NIGERIA IS EBOLA-FREE, HURRAY!

Icheoku says congratulations to the government of President Jonathan Goodluck of Nigeria for successfully checkmating Patrick Sawyer and his minders's attempt to destroy the country with the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease.  Thanks to their dogged effort, Nigeria is now adjudged completely free of the disease as the World Health Organization today officially certified.  For this reason, every Nigerian, their friends and well wishers should indeed be proud that, finally, something spectacularly uplifting and heartwarming, was checked by the world to Nigeria's credit column. Who knew that Africa's most populous country could so decisively protect her citizenry and economy from Ebola, despite all the naysayers projections that it was going to be a gargantuan disaster that will completely decimate her population and economy? But look at who laughs last, President Jonathan and her over 160 million citizens and residents alike. Icheoku says well-done on a job done well Mr President.

Icheoku will also extend our gratitude to the then Health Minister Chukwu for excellently succeeding in the task that was his ministry's to tackle the Ebola Virus Disease. Icheoku also prays that all other ministries in Nigeria as well as government parastatals and agencies would so effectively tackle various problems bedeviling the country which falls within their respective ministries' primary responsibility; and this immediately calls to mind the Ministry of Power and its lack of traction in solving Nigeria's endemic power problem.

Icheoku also thanks the governments of Lagos, Rivers and Enugu States whose states were directly impacted by the Ebola Virus Disease for gallantry putting up with the challenge of wrestling Ebola to a conclusive end. Icheoku also congratulates all the first responders and health care professionals, immigration and border enforcement agencies as well as other security personnel who provided care and service and also maintained order throughout this near epicurean crisis. As the first line of defense in this successful war against Ebola, they put up a stellar performance and Nigerians owe them their gratitude. Icheoku also recognizes  the staff and management of First Foundation Consultants, whose Dr. Adadevoh sacrificed herself, diagnosing Patrick Sawyer of the disease and quarantining him immediately to avoid further infestation of the general populace. 

Icheoku rejoices that today is Nigeria's day of glory as the country is recognized throughout the world as having successfully accomplished something of great note and significance. The world is not usually very favorably disposed towards Africa in general and particularly Nigeria, so for its agency WHO, to have acknowledged Nigeria as having done brilliantly well in the fight against Ebola Virus Disease, is something for Nigerians to celebrate and indeed be proud of. Nigeria is now the reference point in the fight against EVD as even the United States of America have adopted Nigeria's winning strategy as they grapple with their own Ebola invasion. Icheoku says some bubblies and high fives on this occasion would not be an unmerited gloating.  The Ebola success story goes to show what is indeed possible in the country should all its disparate people come together as one to help lift the country up. Icheoku once again says congratulations Nigeria and may the Ebola Virus Disease response become the new benchmark for problem-solving in the country. Way to go Nigeria! 

BUHARI, THE N27 MILLION BORROWED?

Icheoku says Muhammadu Buhari has been deceiving Nigerians, pretending to be who he is not and falsely putting up a facade of a church rat who has nothing but the clothes on his back? Icheoku says give me a break. It is just a mere populist image he has been trying to build over the many years since he was forced out of office, leaving Nigerians little time to indeed see who this man is? But judging from the plundering of the State by his two lieutenants Babangida and Abacha, little doubt is left that were Buhari to have stayed longer, he possibly would have been as bad if not worst after all he was praised Abacha as the best leader Nigeria ever had despite the fact of Abacha's looting of the treasury to the tune of 7billion dollars?   

Icheoku strongly suspects that Buhari, if he passes the crucibles  of both his party's nomination and goes on to win the presidential election, might out-loot Obasanjo in his second coming. After all Obasanjo did not steal enough during his first coming and came back and made out like bandit? So who knows what actually is driving Buhari's desperation for return to power. As the only former head of state without an imperial mansion on a hill, who knows if he wants to outdo both Babangida and Obasanjo with a Duara Hilltop mansion should he win? But Nigerians have an idea of what a Buhari's presidency would mean, having lived through his despotism before and are not ready for an encore. icheoku is emphatic that a deja vu Buhari is not in the future of Nigeria, not in 2015 and not at any further time in the life of Nigeria and Nigerians. 

Icheoku asks Nigerians to  put on their thinking hat for a moment and ask themselves why all of a sudden is this man telling the whole world that he "borrowed" the twenty seven million Naira nomination form fee? If a presidential candidate does not have "ordinary" N27 million to purchase his nomination form, what in the hell is he doing running for the office that will probably gulp billions of Naira to see through? Who is going to foot the bill of the presidential campaign and would it be a quid pro quo arrangement where his sponsors will descend on the treasury to feed themselves fat? if yes, how then does he plan to prosecute his proverbial war on corruption? There are simply too many complications with this alleged "borrowing" of 27million Naira nomination form fees that does not add up and further makes the story unbelievable. 

Icheoku asks why did it take Buhari four unsuccessful previous runs for the same office to now tell Nigerians that he borrows all the money he uses and is now even too broke to afford his nomination form fees? But lets just for the heck of discussion play the devil's advocate and assume that Buhari told the truth that he borrowed the 27 million Naira nomination form fee? Query, how does he plan to repay back the borrowed money and under what terms and conditions was the facility extended to him? If on lenient terms and not strictly in conformance to banking practices, is it not corruption that he used his position to an undue advantage and at the same time project the image of an incorruptible corruption crusader coming to fix all that is broken in Nigeria? If he indeed he borrowed the money, from where is he going to repay it since his salary as president, in the unforeseen nightmarish event he wins, would be far below twenty seven million Naira? 

Icheoku queries from who did Buhari also "borrow" the billions his previous four attempts running for the presidency cost him? May be from his also anonymous faceless secret banker or his Islamic bank-rollers in Riyadh?  That late Moummar Ghaddafi also chipped in his previous campaigns is in the public domain too? The Americans have a saying that 'if you follow the money it will lead you to the source of either the crime or its cover up', so Icheoku calls on Nigeria security apparatchiks to try and unravel the source of Buhari's campaign funding and see if Buhari has already mortgaged Nigeria's future interest and is only bidding his time before signing over Nigeria to some foreign interests? 

Further, if Muhammadu Buhari actually borrowed the 27million Naira, who co-signed it since according to him his net worth is not substantial enough to guarantee such a huge amount of loan? With what securities or assets or cd was the sum secured or collateralized? Was due process of verification of assets followed or was it just a mere walk through by reason of who he is? Was the loan smooched over simply because as an expected future president, so many juicy business deals will be possible as a result of this facility in a quid pro quo fashion? 

Icheoku says until Muhammadu Buhari comes clean with this N27 million he allegedly borrowed to pay for his nomination form and gives full detailed information of the transaction to enable Nigerians determine if it was transparent, Nigerians will continue to second-guess his veracity for truth when he said he borrowed the sum in question. Icheoku says if Buhari borrowed the nomination form fee, what else is he going to borrow before he becomes the president of Nigeria, in his dreams though? What a ruse, what a deceitful, conniving and contriving Cassius this man is, that no longer finds anything questionable in Bola Tinubu's wealth and who unlike Nuhu Ribadu is yet to keep his distance from that corruption personified ABT. Icheoku says Nigerians can no longer be deceived, not by Buhari and not be his austere facade. Icheoku says enough of this holier than thou, make believe show Buhari calculatedly always puts up for effect. Say no to Buhari, say no to taking Nigeria back. Buhari belongs to the old way of doing things and Nigeria has since moved on without him.

BUHARI HAS NOTHING NEW TO OFFER - VANGUARD.

On Wednesday, October 15, 2014, former military head of state, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, made his much awaited declaration to run for the presidency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the Eagle Square, Abuja. It was the fourth time since 2003 when he broke into the quadrennial vocation of seeking to rule Nigeria again.

As usual, the crowds were there, in large numbers, most of them from Arewa North, confirming the well-known fact that he has a cult following in the Muslim section of Northern Nigeria. Buhari has taken his place along with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu as a great Nigerian beloved at the level of fanaticism by people of his ethno-religious section. All three ran for president of Nigeria several times but failed to make it because they could not manage to extend their charismatic appeal beyond their primordial bounds.

Buhari has contested against three Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidates. In 2003, he made his debut against an incumbent, President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was seeking re-election. In 2007, he went against Governor Umaru Yar’Adua, his fellow Katsina indigene. And in 2011, he was up against an ethnic Minority candidate, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, who was also an incumbent trying his hands for the first time in a nationwide presidential run. Already, the PDP has unanimously okayed President Jonathan for a second term. Buhari is hoping to be nominated from his APC party to square up to the president.

So, what is new from Buhari, you may ask? The APC is a much more formidable political party than all the platforms that Buhari has used in the past. It currently has 14 states under its belt, the highest the opposition has ever got. But the ruling PDP still has 21 states with Anambra, under a strong PDP ally, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, making the 22th, with the possibility of more states joining before the next election. The veteran presidential aspirant is someone we all know, for his “good, bad and ugly” attributes.

The question: “What is new” is paramount both for Buhari and his co-contestant for the APC ticket, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has also been a presidential candidate on two previous occasions. The same will not apply to newbies, Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and (if he will run)and  Aminu Tambuwal.

Unfortunately, Buhari and his handlers did not address the issue of “what is new” during his declaration. He merely reeled off his usual coup day-like speech, accusing the president he wants to replace of “election rigging”, running down the economy, inability to fix the power situation, dividing the polity, inability to provide security and presiding over a corrupt regime.

Then, he proceeded to list, equally in an intellectually lazy manner, things he hopes to accomplish if he gets our mandate: protection of lives and property, pursuing an economic policy that would promote prosperity and employment, quality education, agricultural productivity for food security, reviving the industries, developing the solid minerals sector and restoring integrity in governance by fighting corruption.

I call it intellectually lazy because anyone can sit down and produce this speech within 30 minutes and use it to campaign in India, Pakistan, Russia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Uganda Nigeria, almost everywhere. Very little was done to analyse each of the sectors and proffer fresh ideas that will inspire uncommitted members of the APC (and Nigerians at large) to see Buhari as a better choice than the others. Perhaps, his supporters will argue that this was a mere declaration for president and the details will come later when the main show begins. That had better be so.

The APC and its candidates must be ready to tackle the PDP and its candidates with superior intellectual engagement way beyond Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s trite market woman-like name-calling propaganda. The late Chief Awolowo produced superior opposition throughout his political career by investing so much in brainpower and periodically analysing the political, social and economic situations of the country.

He made “predictions” and they came true, thus earning him the title of “sage” which his admirers still call him. Many people opposed Awo till he died, but even his most ardent political opponents respected his depth. Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu described him as “the best president Nigeria never had”. It was not a mockery. It will take a lot more than empty name-calling to bring down a sitting Nigerian president like Jonathan.

And make no mistakes about it: President Jonathan and his party, having run the country for slightly more than four years, now have unlike in 2011,figures and facts with which they will try to woo the uncommitted voter to vote for continuity rather than change. They don’t even need to engage Lai Mohammed in street verbal exchanges. The incumbency factor will be heavy on their side. For the opposition to stand any chance, it must be ready to engage the achievements and failures of the Jonathan administration TRUTHFULLY and show how they would do it better if given a chance. Obvious lies or deceptive postulations may backfire.

For instance, Buhari got it wrong when he said the economy is “going down”. This flies in the face of known facts. The economy is actually “going up”, based on figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the various international rating agencies.

It is no longer news that Nigeria is now the largest economy in Africa and the 26th largest in the world; and that the economy is growing at a much faster and higher rate than Buhari left it in 1994, thanks to a strong team of world class technocrats powering that sector. Buhari actually ran an economy in which there were no essential goods in the shops to buy!

But it can also be argued that the dividends of economic growth are not yet being felt by the generality of Nigerians. Jonathan had better tell us how he intends to make the people feel the growth in 2015 and beyond when the campaigns begin.

A sound opposition party and candidate will tell us how they will grow the economy at even faster rate, while getting the people to feel its impact. It will not dispute the fact that the economy is growing just to demonise the sitting regime and score cheap points to deceive those who are ignorant.

Buhari knows better than to say power generation in Nigeria was 4,000 megawatts in 1999. That was a needless lie! It was less than 2,000 megawatts. In 16 years, the PDP Federal Government took it to nearly 5,000 megawatts after reportedly spending some $20 billion or so. Is that satisfactory? I say NO. But why lie when the truth will do? Is that how you will fight corruption?

Elections have gotten better under President Jonathan both at state and federal levels, and election winners have been sworn-in irrespective of their political parties. Our democracy has grown. Someone who has lost elections three times in a row may not admit that. He may justify himself by complaining of “rigging”.

Buhari needs to change tactics. He must come out of the North because North and West alone cannot give him victory. If he proceeds to 2015 with the old tactics of the three lost elections,the result should be obvious even before the election holds. 

An oped titled Buhari: What is new? Culled from The Vanguard Newspapers October 20, 2014.

BUHARI DECLARES, BUT LEFT MUCH UNDECLARED?

"I humbly wish to present myself before you, before all of Nigeria and before God, seeking to be elected (nominated) as  APC's  presidential candidate." - Muhammadu Buhari. With those words, Muhammadu Buhari threw his hat in the ring to contest for the nomination as APC presidential candidate and by extension the right to challenge President Jonathan for Aso Rock's occupancy in 2015. Icheoku says thankfully dreamy fantasies do not often materialize into reality, as this man once again embarks on a strangely now much familiar travel, on a road that is eerily familiar and which does not and will not lead him into Aso Rock. Not this time, not any future time and not in the lifetime of Nigerians, especially those who are old enough to remember the disgusting taste of the dishes he served to them between 1983 and 1985. Icheoku joins Nigerians in vociferously rejecting this particular APC candidate Buhari, and in saying NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN this BUHARI, we know too well and know better to avoid like leprosy. 

Icheoku says having formally joined the race for Aso Rock and for the umpteenth time, it is now safe to examine and reexamine his eligibility and electability for the office of Nigeria's presidency. Icheoku is towing this line of action because, judging by the number of Bola Tinubu's surrogates that attended Buhari's declaration, including his wife Oluremi, it is safe to conclude that apparently Bola Tinubu has signed off on Buhari as  APC's putative presidential candidate. This means that Abubakar Atiku has once again been effectively checkmated by Baba Iyabo, who strongly counseled Bola Tinubu against providing Atiku with APC's platform to run for president. Icheoku says the naiveté of Atiku in thinking that he would be allowed to reap where he did not sow, jumping from one party to another and to another and yet to another, has fully bubbled up to the surface. Who knows when he will be returning back to the PD, except that this time, his welcome might be rather lukewarm, if ever.

So with Muhammadu Buhari practically for all intent and purpose, settled on as the APC's presidential candidate and the guy to slug it out with  incumbent President Jonathan in the forthcoming 2015 presidential election, Icheoku will now revisit the merits and demerits of his choice over Abubakar Atiku as the APC presidential candidate. Icheoku will also go through Buhari's declaration of presidential intent against the background of readily available facts, history and antecedents of the man Muhammadu Buhari, and guided by where he has been, where he currently is and where possibly he is going to, and analyze same in tandem. 

Icheoku says if they could, those sponsors, propagandists and praise singers of Muhammadu Buhari's preeminence stature and "over-qualification" for the presidency of Nigeria, would rather millions of Nigerians that lived under General Buhari's jackboot junta were all brain dead or have amnesia not to remember the horrors of that inglorious regime? Also this group of Buhari's apologists would, if horses are dreams, wish that Buhari's past is magically all-wiped away; and the despotic dictator is washed anew? Also that their "reinvented" Muhammadu Buhari is  now a "born-again" human being with real blood flowing in his veins and that this version of Buhari is no longer  the tin-headed, two-horn monster, whose arteries are filled with sulphuric acid and who hated Nigerians so much that he chastised them with scorpions. 

But unfortunately for these town-criers, voluminous records abound which attest, loudly and clearly, that this Daura monster, who saw Nigerians as slaves that needed a slave master, is not good for Nigeria.  It is Professor Wole Soyinka who once said that "history matters; records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory, but to operate as guides to the future." Icheoku maintains that the erudite professor provides Nigerians with a very  important beacon to guide them as they contemplate and gravitate towards a possibly Buhari's presidency in 2015? The professor wants Nigerians not to become victims of a deceitful campaign jingoes or become beguiled by the repackaging of a devil in the cloak of an Angel Michael? A Buhari is a Buhari and will always remain a Buhari, period.

Icheoku says the Buhari then still remains the Buhari now and teaching an old dog new manners is often a task in futility. It is also on record that Buhari unlike genocidal 'Jackal' Gowon, since being ousted from office thirty something odd years ago, has not gone back to school to acquire a formal education or at least augment whatever little "the dangerously bad Western education" he may previously possess? It is also on record that Buhari has not traveled extensively around the world in order to assimilate edifying values and also expand his world views? It is also on records that Buhari has not done anything with his time out of office, except for the shoddy job he did at PTF which forced Baba Iyabo to shut it down. 

It is also on record that Buhari did not in anyway put his services to use for Nigerians' benefit, not even through an NGO, in order to properly acquaint himself with public and human relationships' best practices? Icheoku says it is therefore far fetched and deceitful, for anyone, including these APC honchos, to try and suggest to Nigerians that a man who turned into a hermit, became a religious zealot, morphed into an ardent and fervent fundamentalist and who forced an enslaving life in Purdah on his wife, somehow, simultaneously, reinvented himself and would now lead Nigerians with some modicum of decency? Icheoku is not buying their tale by moonlight nor agrees that this Buhari of 2014 is any less the old melancholic Buhari of yore - the draconian dictator of 1983 to 1985.

Icheoku says to Buhari that overthrowing a duly elected democratic government of President Shehu Shagari is a worst form of injustice than any election rigging. Also if anyone ever held Nigerians in a stranglehold, it was the Buhari/Idiagbon military junta, between 1983 to 1985, but certainly not the PDP as people are somewhat free to say what they think including the opposition party. Lastly, Icheoku does not believe a hair of Buhari's assertion that his government would respect "constitutional separation of powers as well as rights of citizens" except his records as a military dictator no longer matters and is completely discarded:- 

Decree 4 the muzzle decree, prohibition of drinking before 5pm in predominantly Christian Southern Nigeria in the name of WAI; disregarding Oputa Panel's invitation to appear before it; murdering three innocent Nigerians for an offense which was not a death-penalty offense just to bare his bloody fangs; locked away Southern Christian politicians in Kirikiri without due process while their Northern Islamic counterparts enjoyed convenient house arrests; etc. Icheoku was expecting Buhari, during his declaration, to acknowledge these shortcomings of his first adventure and duly apologize for them, but he didn't. Instead he failed and stubbornly refused to atone for his past and thereby further throwing sand in the eyes of conscionable Nigerians. 

Icheoku says one of the funniest and craziest commendation heard during the said Buhari's declaration came from Audu Ogbe, Communication Minister during Shagari government, who said "Buhari's interest inn the presidency is to come and stabilize the polity and then STEP ASIDE?" Icheoku coils in shame at this parody of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and his shameful "stepping aside" episode, after the wicked June 12 annulment. Now Audu Ogbe, a victim of Buhari's highhandedness, is reminding Nigerians some of these haranguing and harrowing experiences that are better confined in the darkest corner of Nigerians forgotten history? Then, came Timipre Silva, who said Buhari is coming to properly intervene in Nigeria's economy but failed to tell Nigerians when and where Buhari obtained his 'PhD in Economics or his corporate managerial skills?' 

Icheoku says Buhari has nothing palliative or new to offer to Nigerians or to help solve the myriad of problems facing the country. Instead he is the trigger of it all when he overthrew a duly elected democratic government of President Shehu Shagari, leading to the advent of Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha's maddening institutionalization of corruption, which eventually cascaded to the cesspool presently hounding Nigeria. Icheoku maintains that but for Buhari's military coup, democracy would have since taken very deep root in Nigeria, with most of the current incidental problems already fixed by now. Further if Buhari's very advanced age of 75 years is not a militating factor against his ambition, does it mean that gerontologists are mistaken when they propound that certain risks are largely age related, including dementia, arthritis of the extremities, leaking and forgetfulness? Icheoku says if Senator Mamora is right, then Nigerians should expect to be governed by a Council of Elders in a Buhari's government regardless of their elderly infirmities?  

And in a world where most world leaders are now barely the half age of Buhari, Icheoku wonders the inconvenience of bilateral relationships between a Buhari and these other leaders? Icheoku asks does anyone know if Buhari knows how to even surf the Internet? Also George Akume extolled Buhari's time as Petroleum Minister but tactically forgot that the issue of the $2.7billion missing oils money during Buhari's said tenure has not been conclusively resolved till date? An APC women leader Hajia Rabiu Ishaq urged fellow women to support Buhari as a leader who can liberate Nigerian women, but failed to mention that Buhari's own wife, a woman and potential future Nigeria's First Lady, is not herself free, but is forced to live a pining-away life in Purdah? Icheoku asks Hajia, who would be Nigeria's First lady or is she auditing for the job to act in the stead of the Purdah(ed) Buhari's wife? 

Icheoku bemoans that the owner and the CEO of APC PLC Bola Tinubu is going to blow this golden opportunity at his party's best shot at the presidency with this Buhari misfit. Buhari is not sellable nor acceptable to Nigerians and irrespective of who he chooses as vice presidential candidate, he will not be elected president of Nigeria. If he chooses Rotimi Amaechi, the Southsouth will not trade their number one presidency for a mere number two vice presidency position? If he chooses Fashola, Ngerians will not accept two Muslim candidates, neither would Igbo Southeast accept two affirmed Igbo haters at Aso Rock? If he drops his erstwhile running mate Pastor Bakare, he would be making a statement that Bakare was not good enough and made him lose the previous election, thus creating bad blood between they supporters? If he chooses Rochas, Rochas is a lightweight and will not deliver any Igbo State? 

So generally asking, why would Northern Nigerian Christians, especially those in the Middle Belt, now choose a Muslim over their already existing Christian president or  put in another way, who prefers the shackles of slavery which a Buhari presidency portends to the boundless freedom relatively being now enjoyed under the Jonathan's presidency? Lastly, Icheoku says Nigerians are fed up with these military men, especially after the garrison government ran by the other military man Obasanjo and wouldn't stand for such hallowing experience again. Icheoku says Muhammadu Buhari is a wrong choice and if Bola Tinubu does not listen to Nigerians and foist him, the APC would woefully lose the coming election. Icheoku says APC must say no to Buhari, they should reject his candidacy if they stand any chance in 2015.

OBASANJO'S SARCASM - ADE ADELEYE

"With sarcastic glee, former President Olusegun Obasanjo told supplicating PDP leaders pressuring him to return to the party that he never left the party in the first instance. He, however, admitted to being passive. He put down his passivity  to what he grandiloquently described as his “principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character which are paramount.” He could have fooled us. Given his failed third term project, the Transcorp shares deal, his cruel mistreatment of political opponents, etc, there is nothing about his person or ideas that exemplifies any of the virtues he undeservingly arrogates to himself." - Adekunle Ade-Adeleye. (Culled from Nation Newspaper, October 18, 2014)

Icheoku agrees and adds that the same Southwest PDP coordinator he is now attacking and accusing of all manner of things equally once worked for him, as a sitting president, in his unrelenting war of attrition with then Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniels. Then, Olusegun Obasanjo never knew or did not know or deliberately chose to forget that the man he is now accusing of being Nigeria's 'Pablo Escobar' and waging war against, was then so suspected? Also Obasanjo in his hypocritical style of selective self absolution, has not told Nigerians how he went from having zero money before he became president to now being a billionaire? But hey, it is Nigerians and their usual mental inertia that allows such despicable vermin as Baba Iyabo to still remain relevant in the affairs of the land after all they did. Icheoku says what a jerk this Ota deity is, that won't just fade away into irrelevancy just because of their being too self absorbed in their illusionary importance, like without them, Nigeria will evaporate?

NIGERIANS ARE BONE HEADS - WOLE SOYINKA.

"To deprive a people of volition in their own political direction is to turn a nation into a colony of slaves. Buhari enslaved the nation. He gloated and gloried in a master-slave relation to the millions of its inhabitants. It is astonishing to find that the same former slaves, now free of their chains, should clamour to be ruled by one who not only turned their nation into a slave plantation, but forbade them any discussion of their condition." - Professor Wole Soyinka. 

Icheoku agrees that there is something certainly, patently and endemically wrong with Nigerians in the manner they react to most things in their lives? Icheoku emphasizes that the very fact that this murderer, Muhammadu Buhari, is getting any serious attention whatsoever to preside over Nigerians again, defies every sensibility and logic. That this adoration is coming, especially from those Nigerians old enough to have lived through the experiences that was his infra-dig happenstance upon the Nigerian stage, makes the matter more hair-raising and utter sordid. A situation made worse because he went up against the same democracy that he is now trying to profit from; and some of these marabout-politicians now clamoring for him were at the receiving end of his melancholic and choleric despotism. 

Icheoku says so it is not without reason that some school of thought heavily weigh towards agreeing that the neurons in many a Nigerian brain is out of sync and firing wrongly? Icheoku says it is as perfidious as it is self-lynching for Nigerians to be holding this very same Muhammadu Buhari in such a high pedestal, despite the not too long ago history of his callousness and inhumanity to Nigerians. Indeed it is regrettable and smacks of a people with little regards for their self worth and self esteem; and who could in the situation equally pass for a bunch of sadistic vermins. Icheoku queries, Buhari of all persons?

NIGERIA, ELECTION 2015 MUST HOLD!

Icheoku says no reason or excuse or explanation or any subterfuge whatsoever, will suffice to abort the much anticipated forthcoming Election 2015 in Nigeria. Any attempt at delaying, deferring or postponing the scheduled election 2015 would be seen and treated by Nigerians as a sabotage and an existential threat to the body fabric of the country and therefore it would be vehemently resisted. Icheoku warns that this embarked course by Team Jonathan, if true, is a course to perdition; from which they must disembark pronto because he who sows a whirlwind must be prepared to be swept away in the ensuing tornado. 

Like 'Aduke' would always let Nigerians know in 'The Masquerade' television drama of years gone by, "NEPA or no NEPA, Aduke is on." So Icheoku says 'defeating Boko Haram or no defeating Boko Haram' and 'writing new Constitution or no writing new Constitution', the election should and must go, because with or without 'President Jonathan, Nigeria will go on and survive. 

Icheoku bemoans that Nigerians have heard this line of argument before where an incumbent president or head of state thinks that he is the panacea for all Nigeria's problem and without him, Nigeria will just evaporate? As a result, they start devising all manners of ruse to hoodwink Nigerians into allowing them to elongate their tenure in office. From Ibrahim Babangida's never ending transition to political governance to Olusegun Obasanjo's third term agenda to the now Jonathan's alleged plans to use the issue of security and constitution writing to further delay a referendum on his style of governance? Icheoku says Nigerians will similarly reject this latest Jonathan's ploy as they did in the past with other former sit-tight seeking leaders. 

Icheoku hereby, therefore, categorically rejects any attempt to defer or postpone or even delay the forthcoming Elections 2015 including the presidency. It would amount to the highest travesty which would be resisted by Nigerians in the loudest and most consequential manner. Nigerians would not stand nor tolerate any version of a third term agenda or for anyone including President Jonathan to surreptitiously hold on to power without due process of an election. If President Jonathan feels that he has delivered enough democracy dividends to Nigerians to warrant his reelection, he should have nothing to fear standing for an election to enable Nigerians decide his grades on this question accordingly. 

Icheoku maintains that Boko Haram insecurity problem is Nigerians' general business and not something uniquely personal to only President Jonathan. As a result, whosoever  becomes the next president of Nigeria would dutifully continue the fight to free Nigerians of this scourge, so President Jonathan does not need to remain in office for the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram to continue or to successfully conclude. The war against insurgency in Nigeria started long before President Jonathan was sworn in and would, if need be, linger on long after President Jonathan completes his tenure. President Obasanjo was prosecuting the war against Niger Delta terrorists before President Umaru Yar'Adua came in to finally work out a deal with those river-rine terrorists. Similarly President Umaru Yar'Adua did not ask not to die because he has to first finish the war on Boko Haram? 

Icheoku says what if President Jonathan suddenly drops off from the face of the earth or the dreaded Ebola magically arrests him or something nasty happens to him, does it mean that Nigeria will fold up because the "Messiah Jonathan" is no more? Before him there were presidents and heads of states and long after him there will still be a retinue of presidents and leaders of Nigeria. As the popular saying among the military goes, 'soldier come, soldier go but the barracks remains open.' Icheoku says since Nigeria will not peter out in the absence of Jonathan, no reason whatsoever, therefore, justifies or should be tolerated for not holding the forthcoming election 2015 as and when due. Nigerians will not accept any attempt to truncate their democracy by acts of selfish individuals capable of inciting the polity or force the boots of the khaki boys back out again. 

President Jonathan is not Nigeria nor is Nigeria President Jonathan; he is merely a president, doing his time and it is a constitutionally mandated limited time. If Boko Haram was his priority, he would have long time ago made it so and put all needed resources to get the mission accomplished before now? If writing a new constitution was a priority of his government, he would have inaugurated the Constitutional Conference long time ago in his six year term and by now their recommendations including writing a new constitution would have since been 'mission accomplished' too. So these clever by half plots would not sell nor would they be bought by Nigerians as reason enough why the 2015 election would not hold as scheduled. 

Icheoku says the Constitutional Conference was a Nigerians' affair, carried out by Nigerians and not President Jonathan's personal matter. Therefore their recommendations are that of Nigerians and any future Nigerian president is duty bound and obligated to follow it through. Icheoku therefore admonishes President Jonathan and his kitchen cabinet to beware and to jettison any idea whatsoever geared at aborting the forthcoming 2015 elections. 

No president ever finishes or completes all his stated goals while in office, the reason governance is a continuum as the next government almost always builds on the preceding government. Whatever is left by an outgoing government would be completed by the incoming government;  therefore President Jonathan must not and should not fly this ominous kite of an apparent illegal tenure elongation  through the back channel by reason of "fighting Boko Haram" or "writing a new constitution?" 

Icheoku warns that an attempt by the Jonathan's government to doubt Nigerians absolute resolve to vote their conscience come 2015, will result in possibly having no Nigeria left to use such a new constitution. The good news for President Jonathan however is that as things currently stands, the APC has no viable presidential candidate to pose any real threat to Jonathan's victory come 2015. Icheoku repeats, unequivocally and without mincing words, that both Abubakar Atiku and Muhammadu Buhari are politically too damaged to constitute any serious challenge to President Jonathan's reelection victory in 2015. Icheoku concludes that Election 2015 must go on and as scheduled, with the ONLY acceptable exception being the skies over Nigeria tumbling down and completely annihilating and obliterating the entity called Nigeria! Icheoku says to hell with any form of tenure elongation, in ELECTION 2015, we trust!

BUHARI OR ATIKU, APC'S ALBATROSS CATCH 22?

Icheoku says like the proverbial two knives in the household  of a poor person, wherein one knife is sharp but has no handle and the other knife has handle but is not sharp, the APC is stranded between two not so good choices in the declared presidential candidacies of Muhammadu Buhari and Abubakar Atiku. Icheoku says ordinarily no political party would want or prefer such a situational limbo in choosing who flies their presidential flag, especially in an election cycle many consider as the opposition's to lose? But regrettably though, this seems now the sure fate of destiny that awaits the APC as their choices have drastically and threateningly narrowed to just two detestable, much loathed and highly unelectable candidates, Buhari and Atku. 

Icheoku says both candidates, having repeatedly ran for the office and now literally morphed into presidential candidates emeritus, have somewhat become very desperate and dangerous or at least are now perceived as so? Icheoku says such craving-desperation by both Muhammadu Buhari and Abubakar Atiku for the office of Nigeria's president forebodes of something sinister. So it is very safe to assume that both Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar are driven not by their altruism, but by some other ulterior motive, including obtaining a platform to take  out vengeance as well as the power to do evil. They should therefore be stopped, prevented and avoided.

Icheoku says considering the dearth of other credible potential presidential candidates in the APC and the near-desperateness of this two already irredeemably damaged presidential candidates Buhari and Atiku,  it is increasingly becoming obvious that the APC is running on empty in their quest to snatch from President Jonathan, the keys to Aso Rock in 2015? But cruel fate has apparently boxed the party into a corner with this two leprous candidates, non of who would nor could yield them their desire to form the next government at the center. Icheoku maintains that except a miracle is pulled off the hat of Bola Tinubu in giving Nigerians a presidential candidate they could vote for, the APC's dream of shoving Jonathan out of Aso Rock in 2015 might remain a hollow pipe dream and at best an illusionary nightmare. 

Icheoku says never in the annals of Nigerian political engineering has two frontline presidential candidates of a major political party, especially the opposition, come this laden with weighty putrid baggages. The two presidential   candidates, Muhammadu Buhari and Abubakar Atiku, both come heavily laden, heavily handicapped and heavily damaged with political barbs the APC wish they never carried or have to deal with. Icheoku says this is the dilemma of the All Peoples Congress Party as they search for an acceptable and credible candidate to fly their presidential flag this 2015 election season in Nigeria. Unfortunately, with Buhari and Atiku, their search remains a work in progress that requires more concert and grit. Call it the conflict of abstractions of two opposites or the lack of a fulfilled cause in a given quantum or a choice with no real choice or the compound dilemma. A complexity of complexities of some sort, that in either candidate, the party is not satisfied nor fulfilled that they have a winning candidate. 

Icheoku maintains that the candidacy of either Buhari or Atiku would be an insurmountable problem for the APC to solve or try to sell to Nigerians in the 2015 presidential election. Neither Buhari nor Atiku is the "IT" candidate and none of them is the much needed magical silver bullet to 'shoot' Jonathan out of Aso Rock in 2015. 

First Muhammadu Buhari, the austere one, although  disciplined enough to lead Nigerians is rather too fundamentalistic or at least perceived as such by Nigerians. Icheoku laments that unfortunately his handlers are not helping matters or doing enough at solving this his image problem which is hounding him and heavily militating against his electoral chances. Muhammadu Buhari is also too mean-spirited, lean and dangerous. As William Shakespeare observed of Cassius through Julius Caesar, such men should be feared and Nigerians have been put on notice. It is also arguable that Muhammadu Buhari might be more disposed to solving Nigeria's intractable corruption problem; but there is increasing fear in some quarters that he might not be able to put his money where his mouth is once the wheeling and dealing of election is done and he is sworn in, especially with Bola Tinubu calling the shots. 

In recent past, Muhammadu Buhari had threatened to reveal the type of corrupt NNPC and Nigeria's oil industry the duo of Ibrahim Babangida and Olusegun Obasanjo ran respectively? He never followed through, but instead  made a b-line and backed down under pressure? Muhammadu Buhari also not too long ago, visited the Kano State and at the grave site of Sani Abacha, extolled him as the best head of State Nigeria ever had? Icheoku bemoans how a man like Abacha, who committed untold atrocities on both the physical and psyche of Nigerians, and who stole Nigeria blind to the tune of over three billion dollars, with some of his loot still being repatriated back to Nigeria, could be qualified by any sane Nigerian talk less of one who wants to be their president, as the best leader Nigeria ever had? 

Icheoku adds that any mind or brain that could arrive at this judgment or opinion, about the despicable midget of Kano, and despite the myriad of evidence and facts of consequence at everybody's disposal, is a mind-demented, a mind-troubled with reality or one simply delusional as to what is or what was? Till date and over thirty one odd years after, Muhammadu Buhari has also not been able to satisfactorily explain to Nigerians the circumstances surrounding the 53 suitcases that his then ADC Jokolo smuggled into Nigeria during the currency exchange in 1984? Icheoku says it is simply difficult, if not impossible, for such a mind as fore encapsulated, to be compatible with a mind that is seriously anti-corruption tinged or that would successfully lead Nigerians out of the woods and into the promised land. 

Icheoku says that Muhammadu Buhari is a very mean person  and has succeeded in alienating himself from decent and sensitive Nigerians is equally obvious. Buhari has been on the stage before and his records then was not stellar. Buhari  has killed innocent Nigerians before and would do it again? Buhari is also finding it extremely difficult to understand or accept how repulsive and abhor able an act it is to carry out the sentence of death on anyone based on a retroactive decree? Buhari is also finding it difficult to appreciate why civilized Nigerians are mad as hell at him for murdering those three innocent Nigerians whom his junta accused of drug peddling? Icheoku says no man with a good soul would kill innocent people who did not break any death-sentence law or arbitrarily carry out a sentence of death on them  just to prove that he is a blood-thirty monster that should  be feared. Icheoku says Buhari needs to understand that what he did was not only wrong but violates every sensibilities of a civilized behavior and must make atonement for them. Icheoku says humans do not just kill people just because they can and Buhari, except his habitat is in Serengeti, needs to apologize to Nigerians, particularly the families of those deceased three, and ask for general forgiveness. 

Further Buhari's overthrow of a duly elected President Shehu Shagari's democratic government is equally an albatross on his neck. Icheoku says Buhari cannot be allowed to probate and reprobate on an issue. So a denier of democracy cannot be allowed to turn around and seek to be a beneficiary of the same democracy he previously spurned and disparaged. Then add Decree 4, the muzzle-decree, that forbade any criticism of his junta regime and you see a man running amok with absolutely laboring to control every facet of life of fellow Nigerians. 

Icheoku says Muhammadu Buhari's baggage is too plentiful, it hurts his chances so much.  The Buhari then is the same Buhari now and there is no evidence that he has seriously walked himself back into the minds and hearts of decent Nigerians. Icheoku therefore maintains that an APC presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari is not sellable to Nigerians,, despite some fanatical following in certain  quarters of the country. Buhari's despotism is still there, although arguably latent, but would surely bubble back to the fore in the event of his getting back to power.  

Icheoku agrees with Mohmmed Abdulrahman that although "Buhari may be a good person and can also be a good leader but he will never "rule" Nigeria again. Buhari was and still remains a dictator and has no business analysing political processes and direction. Buhari was a die-hard dictator who executed those three drug carriers unlawfully and jailed the newspaper men, who exposed the truth. Buhari cannot be President of Nigeria again. It takes more than being a good person to be President of Nigeria, considering other factors, like quality of being humane as in humanity, ethnicity, religion as well as other factors."

Abubakar Atiku on the other hand, is a much more amenable of the two candidates to all the different disparities in Nigeria. Atiku is more liberal with his religious views and inter-personal relationships with other Nigerians who do not knock their forehead on the ground in prayerful supplication to their "God or Allah or whatever nomenclature that suits?" However, Atiku's worst leg-chain is that the is eminently very corrupt. Put in another way,  Icheoku says Abubakar Atiku could be described as a personification of corruption or the human face of corruption in Nigeria. It is on record that till date Atiku is yet to accept Baba Iyabo's challenge to travel to the United States and be arrested for corruption? 

Nigerians are aware that Atiku Abubakar is a fugitive on the run from justice in the United States of America on account of multiple  corruption one of which was implicated in the case that sent US Congressman from Louisiana William Jefferson to prison. It was on account of this that Baba Iyabo, Olusegun Obasanjo, sarcastically remarked "I dey laugh" when the issue of Atiku's first attempt at running for the presidency was broached. It is also on record that Atiku Abubakar has nothing to show for explanation as the source of his stupendous wealth, other than that he worked for the Nigerian Custom and Excise and then went into politics?  

Icheoku says if Bola Tinubu ever settles for any of this two candidates, he will have some serious explaining to do for Nigerians on why they should trust their destiny in either evils?  But the man who owns and runs APC PLC will first have to inform Nigerians in APC, why they should choose a very mean-spirited Muhammadu Buhari over a very corrupt Atiku Abubakar or vice versa. 

Icheoku says that both men have unsuccessfully made the same bid for Aso Rock, on two occasions in the past and each time came miserably short of the goalpost, does not bode well for this repeat attempt. Icheoku harps that nothing has changed since their previous presidential runs, both in their like-ability factor and their campaign performance/strategy, to warrant or suggest that this time the outcome is going to be anything different? None of the candidates have developed any wow factor or mesmerized Nigerians enough for them to suddenly fall in love with them and fall in line behind them. 

But until APC decides or settles on which of the two unelectable candidates, Icheoku wishes them luck in their effort at displacing the man already occupying Aso Rock, President Goodluck Jonathan? An occupant who would have ordinarily been easily beaten due to non performance and Nigerians disenchantment with his governance thus far, but the lack of any credible alternative would force Nigerians to go to the poll with their noses covered and reluctantly cast their ballots for Jonathan and the PDP in 2015. As the saying goes, the devil one knows is still far better than the strange but possibly bellicose angel. As between the deep blue sea that either Buhari or Atiku choice represents, and the hard rock which the non performing government of Goodluck or rather "Hardluck" or "Badluck" Jonathan is, the bet is that survival chances are better with the hard rock than ending up as dinner or lunch in one marine mammal. 

Peradventure, the APC might settle for an entirely and surprisingly new candidate, possibly of previously unknown quantity, but who would be credible enough to be accepted by Nigerians. If such candidate emerges and provided it is not a candidate just to replace an already in place Christian president or displace an already in place South-south candidate or simply for power shift back to the same Northwest, then APC might stand a chance at forming the next government in 2015. Nigerians are disillusioned at the government of President Jonathan inability to have real traction on the firmament and would gladly welcome a better option for a change but this option must not and should not include either Muhammadu Buhari or Atiku Abubakar. Icheoku emphasizes that unless APC makes to Nigerians an offer they could not refuse nor resist with a viable Jonathan's alternative, the 2015 race will be President Jonathan's to loose with either Buhari or Atiku flying their presidential flag. In that case, Nigerians would rather vote against either Buhari or Atiku and thus elect Jonathan by default as a preferred evil. Until then, Icheoku alongside millions of other Nigerians, will join Baba Iyabo in saying "we dey laugh o" at the declared presidential intention of Abubakar Atiku and Muhammadu Buhari's based on their antecedents and their electability question. 

IGBOS HAVE NO STRATEGY - IGBOKWE

"They allow their flanks to be infiltrated for a mess of porridge. It is money for hand back for ground. It is give me money and I kill myself (Inyem ego egbuom onwem). The truth is that Igbo has been left behind in matters of Nigerian politics. There is no strong presence in PDP and no strong presence in APC, the two major parties. Igbo politics worries me to the bones!

But is it a hopeless case for Igbo? Things can get better if we sit down to discuss strategies and think properly. If you do not know where you are going, nobody can help you. If you do not stand for something, nobody will take you serious. If you do not love others, they can never trust you. If you do not show some seriousness in anything you do, nobody will take you serious." - Joe Igbokwe, APC Publicity Secretary Lagos State. Icheoku agrees that Ndigbo should do better to reposition themselves politically in Nigeria and find a more meaningful way to re-strategies in order to take the process of their true emancipation forward.

GOVERNORSHIP ENDORSEMENTS, THE IRONY OF UNLEARNED LESSON?

Icheoku says each of these governors busily running around with endorsing their successors were respectively themselves endorsed by someone, their predecessors. But can someone please tell Icheoku which of them, except for Lagos State's Fashola and very few others, who did not eventually fall out with their so called endorser? It is on record too that even Fashola tried to declare his independence but was ruthlessly subdued with threat of impeachment engineered by the man who made him governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Recall Enugu State Governor Chime and former Governor Nnamani; Abia State Governor Orji and former Governor Uzor Kalu as well as Akwa Ibom Governor Akpabio and the State's former governor, just to mention a few examples of governors who were brought into office by their predecessors but who since fell out and do not see eye to eye with their former benefactors. 

Icheoku asks what then is the use or expected benefit that these new endorsers expect would accrue to them by embarking on similar fruitless exercise, trying now to handpick their own successors when it never worked out well in the past? Icheoku maintains that except the saying 'what goes around comes around' is no longer trite, these new endorsers  would themselves reap the fruit of their own whirlwinds as they will similarly be banished on exile, away from their respective home states, by the same people they are now pushing to succeed them. They did it to their predecessors, so what is wrong if their successors also do it to them? It is the way of the world but regrettably and unfortunately, it remains a great irony of life that humans do not necessarily learn from historical experiences.

LIBERIA EXPORTING EBOLA TO THE WORLD, ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME?

Icheoku says first it was to Nigeria through Patrick Sawyer and now to the United States of America through another son of Liberia named Thomas Eric Duncan? Both Liberians are now world famous or rather notorious for exporting the deadly Ebola Virus Disease to countries outside the shores of Liberia. Icheoku says what a people? As with Patrick Sawyer, he acted male-fides, for intentionally lying to doctors and medical workers in Nigeria that he did not have Ebola nor did he ever come in contact with any Ebola victim prior to being stricken? As a result of his deceitful concealment, so many Nigerian victims were infected and some of them also died as a result, including a first rate physician who was part of the first responders. 

As to the other Liberian Ebola exporter who ferried his deathly ware to the United States, Thomas Duncan, it seems that he acted bona-fides, being ignorant of his Ebola-infection status when he boarded that flight to the United States. Some days following his arrival to the United States, he was feeling under the weather when he went to the hospital but was told to go home with some antibiotics as his symptoms were interpreted as "ordinary and not of any extreme nature" requiring acute care or needing further observation? Subsequently he was diagnosed with the dreaded EVD and admitted for treatment. But as of this report, what remains of him is only his ashes, having been since cremated following his loss of his struggle to stay alive against EVD. 

Icheoku says with Duncan now dead and hopefully EVD in America checkmated, so many questions remain unanswered? Was all that could have been done to save Duncan done or was all systems not let go to save this Liberian as was with other White American Ebola victims? Why was Duncan not sent to the renowned center for infectious disease control and treatment facility in CDC co-run Emory University Hospital Atlanta? Why was Duncan not treated with the experimental drug ZMapp or any other trial anti-ebola virus drug? Why was Duncan not infused with an Ebola survivor's blood as was done in some other cases to help provide boost to his immune system? Icheoku opines, is it possible that Duncan's condition was not fully assessed when he first showed up at the emergency, complaining of feeling sick, because he has no medical insurance?  Does  the hospital has a standing policy of not usually wasting their precious time on patients with potential  'unrecoverable medical bills of claim' status? 

Icheoku queries how did Duncan who self checked himself into the hospital, alive and well, looking very robust and healthy enough, not survive the EVD but other three White Americans who were medevaced thousands of miles from Africa and nearly comatose when they arrived, survived? Why was Duncan only exposed to experimental drugs three long days after he was admitted and not immediately upon admission? These and many other burning questions are needing urgent answers in order to fully comprehend the spiraled turn for the worst of the first black Ebola victim in United States of America. Hopefully an inquiry will reveal what actually happened that a Duncan that was beginning to show some signs of turning the corner suddenly slipped into eternity? 

Although some schools of thought are beginning to wonder if Duncan was eased out to help starve off the disease from spreading or becoming epidermal and causing panic in a very hysterical society, Icheoku will reserve its final opinion on this matter to await the outcome of an investigative inquiry into what happened. Also Icheoku would wait to see if the now newly infected White police office would also survive like the other three White Americans or follow black Duncan to the land beyond. But in the event this White officer survives, then naysayers would have abundance of reason to become more cynical about the care Duncan received. This is because blacks are known to have far more stronger immunity than their Caucasian counterparts, which would definitely suggests that some fish business took place concerning Duncan's handling and thus make everything surrounding his death seem more fishy. Icheoku however prays for a more favorable outcome that Duncan freely succumbed to his affliction and that there was now external facilitation or inducement.

Finally, while James Bond 007 would like the world to believe it is "From Russia with Love," as with this Ebola Virus Disease, it is now "From Liberia with (Hate) Ebola?" The only good news, if any, out of this tragic situation is that for the very real first time, Americans have been woken up to the urgency of time to do something to checkmate Ebola. Previously, to many of them, it was just some 'news story about some damned Africans and one of their diseases called Ebola?' But as Duncan, the now official Ebola courier to the United States, has shown, neither of the two seas is wide enough to shield America from the dreadful Ebola. What is required now is for the whole world to attack Ebola as a global emergency that knows no boarders nor country and do it NOW. 

As could be seen, one American is already under quarantine, suspected of being infected by Duncan and who knows the spread thus far. Icheoku says if any positive yields from this Americans Duncan's scare, it will be that the world is now forced to focus much needed attention to a sinister disease that has nearly decimated some African countries, while the world, hitherto, looked the other way as if it is those Africans' and their diseases? It is now crunch time for the whole world to battle to suppress and possibly defeat Ebola. Icheoku says if EVD is successfully battled to a halt or even defeated, at least some benefit would have been reaped following Duncan's importation of the disease to the United States. Unlike the rogue Patrick Sawyer, whose mission to destroy Nigeria, turned out to be a  'mission unaccomplished.' Icheoku says while Nigerians are still smarting on what to do with Liberia for their attempted poisoning of their society, Icheoku hopes that Duncan will not provide White Americans another reason to ramp up their racism against everybody BLACK since all blacks come from Africa and they all look the same? Icheoku says what a way to remember a country, Liberia, for exporting a deadly virus called EBOLA to Nigeria and America! 

$9.3 AND $5.7 MILLION SEIZURE, SOUTH AFRICA SHOULD PAY A STIFF PRICE.

Icheoku says Nigerian media has been awash with  news about some intended "military purchases" gone wrong in South Africa, by an overwhelmed Nigerian government, trying so hard to stem the tide of Boko Haram madness. Icheoku says it is absolutely indeed laughable that a pittance of $15million, spent for military procurement, is subject to this degree of scrutiny? Icheoku says so because the amounts in question is pitifully and ridiculously infinitesimal and a drop in the ocean when scaled against military spending the world over and the real cost of military hardware.  

Icheoku says except the sums were respectively meant to just purchase ordinary bullets and bayonets, BUT NOT any specialized hardware, the amount is ludicrously too small for a military to become a subject of this frenzied discussion in Nigeria. But unfortunately an ever partisan media that has nothing more to offer to her customers ran with the story of how South African government seized "millions of Nigerians dollars" meant for military purchase. Analyzing an industry wherein midsize countries the world over spend upwards of $300billion with a "B" in equipping their armed forces, what is $15million spent to finance anti Boko Haram campaign? Icheoku asserts that a cursory check of pricing of military hardwares backs up the Nigerian government as very conservative with this aborted transactions, because $15million is a considerately modest sum where military procurement is concerned. 

Take for instance an F-35 fighter jet costs between $60 to $100 million each and the lower end F-16 costs about $17million a pop. A blackhawk (down) helicopter costs about $6million each; an Abram tank costs $5million each; one howitzer artillery gun cost about $600,000 each; a M-16 machine gun costs about $20,000 each; and some cannons costs upwards of $10,000 a piece. Now do the math and please educate Icheoku on what he is not getting right or correct when he says that $15million is peanuts if employed toward routing those mongrels in Sambisa Terrorist evil Forest. How many artillery pieces can this amount buy? How many M-16 machine guns can it really buy viz a vis the number of soldiers needing to carry and fire one? How many howitzers guns can it actually bring into the arsenal of the Nigerian military and yet we are not even talking about the heavy gadgets and top dollar military hardware including tanks and air-crafts. Or better still how much is indeed too much if it puts Boko Haram out of commission or is the life of any of those Nigerians being beheaded by Boko Haram quantifiable in dollar bills?

Icheoku says Nigeria will be a better place when politicians learn that there are watersheds in politics and not to play politics with certain things including national security. If only certain politicians and some particular geography could see the current madness of Boko Haram as a challenge to every Nigerian and worth fighting for and not just President Jonathan and the PDP war. Icheoku says what the president and all those currently engaged in the war against Boko Haram need at this time is support and encouragement; but certainly not words of disparagement or laughable accusations such as that a paltry $15million was expensed in the purchase of military needs. Once again, Icheoku urges Nigerians of every politics and persuasion to please give the war against Boko Haram a chance at succeeding. Anyone in doubt about the need to throw everything including the kitchen sink at defeating Boko Haram, should take a good look at Somalia, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and all other such places where terrorists have established a hold and are meting out unbearable abuse of human rights  and then tell Icheoku that they gladly wish this to Nigeria. Please Nigerians, say no to Boko Haram, support the war effort. 

Icheoku says as for the disgruntled polygamist South African President Jacob Zuma, a man whose corruption is legendary, an accused rapist and racketeer, a man who would have gone to prison but for political expediency, and a man who very recently faced another corruption investigation for lavishing poor South African's $20million to refurbish his private country home, Nigerians should simply ignore him. Icheoku says Zuma is a cry-baby who is sucking his thumb because Nigeria is finally trying to get its acts together and is in the process of removing the shine out of South Africa as Africa's newest big thing, including its largest and biggest economy. Icheoku says who wouldn't be as pissed off and smarting to get his vengeful payback for being dethroned, which President Zuma saw an opening in this two botched  transactions?

Icheoku does not even know why Nigeria is routing their military procurements through South Africa as there are so many countries in the world ready and willing to do business in that direction including Cuba, Ukraine etc. At worst Nigeria can resort to the black market and get whatever weapons they desire to pay for. Icheoku is emphatic that South Africa is possibly part of the bigger conspiracy of Boko Haram in their effort to clip Nigeria's soaring wings. Icheoku says may be it is about time Nigeria permanently consign South Africa in the cold where they really belong for all their ingratitude for the so much help Nigeria gave them while fighting the apartheid regime. After all the only respected man and the symbol of that struggle Nelson Mandela is already dead and so, who still cares about what a grumpy womanizing South African President Zuma and his xenophobic country think. To hell with Zuma and to hell with even his ungrateful South Africa country! 

GEORGE CLOONEY, FINALLY SAYS "I DO?"

Icheoku says most men like to say the magical words and mean it; but while many just do it because it is about time and their contemporaries are all in suit, some others stand the pressure until they find the right partner for them. This certainly is the case of George Clooney, who after severally dating many very gorgeous and tantalizing beauties over the years finally gave his heart to Amal Alamuddin. Many would ask why Amal and what does she have that made her an exception to the many ladies George has had affairs with over the years. A list which include Kelly Preston, Elisabetta Canalis, Sarah Larson, Celine Balitran, Krista Allen, Renee Zellweger, Lisa Snowdon, Talia Balsam and Kimberly Russell just to mention a few. One thing is cuts across these women - they are all impressively very beautiful and you wonder why none of them was able to safely lock George away  prior? 

Icheoku says for most men, what is inside always trumps the outside flashiness; admitted no one wants to wake up every morning starring at a witch of Endor lying next besides him. But after looking at just a pretty face for sometime, life often becomes boring except there is something else other than just a pretty face to add pep to the bond. Further most good men wants and craves for peace in their life and would not settle for just any thing, simply because she has a pretty face or is well rounded and nothing more. There is this inert quality about everyone and anyone that most always put them ahead of the competition and this is what Icheoku believes put Amal Alamuddin ahead of the rest and did it for George. Only George knows the very thing or things in Amal that did the magic for him and all the world can do is to wish them well. 

Icheoku therefore in tandem wishes the couple the best a marital life could bring along; and convinced both waited as long as it took for the right person to appear in their lives, fully matured and without any insecurity related hang-ups, would make a wonderful couple together. Icheoku says congratulations George and Amal on finding yourselves; best of luck and happy trails in wedlock. But isn't the couple awesomely beautiful together and especially for Amal, a case of beauty and brain come together in one person; admitted also that George is handsome. From Icheoku to you, happy blissful marriage G&A.

SHEKAU DEAD, THE UNENDING TALE OF KILLING HIM OVER?

Icheoku says the nuisance that is Abubakar Shekau and his Boko Haram lunatics has recently taken another dimension with the ever morphing tale of his death. Nigerians and the international community are getting exacerbated that this seemingly elusive maniacal religionist has not been decisively dealt with thus far and in order to put an end to his taunting and vicious brigandage. Icheoku asks, but should it still matter at this stage whether or not this monster is dead provided his band of roaming nihilists are effectively put out of commission or at worst quarantined in one remote corner of the earth? 

The fact of the matter is that the name "Abubakar Shekau" might be a fictitious operational name or just a norm genre used by any or every CEO of Boko Haram in Nigeria? A sort of alias or designated title for their leader, such that there could be in existence several 'Abubakar Shekaus,' with each stepping up and assuming the title and successively making appearance as an 'Abubakar Shekau' following the death of a predecessor-Abubaka Shekau? Possibly too, these many 'Abubakar Shekaus' could be mere body-doubles of the real deal and they are the ones being targeted and killed by the security agents in the country? 

As for the uncanny similarities of these 'Abubakar Shekaus', studies have shown that so many people usually look alike in every given community and the Boko Haram community of Northeastern Nigeria won't be an exception. Seemingly, this particular 'Abubakar Shekau' has now been "killed" twice and twice has he resurfaced, claiming that he is alive and taunting the Nigerian security authorities to catch him if they can. Whether this very 'Abubakar Shekau' resurrects or has the power to rise from the dead, Icheoku does not know, but suffice it to say that a close examination of the latest killed Abubakar Shekau's forehead reveals the same bump on the then living Abubakar Shekau's forehead. The similarities did not end there as both the now dead and the then living Abubakar Shekau's monkey face and beards are eerily similar if not the same? 

So how any naysayer would suggest or want anyone to believe that the same 'Abubakar Shekau' is now releasing a video of "I am not dead" and claiming to being alive defies every commonsensical logic. Even in case of a mutation or the proverbial "abiku", at least it does not instantly result in a full grown person simultaneously popping up following a death. Anyway, Icheoku suggests that the Nigerian security operatives should ignore this ever shifting stories about a living 'Abubakar Shekau' and continue with their offensive against this terrorist sect. They should also consider and treat summarily every arm-bearing Boko Haram operative as an 'Abubakar Shekau.' That way all the would be actors or potential norm de genre of 'Abubakar Shekau' would become extinct before they can make a new video of 'being alive;' which will help end the insurgency more quickly.  

Finally, Icheoku is convinced beyond doubt that the errant 'Abubakar Shekau' we all have come to know is DEAD and it does not matter whatever any purported new video otherwise says to the contrary. Furthermore, the science of  holograms can be used to "resurrect" people for show-appearances; and who knows what the powers behind the Boko Haram nuisance are up to once again by now purporting that the dead 'Abubakar Shekau' is magically alive again? What these anarchists' s sponsors stand to gain by making Nigerians believe in the invincibility of their created 'Abubakar Shekau' and his ability to rise back from the dead after being shot by bazooka and his body nearly disintegrated, is beyond Icheoku's fathoming. Anyway the show must go on and so, let Nigerians hang in there and check back on this Boko Haram crisis after the 2015 elections are concluded. Until then, Icheoku says Nigerians  should consider 'Abubakar Shekau' as he then was, now dead as a door knob.