FIFA'S BLATTER FINALLY DOES THE MOST SENSIBLE THING, GOOD RIDDANCE.

Icheoku's most favorite television channel is National Geography, especially when they bring into our living rooms, the real life situation of wild animals in Africa's Serengeti National Wildlife, the Mara River Wildebeest annual migration and such shows of other 'top-dog' animals of the vast plains and jungles of Africa. Icheoku affirms that were humanity to trade places with these jungle dwellers, the United States of America will certainly be lions, the king of the jungle. Like the lions which are not afraid of any animals, the United States of America is not afraid of anybody. Like the lions which take on and take down any animal they determinedly want to, regardless of size or famed viciousness, be it elephant, giraffe, water buffalo, hyena etc - just name it, the United States of America takes on and takes down any person or country that detrimentally mixed things up for them. So like the lions which are not afraid of making a go at it of anything, the United States of America similarly does not and have now trained their eyes on Sepp Blatter. Icheoku says unfortunately for Sepp Blatter, the end can only go one way - Sepp Blatter is going down  and Sepp Blatter will go down hard. 

So when Icheoku opined just a few days ago, precisely on May 31st that Sepp Blatter can and should still resign regardless of having won a reelection as FIFA president, Icheoku made this call based on some analytical data that what America wants, America usually gets; and even if it takes moving the mountain or going to the end of the earth to have their way, America always so do. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with its nearly infinite resources, announced that FIFA officials are being indicted for corruption, Icheoku concluded that, summarily, brings the reign of Sepp Blatter to an end. From historical perspective, there is no way the Department of Justice will be investigating Sepp Blatter's underlings for corruption without him being their main target. The DOJ are merely trying to first sweep away the little shrubs around before making their way to the big iroko. As is usual with their modus operandi, they will turn the little guys against their boss - get the little guys, make a deal with them and make them rat against their big boss. 

This is exactly where the investigation is now finally headed, the arrest and indictment and trial of Sepp Blatter for corruption. So query, how can a boss of FIFA who has been in charge of the organization since 1998, a total of eighteen years, not be aware that such gross corruption as saw 150 million dollars exchange hands took place in the organization? Icheoku says it is either he is a partaker of the criminality or he is an incompetent buffoon who did not know what was going on in a place he is supposed to be in charge of and should therefore be held liable for gross negligence and incompetence, regardless. A crime usually can be either a commission or an omission, especially where one is in authority such as a FIFA president over FIFA. But Icheoku is not buying and refuses to buy into the bullcrap claim of innocence by Sepp Blatter and it seems, neither does America too. So having smelt blood in the water, the Department of Justice, it would appear, are now dizzying for the final kill.  

Sepp Blatter, in short, instituted the corruption sleaze that is suffocating the FIFA and this is the only reason he always wins every election or rather coronation as president of the body since ascending the throne of FIFA in 1998. The other buzzards around him knew the kind of money they are making with him as the helmsman, so why would they disturb the gravy train that keep on churning by taking a chance with electing a total outsider to come and disturb their fun? As Icheoku called on our two previous articles, we again repeat, that a total outsider, the proverbial stranger who did not know that a king named Joseph once ruled the land, is the best person needed at this moment to sanitize the rot that is FIFA. Such a no nonsense seasoned administrator should come to FIFA, armed with a meat cleaver not a surgical scalpel, and do the needful in order to salvage FIFA. FIFA needs a new lease of life an in order to save a FIFA that is currently on life's support. Icheoku therefore says it is good for the mankind of soccer (football) that the face of FIFA and its bottomless sewer of corruption, Sepp Blatter, finally got the message and is now on his way out; which of course is the only possible outcome of his current debacle of presiding over a corruption infested FIFA. Good riddance.

BRUCE JENNER NOW FULLY TRANFORMED?

Icheoku says he-she seems to be saying "my name used to be Bruce but you can now call me Kaitlyne and you can proposition me too if you indeed go that way too. Icheoku says this is one of the reasons President Jonathan lost the last election because he messed up with the wrong power bloc when he signed into law, Nigeria's anti-gay legislation. Icheoku says whatever works for any individual and provided it makes them feel better in their own true skin. But the she-man looks darn gad pretty though.

PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S ANTI-CORRUPTION WAR, FINALLY TAKING SHAPE?

Icheoku says in just two days, post inauguration, Nigerians are beginning to have a glimpse on how the planned crusade against corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari will be prosecuted? Forty eight hours and four casualties already; except it is in the inverse proportion form. It appears that the new Nigeria's president is going to be all hot-air and no real action on fighting corruption in Nigeria because he greatly compromised himself, accepting campaign funding from notoriously corrupt Nigerians, and now seems to have inadvertently bound himself to them? So Icheoku says with this four developments so successively registered just within forty eight hours of his being sworn in, is anyone in Nigeria still in doubt that it is going to be all the same this inbound four years of his presidency. 

First the president makes a secret declaration of his assets and you wonder why bother to declare at all and not, like the former President Jonathan, tell Nigerians that he does not give a damn, if the content will be shrouded in secrecy and not made public?  Icheoku asks of what use then is the asset declaration if it is not a real open declaration in the strict sense of that word? Second his wife Aisah Buhari, wore a thirty four thousand pounds (34,500 pounds) Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat White Gold Diamond Ladies wristwatch to his inauguration? Meanwhile this were the couple that campaigned on their being penniless and as poor as church mouse and you wonder this catapulting to the world's 1% of the 1% just within forty eight hours of ascending the presidency? And assuming for purposes of playing the devil's advocate, this ultra expensive wrist watch is a gift, who gives such stratospheric high end gift if not for the purposes of corruptly mining something out of the new administration? Icheoku says a trite rule of law has it that not only must justice be done, but it must be seen to be manifestly done; so President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be preaching war on corruption while an immediate member of his family, his wife, is accepting corrupt gift from parties wishing to corruptly milk the administration. 

Third, his government immediately directs the EFCC to drop the case against former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Silva's N2.5 billion corruption charges; and of course then the anti-democracy Zimbabwe's strong man Robert Mugabe, was invited to witness a democratic change that took place in Nigeria without abstracting commitments of his own country being allowed to freely elect its leader. Icheoku says gradually but surely, the Pharisee in President Muhammadu Buhari is beginning to crawl out of its shell and for Nigerians and the whole world to see. But hey, a gullible Nigerian polity bought into the snake oil that was Muhammadu Buhari and handed power  over to him because of his fake vaunted credential of being an anti-corruption crusader. And this is only just within 48 hours in a four years term. Icheoku says, like the Ota deity, Baba Iyabo, many discerning Nigerians just dey laugh oooo!

AMERICA EXPRESS ED GILLIGAN, DROPS DEAD IN THE AIR?

Icheoku says what is life afterall, even when all the money in the world and the best health-care system money can buy, cannot purchase one even an extra second of life in this world? Few days ago it was Vice President Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, who succumbed to cancer; and today the president of AMEX, Ed Gilligan, dropped dead midair enroute New York Ciy, while returning from a business trip to Tokyo, in his company's private jet. Icheoku says what is this life really worth, here today and gone tomorrow; yet some people are living it like they have written a death-defying app already and securely guarded. Anyway, it is the irony of life; and like the preacher said in biblical Ecclesiastes 1:2, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. So for all those who have the capacity, Icheoku says please live a life with meaning and as if we are all on borrowed time here. American Express president and chief executive officer, Edward Gilligan, was 55 years old and may his restless soul which saw him rise from an intern to president and CEO of that financial services company, now rest in peace. Adieu Ed.

WESTERN GAY RIGHTS DEMAND, WILL BUHARI BUCKLE?

Icheoku says every attention-paying Nigeria knows that former President Goodluck Jonathan's problem with the West snowballed after he signed the anti same-sex (gay) marriage bill into law, officially banning same sex marriage in Africa's most populous country; thereby making Nigeria a gay-unfriendly country where it is not acceptable to be gay.  US Secretary of State John Kerry immediately attacked the law, stating that "Beyond even prohibiting same-sex marriage, this law dangerously restricts freedom of assembly, association and expression for all Nigerians. People everywhere deserve to live in freedom and equality. No one should face violence or discrimination for who they are or who they love." US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power followed with her condemnation of the law, saying "the law is a big setback for human rights for all Nigerians?" 

Icheoku says but these two officials of the United States of America government did not explain why Saudi Arabia is still the best friend of America despite the gross human rights violations in that kingdom, including the public beheading of gays and lesbians therein? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not ever get any condemnation whatsoever nor have the eyebrows of America and the West raised when they carry out their persecution of the minorities of their country, including the beheading of gays and lesbians? So why this different treatment for different countries and varying standards of what constitute freedom and human rights violations set by the United States of America as it appertains to different countries, one may ask? 

So having got the green light, powerful gay lobby groups including the likes of Elton John and Apples' Tin Cook went into action, calling for their pound of flesh and eventually the head of this anti-gay president of Nigeria on a platter for daring to show the red light to gaydom in Nigeria.  Fortunately, with strong allies in the White House and 10 Downing Street, they organized and organized, manipulated the media including the staged Chibok girls abduction and successfully pigeonholed the former president into a corner, marked and branded, as the most clueless, unthinking buffoon in Africa, who must be got rid of. That the gay lobby also worked against securing the much needed help in the fight against Boko Haram including weapon sales is equally a fact of consequence. It is also within the public domain that the APC and their then presidential candidate made series of deals with their Western backers and sponsors, including to revisit the issue of gay-marriage in Nigeria? 

So Icheoku asks how far will the now President Muhammadu Buhari go to honor some of these deals, including the very one which is now known as the contract with the devil, the gay-rights question, being favorably revisited? Icheoku asks can a bill which has already been signed into law as an operational law of the country be so suddenly changed just because some powerful bloc in the West demanded it? How will the PDP senators see and react to this affront on the general Nigerian psyche? Would they allow a President Buhari to impose on the whole Nigeria, a deal he and Bola Tinubu privately reached with their Western backers in their desperate course of trying to win the presidential election in Nigeria? Now that President Muhammadu Buhari has secured the bargained for presidency of Nigeria, will he renege or shirk his own part of the bargain; and if so, what are the repercussions and ramifications, both for his government and the entire Nigeria? Would the West let him off the hook or are they going to come down heavy on his head with a sledge hammer and vanquish his presidency too like they did with Jonathan?

Icheoku is a firm believer that contracts must and ought to be respected but not one very repugnant to a society and which was contracted privately by private individuals in their rabid desire to get hold of power. Like the Devil's Advocate, where Keanu Reeves sold his soul to the devil in order to become a successful attorney and thereafter, like Andy in Living in Bondage, agonized that they did not explain it very well to him before he took that plunge, Icheoku is convinced that President Muhammadu Buhari must be similarly agonizing how he was made to enter into such a Catch-22 deal. The G-7 has already invited him to attend their forthcoming groups meeting on between 7-9 of June, 2015 in Berlin Germany; asking him to bring his "wish-list" of what he wants from them on behalf of his government and the country Nigeria. Icheoku hopes that energy/power will top that list, followed by stopping illegal oil bunkering and shutting its markets in Europe etc, repatriating back to Nigeria all the country's looted money in their European and island territories banks, Boko Haram routing, investments, and other assistance programs including growing and deepening democratic politics in Nigeria, retraining Nigerian police force and other security agencies as well as adequately equipping them.  

But what is the bargain the Industrialized nations G-7 will make or demand and get in return for all they are willing to do for President Muhammadu Buhari and his Nigeria? Icheoku does not know nor have all the answers, but sure, the reversing of the anti-gay law will certainly be one of them. But hopefully, President Muhammadu Buhari will find the courage to, like President Macky Sall of Senegal, tell them to refrain from seeking to impose their values on other people and beyond their borders. That unless they are ready to make a fair reciprocal trade of accepting our African polygamy values in their own Western countries as a condition for us in Africa accepting their gaydom lifestyle, there should and of course there will be no deal.

FIFA IGNORES PROBITY, ELECTS CONTINUINTY OF SEPP BLATTER BAZAAR?

Icheoku says as expected the honchos who are benefitting from the sleaze that is FIFA once again voted to retain their benefactor in chief, Sepp Blatter, who once again won the just concluded election continuing as chairman of that world governing soccer body. No one expected that the Jordanian challenge stood any meaningful chance at toppling the machine that is Sepp Blatter and his boys at FIFA but Icheoku had thought the developing arrest for corruption of some FIFA executives would have provided some wind to the sail of the challenger; but it never happened. While congratulating the winner as courtesy demands, Icheoku says that the embattled chairman can still find some place in his mind to abdicate and make way for a thorough cleansing of the stable and if he chooses not, the corporate world whose financial muscle backs the multi billion organization can force the issue by withholding their purse. 

PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI SWORN IN, THE NEW HELMSMAN OF NIGERIA.

Icheoku says Nigeria defiled all odds and permutations of the world, especially those Western countries who do not mean well for Nigeria and successfully transferred power from one president to another. Icheoku says congratulations to Nigerians, their erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan and the new man on the block at Aso Rock, President Muhammadu Buhari. Icheoku says every Nigerian should congratulate him or her self for this milestone as against all odds, they proved the naysayers wrong and did not go the way of uncivilized, failed states. Way to go Nigerians and may the good example set and sacrifice made by the now gone President Jonathan never be lost in all subsequent occupiers of that exalted seat at Aso Rock; starting with the its first beneficiary and now new President Muhammadu Buhari, when eventually his term comes to an end.

Icheoku listened to the inaugural address delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari and read it all over again to make sure that a full grasp of it was first got before writing this piece. It was a well crafted speech with specs of his Washington DC minders and benefactors, cleverly sprinkled and infused in it; such as "share in increased prosperity/productivity?" Icheoku also noticed the reference to "Medicare", an American social medical program to its indigents and elderly; except that Nigeria has no such medical services in the country. However it is an acceptable practice all over the world of letters, for speech writers and speech givers to periodically assimilate good contents from elsewhere and as a result, Icheoku will not devote much time on this observed foray into Obamanism in the speech delivered by President MB. 

Overall the speech was well written and delivered; and its contents and aspirations, upwardly optimistic too. But that's where the fork on the road really forks off because talk is cheap, especially such lofty sugar-candy mountain type-talk. Icheoku says the world similarly witnessed such patronizing speech with America's President Barack Obama during his hay days, whose advent in the American political stage as the highest political office holder in the land has not productively, economically and socially, transformed or benefited black people of America; who instead, have for most part now, ended up as the new endangered species of that once new world. Such lofty speeches are usually what they are - hot air baloney, tailored for a feel-good effect; but which in actuality and reality, never usually equalizes the paper and ink they were written in and on, at the end of the day. They are usually good as sound bites but putting them on the reality convoy-belt of actually midwifing them to fruition, is the heavy-lifting arduous task, which never leaves their drawing table. 

The president spoke, among other things, his determination to fight impunity headlong in Nigeria. Icheoku will now throw some light on this question and speaking of impunities in Nigeria, there cannot be any greater impunity in the country than the born to rule mentality of Miyetti Allah Northern Nigerians. A people who believe in their inalienable right to perpetually stride over the power structure in Nigeria without yield or compromise. A people who are convinced that their position is always right and that other's are always wrong and that it is always going to be either their way or the highway? That it is either they are in power and dictating to every other Nigerian always or the blood of baboons and dogs will soak the land? This is one grave impunity threatening the continued existence of Nigeria which President Muhammadu Buhari should try and tackle for the long term survivability of Nigeria. By reason thereof, Icheoku was expecting to hear and would have loved to hear the new President Muhammadu Buhari clarify and affirm that he would have himself accepted the result of the presidential election in good faith, had he lost; without plunging the country into an irrecoverable political armageddon, regardless of his pre-election signed peace initiative? 

Icheoku says how about the other grave impunity of Northern Nigerians debit dads, who are by necessary implication, helping with funneling thousands of street fighters to Boko Haram; by reason of their uncared for children whom they bring to this world without taking care of them, now finding solace in whatever Boko Haram has to offer to them amidst their abject hopelessness? Icheoku says these debit-dads create the sociological problem of almajiris by recklessly impregnating under-age teenage girls who they take as wives and without adequately caring for them and their resulting children. As a result of this absent father syndrome, these children end up as streets urchins and social miscreants wherein Boko Haram finds an endless stream and supply of fighters and mischief makers with whom they terrorize Nigerians? Icheoku says how about that, Mr President Muhammadu Buhari, as a very needful impunity which is plaguing Nigeria and deserving your government's readily attention, among other things? 

Icheoku is emphatic that the problem of almajiris which breeds fighters for Boko Haram is the worst form of corruption as it attacks the very social fabric of the Nigerian society, wearing its productivity ratio drastically thinned down. The problem of these jobless and homeless youths of Northern Nigeria, a riveting social menace of the Nigerian society, must be frontally addressed by President Muhammadu Buhari, if indeed he means well and wants to wholesomely fix those things that are broken in Nigeria. Sometimes when Icheoku sees the pile of bodies of Boko Haram fighters killed, Icheoku wonders which families lost these so many people; don't they feel the pains of such loss and what are they doing about preventing it? Are they indeed doing something proactively to safeguard any future occurrences by corralling their non initiate children out of Boko Haram and out of terrorism? 

Finally whether or not President MB delivers on all his campaign promises as he further re-pledged during his inaugural address, Icheoku does and will not care nor will be bothered. Icheoku knows that politicians are usually filled with garbs and often heavy on hot air and very little on performance; and without a commensurate will or resources to effectively transform their words into actionable developments on the ground. Icheoku therefore urges Nigerians to curb their enthusiasm as their great expectation will soon default to the usual despondency and forlorn dreams that were not fulfilled. This will not be lack of trying or the absence of intention to see them through,  no; but a lot of unforeseen  things that often aggregate together to conspire to let out the steam and take the wind out of the sail. Icheoku says even if President MB has the best intentions, scant resources, volatile world oil market, internal sabotage as well as foreign conspirators' machinations will likely put spanner in his wheels. 

Therefore as Nigerians tame their expectations as they  should reasonably do and are expected to do under the circumstance; they should focus more on the sincerity of purpose of the president to run an all inclusive Nigerian government, for Nigerians and by Nigerians. Provided he is steadfast in working as a Nigerian president, for all Nigerians, regardless of region, tribe or religion, then President Muhammadu Buhari would have earned Icheoku's admiration as well as every other Nigerian. The president must therefore work for the unity of one united Nigeria and not one mortgaged to only the Hausa/Fulani core North or some special interests groups or blocs, including foreign meddlesome interlopers, who do not mean well for Nigeria nor would like to see Nigeria attain its true natural status in the world. These people are already gnashing their teeth that their prophesy from hell that Nigeria will be disintegrated in 2015, which they assiduously worked to see come to fruition, did not pan out or materialize as they projected, and now they would find other ways and means to continue to further subvert Nigeria. Icheoku is not being a Hezekiah, the prophet of doom; but as a student of world geo-political calculations and permutations, knows that the jury is still out about the future of Nigeria and its march to greatness and therefore, states that it is not yet uhuru for Nigeria, President MB being in charge now, notwithstanding. 

Icheoku emphasizes that once President MB governs like a president of Nigeria and not president of Northern Nigeria only and not allow the feudalistic cabal or a member thereinto to hijack his government, like President Shehu Shagari allowed Umaru Dikko, then Nigerians would have reason to hope again. So on this note, Icheoku welcomes the new president of Nigeria and wishes him all the best. Lets keep the faith and help the new government stay focused in a narrow straight line of accomplishments, without any frolic or veering off the course. Icheoku prays that the Nigerian media including the social media will not visit on the new president the nightmare they dumped unto the now former President Goodluck Jonathan; and not needlessly so rattle him that he loses his focus and instead of governing, just spends his presidency fighting to hang in there, to survive, by treading waters until an opportunity to bail out equally presents itself. Icheoku says former President Goodluck Jonathan was a victim of the anti subsidy-removal protests which nearly torpedoed his government and he never truly recovered from the shock until he finally took a bow out of Aso Rock and out of power. May President Muhammadu Buhari not share a similar fate nor any other convulsing shocks to his government that will deviate his focus. 

Anyway, thanks to a man who is very squeamish President Goodluck Jonathan, President Muhammadu Buhari has now been sworn in as the new president of Nigeria. However the now gone President Jonathan did Nigeria one heck of a good by what he did, yielding power, a very good precedent he has meritoriously now set in place. Icheoku says one good thing about setting precedents is that if respectably followed by subsequent beneficiaries, it helps greatly in creating and ingraining functionality and foundational growth in any given political entity, leading to a more well stabilized and lasting polity. It now behoves on President Muhammadu Buhari to dutifully, as expected, similarly pass on the torch or baton, whenever his time comes, to the next guy without any let or hesitance. 

Hopefully too the dog eat dog disposition of Northern Nigerians Hausa/Fulanis that saw then Muhammadu Buhari overthrowing President Shehu Shagari, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida overthrowing Muhammadu Buhari and Babangida killing Mamman Vasta etc for attempted overthrow of his government, will not lead to a Northern coup against Muhammadu Buhari or even a Sokoto State officer overthrowing President Muhammadu Buhari to avenge President Shehu Shagari's experience in the hands of the same Muhammadu Buhari. On this final note, Icheoku now pours libation for the new President Muhammadu Buhari as follows:- May his presidency be without anyone making the country ungovernable for him. May he have the clarity of mind and oneness of purpose to now begin to wrought all the promised miracles he made to the Nigerian electorates during his presidential campaign, in anticipation and expectation of their fulfillment, they massively gave him the mandate. Icheoku says congratulations to President MB of Nigeria, admitted that the funereally pall now cast over the country with the change of batons at Aso Rock will take sometime to dissipate, if any time soon. 

PRESIDENT MB SPEAKS GLOWINGLY OF PRESIDENT GEJ, A BEFITTING MESSAGE.

"I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us all that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land, we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we cooperated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country." - President Muhammadu Buhari.

Icheoku says well said and dutifully too. What a great magnanimity of the President to once again publicly acknowledge and for the umpteenth time too, the very pivotal role played by former President Goodluck Jonathan in bringing about a new politically refocused Nigeria. Icheoku maintains that were the former president not a God-fearing man, who does not want to spill needlessly the blood of Nigerians just to stay put in power, not only would there not have been a new President Muhammadu Buhari sworn in today, but possibly there would not be a Nigeria still existing as one country and at best a Nigeria in cataclysmic turmoil. Icheoku appreciates the new president for recognizing this fact of immerse consequence and hopefully, he too will reciprocate same when his time also comes for such a display of statesmanship. Congratulations President Muhammadu Buhari and congratulations to the now former President Goodluck Jonathan.

FIFA CESSPOOL OF CORRUPTION, SEPP BLATTER SHOULD RESIGN.

Icheoku says when we thought it was only President Jonathan of Nigeria's government that has been under the microscope of United States of America crime fighting officials for corruption, the arrest today of several officials of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, proves otherwise. Fourteen top officials of the world football organizing body were picked up from their plush hotel rooms in the early hours of the morning in what they thought was a nightmare; but which indeed was a living reality of their lives as accused bribe takers. A result of extensive investigation including wiretap and secret recordings which captured some FIFA officials discussing bribes, running into hundreds of millions of dollars over the many years. 

The seemingly worst case of all is the current CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb who literally sat over in judgment and ouster of his predecessor in office Jack Warner for corruption; but who himself fell to the temptation and got hooked up to the sucre of corruption that abounds in FIFA, receiving among other bribes, a private swimming pool built for him in his home. Icheoku says may be the lesson of what sprang him up as chairman of CONCACAF became lost on him or the millions of dollars of easy bribe money was too tempting to just turn down and say no? 

Icheoku says such a bold move by the American Justice Department is a welcome development as it will help reposition FIFA by getting rid of its seedy officials who have brought disdain and disrepute to the world cup organizing body. But to do this effectively, the entire FIFA's current governing body have to go, starting with its president Sepp Blatter. Like President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria was booted out of office principally for his dereliction of duty in fighting corruption, FIFA's president Sepp Blatter must similarly be shoved out of the organization. A man who has been presiding over the putrid sewer of corruption and for seventeen long years now, although who has not been personally named or indicted just yet, cannot plead ignorance of what was going on right under his nose. Icheoku says it is either he knows or pretended not to know, choosing to look the other side while his underlings mightily helped themselves with bribery and upon one strict condition that they continually "elected" him president of the organization. Icheoku says it cannot be any other way, otherwise why has Sepp Blatter remained the president of the organization for such a very long time? Also why does FIFA not have a term limit for its elected officials or does it not know that such longevity in office usually breeds complacency and laxity which in turn creates room for such infestation of corruption?  

Icheoku says as the headman of FIFA, the buck stops at Sepp Blatter's desk and therefore he must muster every courage and  whatever honor still left in him and fall on his sword - perform the harakiri. FIFA President Sepp Blatter should and must resign; his office, let another take and clean up the Augean stable which a very corrupt FIFA has become under Sepp Blatter. A no nonsense reformer is needed at this time at FIFA to help bring about the much needed change from the business as usual culture that Blatter foist at the soccer organizing body and make it wholesome again. Also any country found to have compromised FIFA by facilitating this decadence should also be sanctioned. 

While Icheoku commends the effort of the Justice department thus far, we call for a very far-reaching investigation to unearth every person, official and country connected to this sleaze and punish them maximally, make an example of them and in order to avoid future repeat occurrence. What a shame that a body charged with organizing the most favorite sport in the world, descended into the sewer, tempted and fell to corrupting influences and now left everyone questioning their faith in FIFA managing this lovable pastime. It is pitiful and indeed very pitiful; which possibly explains why officials of FIFA seem to enjoy near life term tenure serving in the organization. African Confederation of African Football  President Issa Hayatou for example has been the boss of that regional body for nearly three decades since 1988 and executive member of FIFA since 1990 and you wonder why no other person can have a shot at it. But hey, with these arrests, the world now knows what amount of wheeling and dealing that kept these administrators so entrenched and their offices impregnable by the so called outsiders. Sep Blatter should resign or be forced out by being voted out of office; as no meaningful reform can take place in that Federation of International Football Association with the same man who created and enabled the corruption environment and who presided over the corruption regime, still manning the tiller.

KING JAMES V. CURRY NBA FINALS, CAVALIER WINS?

Icheoku says it appears that King LeBron James promise to Cleveland Cavaliers to win a championship for the club is on the verge of becoming a reality. Also his prayer that the Cavalier meets Oakland Warriors in the NBA finals has also now come through with the defeat of Houston Rockets by Oakland Warriors today to qualify from the Western Conference. So as the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and Oakland Warriors meets to decide who becomes the 2015 NBA champions, Icheoku says what a thrilling championship finals it will be. 

Icheoku however places his bet that the King James led Cavaliers will snake through to win the championship, thus bringing a life fulfilled to both LeBron James, the Cavalier owner Dan Gilbert, their fans and the city of Cleveland as whole. However if Curry manages to pull it off, then it will be a multiple happiness as Oakland gets a championship after over four decades of being in the barren wilderness; moreso it will be Icheoku's own Bay Area of Northern California that will be celebrating. But whatever happens and whichever club wins, it is going to be an outstanding 2015 NBA finals championship, regardless; as both sides parade stellar players. Icheoku can't wait to be thrilled and so, to Cleveland Cavaliers and Oakland Warriors, Icheoku says all the best and may the better side triumph. 

PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S LOST ELECTION 2015, THE AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT?

Icheoku says but for America's intervention, possibly Muhammadu Buhari would not be swearing in as Nigeria's next president on Friday May 29, 2015. But the Americans threw out every diplomatic caution to the wind and stepped right into the fray of an otherwise purely internal affairs of Nigeria. They  stood steadfast behind their anointed candidate Muhammadu Buhari, ratcheted the tempo, harassed and intimidated the soon to be ex president, using all manners of threat and other NGOs including their sponsored 'Bring Back Our Girls' as well as their international media, until Jonathan could no longer take the heat and decided to step out of the kitchen.   Needless to add that President Obama's political adviser David Axelrod provided consultancy services to the APC in addition. The Americans crafted a desired outcome and worked so hard to achieve it and it came to fruition. As a result, today President Jonathan has been forced out of Aso Rock and in his place their preferred candidate Muhammadu Buhari will be sworn within the next few days as the next president of Nigeria. So how did this ever happen, Icheoku may ask? 

Icheoku says never in the history of elections in Nigeria or anywhere else in Africa or any other place else has Western countries inserted itself frontally into influencing a particular predetermined outcome. They became so obsessed with achieving their objective that they forgot they were meddling in another country's internal affairs. Their crass partisanship and bias became such that the United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria was physically present at the final result collation center in Abuja, giving press briefings and making veiled threats. Icheoku asks would America similarly tolerate this and accept such a foreign meddling in their own elections? Recall the debacle that was Gore V. Bush 2000 wherein George W. Bush's 500 votes margin over then Vice President Al Gore, secured from his then brother Jeb Bush controlled Florida, decided the election. America told a curious world to back off and shut the fuck up as it is a purely internal affairs of the United States to decide who governs them and how? Moreso the same America's Democratic party of the current President Barack Obama, who are at permanent state of war with the Republicans over the later's insistence that voters should at least have a state issued identification card to be eligible to vote, while the Democrats insists that such requirement will be an abridgment of right to vote; yet the White House wanted and encouraged INEC to suppress Nigeria's own voters turnout by insisting on the use of the PVC and fingerprinting of would be voters? A double standard or what? 

So in Nigeria, it is okay for the same United States of America which will not tolerate any foreign country having a say in their election, to not only meddle but to directly intervene and influence the Nigeria's presidential election. Icheoku says what a country of many intrigues America really is, where different things apply to different people differently? A country that preaches one thing and does the other? A country that sees nothing wrong in Saudi Arabia regularly beheading people, including gay people and drastically suppressing women's rights, yet will readily jump into the fray of other countries for merely baning gay marriages? So aided by their internal collaborators, led by Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Olusegun Obasanjo, the United States continually fired threatening salvos of messages and ominous warnings that unless President Jonathan goes, Nigeria will see trouble. From Vice President Joe Biden who made series of calls to Aso Rock to Secretary of State who personally visited to deliver a message of loss of confidence of the White House on President Jonathan, with repeated statements through the American ambassador in Nigeria who literally became partisan and joined forces with the opposition to ratchet the tempo to get President Jonathan out. It was a sort of political lynching and regrettably, they succeeded and now their preferred candidate, President-elect Muhammadu Buhari is gearing to be sworn in as the next president of Nigeria. 

Icheoku says the injustice that forced President Jonathan out of office has never been witnessed anywhere in the world and only God will avenge it at the appropriate time. The piling up was extraordinary and the rabid intensity such that only a resilient and cool-headed Jonathan could have weathered it and survived as  long as he did. But like every mortal, there is always a breaking point at which resistance becomes futile and he cracked and threw up his hands in surrender. The president could not take the pressure any more and decided to throw in the towel. He yielded the seat of power to them as a bargain for peace and order in Nigeria and in order for them to let him live. Icheoku says giving up power by President Jonathan was the safest option in the circumstance as the same blood hounds would have literally extinguished the president's life if it came to that rather than have him continue to run affairs in Nigeria. It was an international conspiracy fueled by geo-politics, money and commerce as well as spheres of influence. Regrettably the peoples and countries that were involved are always eager and ever prepared to go to any length to maintain their vice hold on their regions of influence; including snuffing out life of anything that comes in-between them and these things or which threatens its influence and economic interests. 

Icheoku asks but did President Jonathan see this grand conspiracy brewing or did he merely underestimate them and their vicious capacity to visit calamity to his second term ambition? Did the president instead of fighting back, make a smart calculation that the array of amassed forces against him can only force the issue one way, if he continues to resist, and decided on an option that will at least keep him alive? Did the president peremptorily get out of the way of the moving locomotive train by conceding the election? Many of the answers to some of these questions will however have to wait until the president eventually writes his memoir? But until then, Icheoku can only second-guess the intricate conspiracies that saw President Jonathan out of power and out of Aso Rock. It must have been a heart shattering experience to watch as those returns were called in only to realize that his foot soldiers and lieutenants failed or did not deliver their precincts as expected. So stranded, the president threw in the towel with a hasty congratulatory call that went out to the incoming president. Now as he prepares for a possibly lonely life in Otuoke, the president will find some wisdom in what Obasanjo once told him that all those people flocking around him are not his friends, but are flies which are attracted to the honey of his office. Icheoku concludes that a strong president would have achieved a different outcome by resisting this obvious foreign intervention in Nigeria's domestic election. In addition to other measures taken to checkmate it, he would have threatened to expel and indeed expelled any country's ambassador who dared intervene in Nigeria's domestic affairs matter. But unfortunately, not Jonathan of Otuoke, who was heavily compromised by people supposedly working for him and checkmated by very powerful forces massed against him. What a lesson for history books on how not to be a Mr Nice Guy president of Nigeria. 

ROTIMI AMAECHI, WILL THE VILLAIN EVER BE FORGIVEN BY NIGER DELTA PEOPLE?

Icheoku says when the villains of the lost presidential election 2015 of President Goodluck Jonathan are counted, Governor Rotimi Amaechi will certainly occupy the topmost number one position, followed by several others in that sequence. So the necessary question remains, will he ever be forgiven by his people of the South-south Niger Delta region for selling out their zone's  hold on the presidency without much in return or as compensation? Is it a fair trade that in lieu of his region's presidency, he now ended up as a mere hustler in the presidency of a Hausa/Fulani Muhammadu Buhari? A president-elect who can summarily travel out to London to meet with the British Prime Minister David Cameron without the single courtesy or decency of even an honorable mention of the trip to Amaechi, his glorified presidential campaign director;  following which Amaechi had to scurry to London, chasing after Buhari, just to present an air of still being a factor and included in the fast emerging Muhammadu Buhari inner power house? Why would this jostling around power be more valued to Rotimi Amaechi  rather than his brother remaining the president of Nigeria? Icheoku says, had he secured the vice presidency, my be his people will at least still have some consolatory prize for their loss of the presidency; but Rotimi Amaechi gave it all away, lost it all including his region's hold on the presidency. So what manner of a man would be at easy with such a skewed disproportionate exchange he made, the proverbial cutting off the nose to spite the face?

Icheoku says it certainly is a cause for concern when a man, who for all intent and purpose, now qualifies for a Judas Iscariot of our time, would readily betray one of his own brother, successfully driving him out of power, only to settle for a beggar status around power corridor? A man whose conspiracy caused his entire South-south Niger Delta region hold unto power to completely unravel, now leaving them out of power and merely holding a beggarly power plate. Icheoku does not know about you but says that Rotimi Amaechi is in addition, a Brutus of our times as his betrayal of President Jonathan is akin to the Brutus stab which Caesar felt most, because it came from the least expected quarters - a trusted insider, the unknown enemy within. In a six region power arrangement which Nigeria operates, why a member of a region with hold on power would conspire with persons from other regions with the sole purpose of wrestling power out of his region, is indeed very mind boggling. But Rotimi Amaechi exactly did this and only Rotimi Amaechi can explain the wisdom of his action as Icheoku is at sea on why any sane person would prefer to settle for less when he already had the more by proxy.

Icheoku perfectly understands that politics is a game of the long knives as every player is in it is there for what he or she can get therefrom. But when an unthinking man throws his hat into the arena and ended up being shortchanged and used as merely a tool to wrestle power out of his brother's hand, as it is increasingly looking like, then one must question the political maturity and sagacity of such a man. Icheoku is not a fan of President Jonathan, admitted we strongly carried his waters during the last election because of our disdain and strong resentment of Muhammadu Buhari presidency because of those three Nigerians he murdered; but let truth be spoken, would any reason ever be enough or suffice for the betrayal of the president by Rotimi Amaechi? As a correlative, would the people of the South-south Niger Delta ever bring themselves around to forgive or forget this their rascally son, who conspired with other people from other zones to forcibly yank their mouth from their suckle on power? Icheoku does not know about anyone who would pardon such treachery, but says Rotimi Amaechi should indeed be ashamed for the role he played in the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last election. What a human excrement this man is by reason of the trade he brokered - trading a position of master to now a mere servant for his region and someone please tell Icheoku Rotimi Amaechi is indeed truly happy for bringing about this outcome?

Sometimes Icheoku gets goose pimples thinking about this Rotimi Amaechi's utmost betrayal of President Jonathan and wonders, with men or people like him still walking the face of this earth, what hope has humanity of ever getting anywhere? Icheoku says regardless of whatever compensation the incoming Muhammadu Buhari's government might throw his way for the hatchet-job he did on Jonathan, will it or anything for that matter ever be worthy of the heinous crime he committed, ousting his own South-south Niger Delta region from power? It is nothing short of a slave mentality for Rotimi Amaechi to prefer someone else as president rather than his own brother irrespective of any disagreement that led up to this. So what if a cash-strapped Jonathan refused or did not pay money owned to Rivers State? So what if Dame Patience made Rotimi Amaechi mad? So what if Rotimi Amaechi was livid and wanted the head of John or Jonathan the Baptist on a platter? Is anything hurting enough to make the horrible trade he made, preferring a Fulani president to his own regional blood's president? So what will happen in the very likely event Rotimi Amaechi has serious disagreement with Muhammadu Buhari; who will he run to or gang up to in similar manner yank the presidency from Buhari? Icheoku maintains that any responsible person does not stir the hornet nest in his neighborhood for fear of being victimized by their sting; but Rotimi Amaechi just did that and today is a loathsome pariah of the entire South-south Niger Delta region. Hopefully he will realize his folly soon enough, make contrition and beg for forgiveness; following which he will find a rope and go behind his house to do what every Judas Iscariot does when the heavy heart of what they did becomes unbearable. Icheoku says this Rotimi Amaechi is one huge unthinking buffoon to have conspired to yank the presidency from the South-south Niger Delta and pawn it over to the Northwest Hausa/Fulani. A Judas Iscariot of our time - pitiful and indeed very pitiful he is.

IRELAND CAPITULATES, SODOMY CAPTURING MINDS ONE NATION AT A TIME?

Icheoku says you know it is finally over and finished, the fight to stop institutionalized  sodomy in the world, when one of the staunchest Catholic Christian country, Ireland, officially joins the bandwagon of championing gay causes; now becoming a gay ally, having spread-out the welcome mat for gay marriage.  May be the next stop in this march by fiery-eyed gay activists to conquer the entire world and turn it into another biblical Sodom and Gomorrah will be the seat of the Holy Sea, Vatican City Rome? Now you know why President Jonathan of Nigeria was forced out of Aso  Rock, his signing into law an anti-gay marriage law which the gay-world considered a sacrilege. A threat to the spreading of their lifestyle in Nigeria and throughout Africa which must be responded to and they  successfully engineered Jonathan's ouster. To the gay lobby and activists, anything considered a threat or which is standing in the way of completely routing the world with sodomy must be mercilessly crushed and completely eradicated. 

Gay-dom is marching on and is gradually proving unstoppable. Now they have added Ireland to the list of their so far captured countries and have set their eyes on other countries that have not yet been overrun. Their machine of spread was such that even the Catholic Church in Ireland was so overwhelmed that they decided to look the other way, petrified and  trembling, while the gay armada rolled through their country and into history books as Ireland now becomes a gay-marriage friendly country. With all the votes now counted, the pro-gay votes won by over 63% to officially make Ireland a place where gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals can now freely pry their same-sex and other sexes trade. 

Icheoku says for such a predominately Catholic country to now no longer see anything wrong or immoral with sodomy shows that Christianity itself has spiraled out of its axis and is now hustling in a free fall into perdition. Otherwise how does anyone in Ireland explain the sudden somersault from the long held Christian believe that sodomy is both wrong, immoral and against God's laws which strictly forbade it as an abomination? But no, they caved in to a well-funded, well-oiled and well-orchestrated machine of gay activism on a roll through patron Saint Patrick's own country. A group that desires to have all nations on earth fall under their jackboot of activism  and force upon the world a lifestyle shared by only less than 3% of the world's population? But hey, Ireland has spoken and Ireland is now a gay marriage country, so to Ireland all the LGBTs of the world, especially those from countries that have not yet legalized gaydom, are now headed to party like it is 1999. Congratulations LGBT on your victory in Ireland and Icheoku asks,  what has become of this world and its original institution of marriage between man and woman as we know it?

MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT 10 DOWNING STREET, DISRESPECTFULLY STOOD UP BY CAMERON?

Icheoku asks what went down at London's 10 Downing Street that Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari was left standing outside at the door, like an errand messenger boy, in breach of all known protocols? Icheoku believes that Muhammadu Buhari went there at the invitation of or with knowledge of officials of Prime Minister David Cameron, so they cannot plead that they were not aware of his presence and therefore should have treated him with much better decorum, befitting a man of his status and what he represents. Icheoku admonishes that for the British Prime Minister David Cameron's officials to stand Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari outside 10 Downing Street, even for a trifle moment, is not a good show or display of camaraderie nor a nice diplomatic nicety between both countries. Icheoku therefore calls on Nigeria government to vehemently protest this treatment of the elected president by the British Prime Minister David Cameron office as it is both demeaning and unpalatable diplomatic letdown. 

Icheoku asks why treat Muhammadu Buhari with such ignominy, abandoned at the door and waiting to be let into 10 Downing Street. It shows that those British people don't care about black people especially Africans; moreso, when they are Nigerians, the reason they treated its leader with such levity. Where was Prime Minister David Cameron's protocol officials and why did they not let Muhammadu Buhari in and even if the Prime Minister was not ready to see him just yet, despite being on a scheduled visit, kept him inside a waiting room or tea room pending when time permits for them to see.  Icheoku had warned but Nigerians did not hear nor listen that the Western powers that forced President Jonathan out of Aso Rock did not do so out of love for Nigeria but in order to stop the developmental progress of the past years. Now look at the disrespect shown to the same man they championed his election and you wonder what did Muhammadu Buhari do to deserve this treatment. 

When this people are visiting Nigeria, even if it is their ordinary Secretary of State or Foreign Secretary, the whole government of Nigeria will remain standing still to cater to their heart desires until they depart Nigeria; but they will not reciprocate such goodwill when Nigerian officials, including their president-elect visits them?  It shows that this white people don't really care a hoot about black people, neither do they like them and would readily treat everything about them with willful indifference. Icheoku knows this first hand and would safely vouchsafe that possibly behind that 10 Downing Street door, they will be peeping at a standing Muhammadu Buhari and mouthing, 'this African ecstatic again, look at his outfit' and wondering whether he has only one of it? Anyway it is the cross Nigerians have to bear for the next four years, having elected a president who is now stood up and outside of 10 Downing Street London, waiting to be allowed in. 

2015 NIGERIA ELECTION, THREE MEMORABLE QUOTES ON THE MARBLE.

MO IBRAHIM FELICITATES WITH JONATHAN.

”The news from Nigeria today is wonderful. Africa’s largest country has concluded a peaceful election process. Furthermore, the incumbent has already gracefully conceded and congratulated his successor – a first for Nigeria and a benchmark for other African countries to follow. Today, we Africans are all proud of Nigeria and President Jonathan. Thank you Mr President. If you are seeking a legacy, you have definitely achieved it.” - MO Ibrahim of MO Ibrahim Foundation, felicitating with Jonathan for conceding defeat to the opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari.

BUHARI, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS?

"I pledge myself and the government to the rule of law, in which none shall be so above the law that they are not subject to its dictates, and none shall be so below it that they are not availed of its protection. You shall be able to go to bed knowing that you are safe and that your constitutional rights remain in safe hands. You shall be able to voice your opinion without fear of reprisal or victimisation." - President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.

ATIKU'S KIND AND WELL SAID WORDS.

"To President Jonathan, I want to specially thank you for conducting a historic election. Your party may have lost the elections, but you have won the admiration of the world by not interfering with the wishes of Nigerians. History will be kind to you. It is my sincere hope that we will all come together as one country, to build the Nigeria of our dreams." - Abubakar Atiku, congratulating President Goodluck Jonathan on his conceding defeat to Muhammadu Buhari.

TONY BLAIR'S ADVISE ON OIL SUBSIDY REMOVAL, A SATANIC TRAP?

Icheoku says one thing Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari must avoid, with all seriousness and every dogged determination, is the meddlesome interloping of these white foreign "advisers" who suddenly now appear to love Nigeria more than Nigerians themselves and somehow more than even their own countries. So query, where have their love for Nigeria been all these years Nigeria needed practically every help and advise they can get on how to chart the way forward, including fighting the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists as well as the killer Ebola Virus Disease? They were a no show then and were privately praying and wishing that Nigeria should be cut down to size. Just recently, they have been emerging from their rat-holes, in all manners, shapes and forms, proffering one advise or the other on how to reposition Nigeria for its future growth. 

Icheoku asks what changed or is it their same love for Muhammadu Buhari rather than Nigerians, that found them similarly not seeing anything bad of the former despotic dictator coming back to rule Nigeria? A matter made worse because of the crime of kidnapping of Umaru DIkko on British soil by the then junta Muhammadu Buhari's government but which the British government decided to look the other way with its prosecution? Anyway Muhammadu Buhari is now the president in the waiting and all his sins are washed away; so now back to the present matter under advisement - the recent advise by former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair that the incoming government should remove oil subsidy in Nigeria. 

Icheoku says these white people and their media do not mean well for black people whether in Africa or Diaspora or any where else. A case in point is the Boko Haram scourge which they continuously blame the Nigerian government and army for being lethargic tackling them, while maintaining a conspirator's silence on their governments' refusal to help or even sell arms to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram. Icheoku berates that anyone meaning well for the Nigeria's government in the waiting or Nigeria in general should stay off this very delicate issue that is oil subsidy removal which still enables ordinary Nigerians to afford gasoline and petroleum products in their oil producing country. If the government yields to Tony Blair's advise and takes away oil subsidy, how does Tony Blair expect the associated hardship to be cushioned, except that such advise is according to Tony Blair above his pay grade or in short Tony Blair is not telling or saying? 

Icheoku is rather surprised beyond pale that anybody is still listening to whatever this very Tony Blair has to say or offer as an opinion? A Tony Blair, who failed woefully as a British Prime Minister; the same man who alongside then American President George W Bush sent the world into an unneeded war in the Middle East with their ill-motivated invasion of Iraq that has seen that region spiraling out of control ever since. A man who also failed in his post prime minister-ship assignment as special envoy to the Middle East and under whose mediocre oversight, the trouble between Israel and Palestine has gone from bad to awfully worse. Icheoku says it was under his forlorn watch and supervision of the Middle East, that the region which is formally known for its relative peace, has now become a volcanic hotbed of mass murders, kidnapping, killing, maiming, destruction of lives and properties and wherein so many failed or nearly failed and failing states are continuously springing out and with so many rogue operators holding sway. 

Icheoku says a man who could not govern his Britain, nor had a good judgment invading Iraq and similarly failed in his Middle East assignment as a peace envoy is the least qualified person to be advising a Nigeria's newly elected president. Query, as then prime minister of United Kingdom, what did his government do to help alleviate the suffering of Nigerian masses or improve their life? How many debt reliefs did his government then and the British government up till now grant to Nigeria? Instead they are providing shelter in their banks and other financial institutions for loots of the state from Nigeria and are continuously wining and dining Nigeria's former corrupt leaders who looted the state dry? Why not as a start ban these former leaders from Britain and deny them entry and exit visas from every of Her Majesty's territories as a start? Icheoku asks what has Britain done to help Nigeria, its former colony, in the fight against Boko Haram, Ebola, unemployment, power supply and even rural development since all these years, including pre-independence and post-independence Nigeria. 

As a then prime minister, did Tony Blair remove the British government's subsidy on health-care of British citizens, known as National Health Service, so that British citizens could start paying their fair share of the cost borne by their government for maintaining their health-care coverage? As a then prime minister, how much did Tony Blair's government give to help a developing Nigeria build up its capacity including refineries which would have since removed the need for the corruption-riddled fuel for crude oil buy-back program that breed all these subsidies? But now, the same failure who is masquerading as a leader, is propounding an atrocious panacea that will only consume the incoming government and you wonder if President-elect Muhammadu Buhari indeed actually has any friend in this Tony Blair. 

What the West did not succeed in achieving through an expected and engineered bloody election in Nigeria, they are now trying to funnel through an explosive issue of oil subsidy removal, which they know will convulse and possibly torpedo the new government if implemented. Icheoku alerts that the West not desiring any good for Nigeria are laying further land-mines for Nigeria that will blow it to smithereens if not rebuffed. Icheoku is emphatic that the West's pretentious  love for Nigeria is not genuine nor real but contrived, a poisoned chalice which they are hoping the incoming government will drink from and then turn around to supply the arms and ammunition that will be needed to take down Nigeria. Like Syria, like Iraq, they will like to cut down the progress a Nigeria suddenly awake to its responsibilities is trying all these sixteen years to situate. Icheoku maintains that these white people do not like black people and cannot honestly be happy to see Nigeria shake off its drag and will come in all guises to sabotage any effort in that direction. 

At least, if Tony Blair has something to say to the incoming government regarding helping them to succeed, let him help the government recover all those stolen billions of dollars of Nigeria's money stashed in banks in London and other cities in the United Kingdom including their Cayman Island territory. If Tony Blair wants to help the incoming government succeed, let him help have Nigeria's creditors cancel Nigeria's debts or at least freeze the interest payable on them. If Tony Blair wants to help the incoming government succeed, let him help Nigeria solve its power problems. If Tony Blair wants to help the incoming government keep its election campaign promises, let him facilitate the British government sending trained experts to Nigeria to help in areas of agriculture, animal husbandry, fish raising as well as technology. If Tony Blair wants to help Nigeria succeed, let his British government help Nigeria develop its infrastructures including roads, rail-lines, airports, seaports as well as a disciplined functioning law enforcement. 

Icheoku says some of these are what developed, advanced countries, which mean well for developing countries, offer in aids and assistance. But for a Tony Blair to call for the removal of the only thing which an average Joe and Jill of Nigeria still benefits from their government is sacrilege of the worst kind and should therefore be ignored as very ominous. It is a poisoned pill which if swallowed, will accelerate a cardiac arrest of the incoming government which no Nigerian wants to see happen. So much was promised by the incoming government to Nigerians, which led to their victory at the polls and such a great expectation should not be dashed by this kill-joy of an impetuous advise which will force the people of Nigeria back into despondency. Icheoku asks which country in the world does not subsidize her citizens in one way or the other, so why should Nigeria be an exception? So to hell with Tony Blair and his advise from Hades. 

President-elect Buhari must therefore tell Tony Blair thanks but no, thanks. Icheoku says taking advantage of the election goodwill to inflict further pain on Nigerian people will not only be wrong but is also wicked and cruel and a breach of the confidence that led to the election victory. Africans are not known for such forked-tongue positioning, so Tony Blair must reserve that for his people of Britain. Icheoku says it was this same people who advised then Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida to introduce SAP and Nigerians are living witnesses of how well that "immediate pain for a long term interest of the country" worked out so well. Please President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, stay away from these foreign white-vultures who are only interested in starting wars and killing people so that their countries' military-industrial complexes can find ready market for their weapons racketeering. 

As the outgoing president Goodluck Jonathan said, no Nigerian blood is worth shedding for any office in the land,  so Buhari must say to these death-merchants that no Nigerian life is worth losing now to severe hardship which the removal of subsidy will bring just because of a bogus long term gain. Icheoku maintains that their prescription never works anywhere and they even rarely gives the same  medicine to their own privileged people.  Icheoku is emphatic that even the United States of America still subsidizes gasoline and other petroleum products in America for its people. Otherwise what then is the use for governments if they cannot help their citizens, especially those bottom-feeders who at the bottom of the food chain - the poor, hungry and penniless. 

At least Tony Blair should first pledge to get his British government to help Nigeria develop its mass transit system and then Nigerians will have little need to travel in gasoline-combustible engines; thereafter,  Nigerians can start listening to his advise to take away their oil subsidy.  Just like in Britain where trains are everything and the people have little to no need for gasoline in order to get around. But Tony Blair will not go there; instead Tony Blair is trying to set a trap of a ball of fire that will lead to the implosion of the new government. Icheoku agrees with CNPP's Osita Okechukwu that "those who propounded the nebulous economic policies of the past which created huge inequality and pauperized Nigerians are at it again. Nigerians have suffered enough and do not need more impoverishment" But should they be allowed to succeed this time? Icheoku says an emphatic NO and this should be Buhari's approach to all these pretentious demagogues and vultures laying in wait to plunder and devour his government and by extension take Nigeria down with it. What a pin-head mongrel with his unsolicited evil advise of doom.

OBY EZEKWESILI IS A DEFINITION OF UGLY, ALJAZEERA INTERVIEW ATTESTS.

Icheoku watched an interview recently granted to Aljazeera corespondent by Obiageli Ezekwesili, wherein the masculine Oby  mumbled and prevaricated; evasive as an eel, trying to cover up the sleaze that is her former boss, alleged father and paramour, Olusegun Obasanjo, the most eminently corrupt Nigerian former leader? A man who also doubled as Nigeria Petroleum minister for the eight years while he controlled affairs in Nigeria as president. The ugly duckling Oby Ezekwesili was put on the spot with a direct question by the interviewer, to answer 'yes or no' whether Obasanjo was corrupt? But to the chagrin of many, the supposed "woman of God and Pastor of God" would not answer the question, instead she choose to cover up for her mentor. 

A catch-22 question sort of - damned if you do and damn if you don't. If she answered yes, then she will have some explaining to do to her master and if she answered no, then the overwhelming evidence of corruption that is Olusegun Obasanjo's stupendous wealth could not have in any other way be easily explained out. So what did Obiageli Ezekwesili do, she choose like every other scum-bag politician to prevaricate, giving contorted response which was not in anyway answering the direct question posed by the interviewer, but which was meant to throw the questioner off. The interviewer insisted, demanding that Oby answer the direct question and to stop parrying it. But a sturdy and stubborn Oby Ezekwesili will not budge and demanded from the interviewer to produce evidence of Olusegun Obasanjo's corruption. In answer, Icheoku says there is a common principle of law known as "res ipsa loquitor" that speaks volume about Obasanjo's unaccounted wealth - his Abeokuta Hilltop mansion, TransCorp, Ota Farms and Bells University just to mention a few. So could Oby Ezekwesili in the absence of any other evidence of Obasanjo's culpability, please explain to the world how Olusegun Obasanjo suddenly landed into the stupendous wealth he is currently possessed of? 

Icheoku berates that this is the same woman who has been a pain in the neck on President Jonathan, adumbrating on corruption when she participated and served in one of the most corrupt governments in Nigeria. Anyway Icheoku blames the gutless and timid media team of President Jonathan, who to a great length, helped cost him his second term election as they sheepishly and lackadaisically reacted to allegations of corruption on the government by the opposition, instead of leading the charge and commanding the narrative on the subject. They stood hands akimbo, dazed and confused, while people like this ungodly lying bitch controlled the piling-up; including championing the protest about the staged kidnapping of some alleged Chibok school girls, heavily melting the grounds upon which President Jonathan stood for his reelection until it became too late to salvage or change the outcome. 

Icheoku is emphatic that a media team that was worth its weight in gold, would not have lost the narrative or stood by and watched, while this woman and her acolytes made a mince meat of President Jonathan's records on corruption; when her own boss and alleged lover, and some people even claimed that the incestuous Olusegun Obasanjo equally fathered her, had several cupboards filled with putrefying corruption-skeletons. An Obasanjo who doubled as Petroleum Minister for eight years and who went from having zero money in 1999 to having trailer-loads of it now is not corrupt? Yet the likes of Reuben Abati stood like a deer in headlight, fidgeting and trembling in petrified fear, while Oby Ezekwesili and co went to town throwing up dust of corruption as if their own Obasanjo was a saint of so many decades ago or that his government never happened? Reuben Abati and co quacked, shuddered and shivered in fear, while this woman ran her very large mouth all over the place as an anti-corruption apostle, crusading against President Jonathan's supposed steeped corruption. But she conveniently maintained a blind eye or rather was not telling the world how Olusegun Obasajno came about his stupendous wealth, coming from the brink of bankruptcy and precipitous financial ruins a few short years ago. This is the woman Reuben Abati could not checkmate or go toe to toe with in a duel of words on corruption and today his boss paid dearly for this cowardly incompetence with the loss of his second term bid. 

This woman calls herself a pastor but condones a very corrupt Olusegun Obasanjo and was covering for him, without minding how God would feel about His pastor publicly, lying unashamedly?  Icheoku says were it in the days of brimstones from heaven, may be a huge boulder would have smashed her to pieces inside that interview arena for the shameless performance she put up. Possibly her supposed pastor-ship is not and cannot be of God but of the devil as God does not like liars and detests frauds. Icheoku laments that whichever man wakes up besides this woman every morning must be having uncontrollable bouts of nightmares and malaria. A woman  who had the impetus to deride another man for corruption, when her own man and boss is corruption personified. In short Oby Ezekwesili is ugly inside out and needs to mend her evil ways of covering up strange things. As one Professor Ochonu put it, "Oby Ezekwesili's loud anti-corruption activism is "strangely amnesiac and hypocritical." Icheoku agrees and adds, what a farce and fraud of the worst kind this woman is; indeed  she is very pitiful.