion as well as the right to atheism. It is unfathomable as it is lunatic-fringed for these regrettable anti-education comments coming out of a lawyer's mouth. May be Cuban Fidel Castro was right afterall when he branded this bunch of 2012 Republican presidential candidate wanna-bees a congregation of idiocy and imbecility. 

Yet Rick Santorum does not exhibit traces of being indoctrinated or brain-washed as he alleges colleges make students; so Icheoku asks, why then is education that was good for Santorum now not good for "The Others" of America? The answer or rather the only semblance of an explanation that makes any sense whatsoever is that Rick Santorum wants to continuously subjugate and maintain a pool of unthinking pack of gullible imbeciles and morons of America for him to continuously lie to. While the Santorums of America roll by in affluence with the benefit of their advanced education as Senators, Congressmen as well as Presidents and CEOs of Fortune companies, the uneducated dark-minds wallow in perpetual want and poverty, dependent on the Santorums to do their thinking for them and provide them with absolute nonsense of rancid information. 

If Rick Santorum was serious about his aversion to education, he should first renounce his degrees or better show Icheoku a member of the Congress or any president of America without some education and in most cases advanced degrees. It is just a ploy to keep those gullible Americans captive and controlled, period and therefore freedom rejects all such leg-chains as Rick Santorum is trying desperately to yoke Americans with. The solution is simple - tell Santorum t take a hike or better still to go hide inside a monastery as a monk or even become an ordained Reverend Father; except that he would first be required to also renounce his wife and children. So between Mormons and Catholics, who wins the Republican Party presidential candidate nomination, depends on which of them is more American. So you decide as 'Operation Chaos' continues to rain havoc in the now themed "Anyone but Romney" Republican Party's presidential primaries.

OJUKWU, A VICTIM OF A NIGERIAN CRISIS OF NATIONHOOD - TINUBU.

"Ojukwu’s birth and life would have made him the quintessential Nigerian citizen, born in the North, settled in Lagos and of Igbo stock, he was a victim of a Nigerian crisis of nationhood. Ojukwu was truly a product of the flawed attempt to be a good Nigerian without first being a good tribal man - Igboman, Hausa woman or Yoruba child. 

It makes more pragmatic sense to build Nigerian patriotism on those common tribal values and virtues that are not in any way against the values of Nigerian patriotism. If Ojukwu is viewed from that new prism, it would be clear that he was both a worthy Igboman as well as a worthy Nigerian. He was a friend of all heroic souls. He forwent the riches of his family and chose the patriotic lane. His voice was never drowned on issues that concerned him. He never compromised and for the sake of his people, he waged a war against injustice and ongoing pogrom." - Asiwaju Bolaji Tinubu. Icheoku agrees with BT and adds, above all that The Ikemba was the peoples hero and of whose true mold there is no other person in the Igbo firmament. Rest in peace Eze-Igbo.

SEEKING RELEVANCE, PUTIN SIDES WITH THE SYRIAN KILLER?

"I think that our position at the UN Security Council on Syria shows that we do not intend to be anyone's yes-men. And I hope that this is how things continue." - Vladimir Putin, Russian emerging petty dictator and power-drunk honcho. 

Icheoku says it is called res ipsa loquitur in law and the petite power-drunk Russian has now confessed his spoiler's role in refusing to save the people of Syria from the ongoing slaughter in the hands of now gone-mad Assad. How else can one explain that a president whose mission in chief is the protection of the citizenry become the villain and how slaughtering his own people for the sake of power? It is incomprehensible as it is condemnable as no sane president with love of country and people burning in his heart would do so. 

As for the Russian Napoleon Bonaparte syndrome sufferer, Icheoku says history will place you squarely on the side of a criminal behavior; having irrationally chosen instead to be in bed with Assad while he slaughtered his people - the people of Syrian. Just take a second look at what his reason is for standing in the way of stopping the ongoing carnage in Syria - not to be anyone's yes-man? What an arrant, stupid and asinine inferiority complex induced nonsense of a reason that Icheoku wonders why Russians want to tolerate this man's third adventure in Kremlin.