BIAFRA IS AFOOT, THE SUN IS RISING AGAIN.

 Icheoku says it is looking more assured today than yesterday that Biafra shall once again become a reality. Like the phoenix, it shall rise again and soon. To all the courageous brave Biafra Boys and Girls spearheading the current agitation, marching without fear or intimidation, know you all that the world of Biafra are with you and that you are being celebrated as people who rose up to say enough is enough. It is either equity or Biafra but nothing in between, not anymore. Icheoku says kudos!

TURKEY DOWNS RUSSIA PLANE, THIRD WORLD WAR LOOMING?

Icheoku says one passenger plane bombed out of the skies by none state actors is one humiliation already too many and now another plane, a Su-24 fighter jet, shot down by a state actor and the question is, would Vladimir Putin be able to contain his ego and not react in such a way that would trigger a third world war conflagration? This becomes imperative because a reprisal attack by Russia on Turkey would be an attack on NATO including the United States of America, a recipe for disaster. So how does Putin save face by retaliating for this downing of his country's war plane and yet not start a shooting war with NATO countries? Icheoku has no clue whatsoever but says the looming third world war is nearer today than it was yesterday. 

The downing of Russian fighter jet by Turkey is certainly one helluva changing equation in the whether to be or not to be threatening confrontation in the Middle East. Depending on how Putin's Russia responds, the world might be on the verge of the real mother of all wars. Although President Obama and French President Hollande have urged a deescalation of the matter and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has reaffirmed NATO' solidarity with Turkey, it appears the only one who could truly stop the situation from barreling down under is Russia's President Vladimir Putin. if he chooses not to retaliate, he will appear weak; but if he settles for a payback, then he will have the mighty force of NATO to contend with. Geo-politically, China, North Korea as well as Iran will be drawn into the conflict on the side of Russia; while the rest of none NATO countries will each chose sides according to their leaning; and then the will and economy will see either side through the war. 

Already President Putin has warned of "serious consequences", threatening that Russia "will never tolerate such crimes as was committed today" by what he called "the accomplices of terrorists.'Turkey's President Erdogan on his part said "nobody should doubt that we made our best efforts to avoid this latest incident. But everyone should respect the right of Turkey to defend its borders. Continuing he said that cool-headedness of Turkey had prevented worse incidents in the past. While Moscow maintained that no Turkish airspace was violated by their plane, Turkey restated that their airspace were violated multiple times and knowingly; and that Russia's plane did not heed repeated warnings to back off from approaching Turkey borders. 

Anyway as far as Icheoku is concerned, war is good and a global war much better because it will help rebuild the sputtering world economies and to an extent control the ever exploding world's population. Either way, the world is waiting to see how the current impasse is resolved as Icheoku prays it ends without shooting war.

AUDU ABUBAKAR'S THIRD TERM BID, DENIED !

By death, that is. Life has an uncanny way of playing cruel joke on people. An irony of some sort it is, that a man who contested and was on the verge of winning a governorship election was red-carded by death and can no longer govern the state which he was being elected to govern? Query, if the APC governorship candidate Audu Abubakar knew that death was lurking this so near, would he have traded the effort at the governorship contest to make peace with his maker before the final call? If he was given a choice between remaining alive as a trade off for not running for the governorship election, how would he have pulled the trigger and exercised the option? 

All these are but inquiries of a curious mind and at best the "what ifs" and Monday night quarterbacking on the current development in Kogi State Nigeria as no one, including Audu Abubakar, had any inkling that his end-time was this near. Icheoku says it is a very good weapon of the Almighty that  he stealthily picks off whoever he desires and whenever he so wishes, without let or hindrance or any time to plead  please God wait just a minute as am not quite ready yet. But humans do not learn from life experiences otherwise certain actions would have been more circumspect rather than the usual acting and living like one will never die. 

Audu Abubakar was the fielded APC governorship candidate in the just conducted but determined inconclusive Kogi State  governorship election. His candidacy was rather a rude shocking surprise to many as it was everything contradictory to APC anti-corruption mantra. This was a former governor indicted and standing trial for money laundering and embezzlement of State funds by EFCC, yet President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC choose to ignore that fact of grave consequence and fielded him as their party's candidate, in their very selective prosecution of their war on corruption. But unbeknownst to them, the only one above all human frail and fallibility knows best and has now acted to end it all. Former Governor Audu Abubakar was 68 years old.

Icheoku says were William Shakespeare to be encapsulating this happenstance, probably he will couch it as the man who won the fight but lost the battle to govern Kogi State for the third time. Or one who won the governorship but lost the governance. Or one who was stopped cold at the gate to the governor's mansion at Lafia. Or one who like the biblical Moses saw the promised land but was not allowed to set his feet thereinunto; or who did all he could to and was nearly winning the governorship election except that his destiny ruled otherwise. 

Laughably though, were all the teaming "men and women of God" who pry in the business of retailing scripture and performing miracles; and who also claim to see tomorrow but who were blindsided by Audu's sudden death as it never appeared in their Ouija board or is it tarot cards? Icheoku says if a prophet could not and did not see something as huge as this guy's death or "God" did not reveal it to them, what else would be visible to them? But a very gullible society plagued by 419 con-men masquerading as men and women of God, would not give a damn about this catastrophic failure of the "anointed" ones in not prophesying Audu Abubakar's sudden death.

Icheoku recalls that the deceased promised to 'Bring Back' his looted ten billion Naira and reinvest same in the State if he wins the election? Now many people are wondering if he remembered to leave instructions to his bankers so that they could still effect the same. It appears Audu Abubakar was laboring under the weight of some debilitating illness for quite some time now. But regrettably, the Nigerian "big-man" syndrome or rather factor, which sees every bloated person as a sign of being rich, possibly foreclosed his seeking appropriate medical advise and adequate treatment before now. From his puffy look, possibly he had a heart condition or liver disease; but without an autopsy, cannot be conclusive and the real cause of his death might never be known. Like good people whose goodness are often interred with their bones, Audu Abubakar's plans for Kogi State this third time around, the real cause of his death as well as whatever he previously stole and promised to return and reinvest back in Kogi State shall now all be buried with him. Adieu Governor Audu Abubakar.

OBY EZEKWESILI, WHERE IS SHE NOW?

Icheoku says it appears those Chibok girls have since been rescued and reunited with their families; otherwise why have the 'Bring Back Their Girls" activism died down? Why has Oby Ezekwesili, the ugly one, stopped her protest marches? Anyway, anyone who sees Oby Ezekwesili or runs into her should please tell her that the whole world is waiting to hear from her what has become the faith of those kidnapped Chibok girls. If they have been rescued, she should let the world know when and if not, why has she not been marching to have those girls released or rescued? 

Although a reliable source has it that Oby has been in a mental health care facility, yet to fully recover from the shock and trauma that was her rejection by President Muhammadu Buhari as a minister. Icheoku says why is life so cruel on some, especially those who would sell their own as a trade off but only to end up still rejected. To Oby Ezekwesili, Icheoku says lets go bring back those Chibok girls and now; or at least lets resume the protest march until PMB brings those girls back.What is good for the goose should be good for the gander, why protest Jonathan and not protest Buhari and those girls are still kidnapped and possibly gone forever. 

BOKO HARAM DEADLIER THAN ISIS, YET THE WORLD IS INDIFFERENT?

Icheoku says a terrorist group has certainly earned its pips as an equal opportunity terror dispenser, very brutal and crazily ruthless in farming out terror, when it is considered more deadly than the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, the notorious ISIS. So if this affliction of Nigeria, particularly Nigeria's Northeast, is this toxic, why is it that the world has not since rushed to the aid of Nigeria to help it battle this group? Yet the whole world has been acting out ever since the Paris terror strike as if the French were the first people to be killed by terrorists? Icheoku asks are the over six thousand Nigerians so far laid waste by Boko Haram not human enough for the world to pay attention; or rather is it that their lives don't matter to the world, especially the Western world, to be considered worthy of avenging or to act to protect or preserve others before they are taken? 

Every life should and do matter as no life should be discountenanced as being less important, regardless of the skin color bearing it. If the French 126 lost lives is attracting such global condemnation and heightened action by world powers, why then has the Nigerian 6,000 lost lives not attracting a commensurate attention and action? Is a French life of higher premium and value compared to that of a Nigerian such that it has to take the taking of a French life to awaken the world to the scourge of Islamic terrorism that is ravaging the world? But a world driven by greed, irrationality and racism, somehow have their own skewed, peculiar agenda and sets their priorities differently. They look the other way while Nigeria is being pummeled by these monsters from the pit of hell called Boko Haram while now rushing to the aid of just recently attacked France. Even then American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once dismissed concerns for Boko Haram as an ordinary protest being fueled by marginalization? 

Nigeria based Boko Haram, according to Global Terrorism Index produced by Institute for Economic and Peace with  data collated by National Institute for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, has now overtaken ISIS as the World's Most Deadly Terrorist Organization. We all are aware of John Walsh's America Most Wanted television program and the effort which is always put together to have these wanted fugitives put behind bars as undesirables dregs of society. Query:- why is the world not looking seriously at helping tackle the meanest of all menace of terrors in Northeast Nigeria? Is it possibly, as suggested by one former United States official, that, that region of the world, the sub-Saharan black Africa, does not factor in America's and to a larger extent Western countries' geo-political interest? Should Nigerians then continue perishing as a result, a matter made worse by the same Western countries refusing to sell or supply arms to Nigeria with which to face down these beasts of Islam who are making life a living hell in Nigeria Northeast?

Boko Haram aka Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) has killed thousands of Nigerians, recording an alarming number of Nigerians dead of 6,644 just in 2014 alone. Meanwhile France just lost "only" 126 to ISIS attack in Paris while Russia lost 229 through a plane crash which ISIS bombed out of the sky over Sinai Egypt. That Boko Haram is fast spreading through Africa Lake Chad region with deadly presence in Chad, Niger and Cameroon; where they have carried out 46 strikes which took 520 lives in the same 2014, was still not enough to make the world declare a terrorism emergency in this part of the world and rush much needed help both in munition, weapons and manpower to help stop the bleeding therein. Then add the Fulani Militant terrorist group, rated number four deadliest terrorist group in the world according to the same index and you have a perfect storm of terror trying to wrestle Nigeria to its knees. According to the report, the "Fula People" (Fulani) nomadic pastoral ethnic terrorist group killed 1,229 Nigerians just in 2014 alone. It would appear that between the Fulanis and Boko Haram, they delineated their areas of terror, with Boko Haram operating in the North while Fulani nomads are operating in the Middle Belt as well as in Southern Nigeria.

Boko Haram taking a cue from their parent organization ISIS has mounted increased attacks recently following Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari boastful saying that Boko Haram is nearly defeated and on the run. They responded with several bombings including suicide bombings which have left over 100 Nigerians dead just within this last week alone. It will appear also that ISIS also responded to America's President Obama's claim that they have been weakened and cornered by striking Lebanon and Paris to say, sorry, we are still very much around and active and more deadly. Icheoku says may be the West and Nigeria should learn to stop saying anything about these animals and just go on silently decimating them until they turn tail or repent or are all killed and dead. That way they will not be reacting or responding to prove anything by killing us all. Icheoku calls on the world to please help Nigeria overcome the scourge of Boko Haram and treat every life including those Northeastern Nigerians as if they matter just like the French. 

CHARLIE SHEEN GOT THE VIRUS, HIV THAT IS.

Icheoku says Magic Johnson is no longer alone, he has company; as another rich and famous Hollywood celebrity has been tagged by the infamous AIDS precursor, HIV. Now Magic Johnson will no longer be the only famous face of the virus as Charlie Sheen has publicly said, 'YES, HE TOO GOT IT.' Charlie Sheen of Two and Half men fame said he went public with his condition because it  had become a sort of an ATM source for some of his supposedly close personal friends and confidants who were now in the habit of blackmailing him for money to keep quiet about his condition. He was tired and continue to sustain the lie as it is taking a toll on his life and resources.

According to Charlie, he has spent upwards of ten million dollars paying off shakedown people to purchase their silence about his condition, a strategy which he admitted has hurt his bank account. People he trusted and who were deep in his inner circle, who he thought could be helpful but who turned his trust into "treason" of shakedown blackmail. It was to end this fleecing that he went public with his HIV positive diagnosis. He was diagnosed since the past four years, but  does not know the source of its contraction. Continuing he said, "It's not great. It will be great again. I'm a survivor. I've been up, I've been down, I've been rich, I've been poor, It's another chapter in my life but it's not commerce driven. It's socially driven." 

Charlie admitted to having had only two unprotected sex since contracting the virus; dismissing suggestions that he knowingly was transmitting the virus to so many women he had sex with over the years including two former wives Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller. It is rumored that Charlie Sheen has slept with close to over one thousand women, leaving Icheoku completely bewildered about men's lecherous exploits. According to Charlie Sheen, "Its a hard three letters to absorb. Its a turning point in one's life. If there was one guy on this planet to contract this that's going to deliver a cure, it's me. It's me. Seriously. I'm not going to be the poster man for this, but I will not shy away from responsibilities and opportunities that drive me to helping others." Icheoku says well said Charlie and hopefully the good Lord will strengthen you and enable you help find a cure for a malady which is taking too long to find a cure since actor Rock Hudson succumbed to it several decades ago.

JOE IGBOKWE, WHERE IS HE NOW?

Icheoku says where is that piece of excrement who sold out on his umunna (kindred) for a plate of porridge? Whether his name is Igbo-kwe or Igbo-ekweghi or even Yoruba-kwe or Yoruba-ekweghi, Icheoku does not really know; but that APC son of a gun worked his behind off for nothing during the last Nigeria presidential democracy election. At least for his effort, Lai Mohammed was rewarded with a ministerial appointment as Minister of Information; but Joe Igbokwe was not considered good enough for any position, not even for an "ordinary"  commissionership portfolio in Lagos State? 

Their thinking possibly, Joey is "dem people" who are to be drowned in the Lagos lagoon had Ambode not won; and therefore not being a "shon of the shoil", has no business being appointed Commissioner of Information in their Lagos State government? Probably too their Oba Akiolu who threatened the lagoon drowning equally decreed the entire exclusion of Igbo people from the Lagos State cabinet, leading to the ouster of the only Igbo person to ever serve as commissioner in Lagos State, Ben Akabueze. Yet some people are chastising President Muhammad Buhari for appointing only Northerners as his trusted advisers and overseers of all government key positions; while overlooking the fact of Governor Ambode's Yorubas-only appointments in Lagos State. 

A state as cosmopolitan as Lagos State with a very multi-cultural mix of people, who  own properties and pay their taxes therein, with many of them born in Lagos and see Lagos as their home, yet they were considered outsiders not deserving of appointment as commissioners therein. Query:- where then lies the unity of Nigeria when people who call Lagos home, own properties therein and paying their taxes too, are excluded from appointments and kept out of governance simply for having "other peoples' sounding names? Needless to add that Governor Ambode himself was not born in Lagos but in Ondo State; likewise his godfather Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu who was born in Osun State. 

Icheoku asks if Joe Igbokwe, instead of answering his father's tribal name, had a name like Joe Ogunowe, would his fate have been any different? If an Adebayo Ogunsawe had put in as much effort as Joe Igbokwe did, selling the propaganda of the APC leading to the last election, to the extent of even denigrating his father's people, would he not have been considered worthy and rewarded with a commissioner appointment as a deserving stake holder in the APC Lagos State government? But hell no, Joe Igbokwe, no matter how he tries to Yoruba-nize himself or lapdog Bola Tinubu and crew, he is still seen and treated as an Igbo-outsider never to be trusted with a key commissioner position. 

Icheoku does not know what moves other people or what stirs their inner being; but an Icheoku who dutifully carried the waters of the APC as Joe Igbokwe did during the last election and was not rewarded with a commissioner appointment would have gone publicly rogue on Bola Tinubu and his APC. But hey, to each his own and possibly Joey Igbo-ekweghi is content with being seen as in the good books of Bola TInubu or rather the perception of being seen as within the corridors of power, no matter how peripheral? Icheoku asks has anybody seen the Lagos State APC Publicity Secretary lately and if yes, what is he doing now and how is he sulking his 'used and dumped' treatment by Bola Tinubu and crew. Too bad, some people allow themselves to be so lowly treated and still bow and salute with inner painful disgust but outwardly smile. Icheoku says when next you see him, please say hello to Joe! 

RESIGN HOLLANDE, RESIGN !!!!!

Icheoku says declaring that 'France is at war' is not enough; President Francois Hollande should rather be explaining to the French people why he did not prevent the attack of November 13, 2015 that claimed so many French lives as well as wounded so many too. He should explain what went wrong, why he failed or was incapable of keeping keep the French people safe and secure in their homeland. A matter made worse because this is yet another one more attack among the many severals that have been carried out in France and on the French people ever since he came into office? This is more important than rushing off to war against ISIS, a mere after the fact reaction, which will not bring back any of those lost lives of last Friday's terror in Paris. As with everything proactive as well as a president who is on top of his game, this is a case where prevention was and would have been better than the intended cure. 

The primary responsibility of any president is the protection of lives and properties of his or her countrymen and women. Therefore where a president fails and in the case of President Hollande, repeatedly, in this duty, honor behoves him to resign the office. His inability or rather incapability to effectively discharge this principal duty of his office makes him unfit to continue to preside over France. What is taking President Francois Hollande so long to arrive at a decision to and surrender the fiat of state. Icheoku heretofore hereby calls on President Francois Hollande to resign from the presidency of France forthwith in order to make way for a more determined French to lead the response to this latest attack as well as keeping France safe going forward. President Francois Hollande, Icheoku says RESIGN now and resign immediately. 

AMERICA AND RUSSIAN, TALKING?

Icheoku says this is why it can never happen again, white man killing each other? They learnt their lesson during the first and second world wars and now are too civilized to ever go at it again. Baring any unintended happenstance which may accidentally trigger a confrontation, the expected World war three led by this two nations will never come to fruition. As always, they will just huddle down together to reach some understanding while their manufactured weapons go to work in other regional geographies, wrecking untoward carnage. (At Antalya Turkey during a G20 summit President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin are talking things over?) But hey, it is the way of the world and anyone who does not like it, TOO BAD!!!

PARIS TERROR ATTACK, THE IRONY OF A BAND NAMED 'EAGLES OF DEATH METAL?'

Icheoku says in what increasingly appears to be France's own version of 9/11, a cruel irony it is that a band called 'Eagles of Death' was performing in Paris when terror struck; leaving many people wondering whether as their name implies, this band were angels or rather harbingers of death that brought death and destruction to Paris? A name has never been this coincidentally, ominous; and Icheoku wonders whether the band should have chosen a different name altogether or better still, not have attracted these murderous Islamists madmen to wreck the havoc that was Paris massacre. 

The France attack compares to America's 9/11 attack in so many ways:- the same Islamic faith dogs carried out both mayhem; different people from different countries of the world nationalities were victims of both attacks; the two attack were simultaneously staged in three locations, admitted America's was in three states while France's was in three districts. The attacks also took both countries security agencies by surprise as they never had any inkling of it, but were simply taken off guard. Further both attacks were successfully staged and so many people were killed respectively. Most of the attackers in both attack were killed as a result and the attacks left both countries jittery. France has vowed to avenge the attacks mercilessly, reminding Icheoku of the then President George Bush's words that "those who knocked down these buildings will soon hear from all of us". 

Query:- have all the retaliatory attacks made the world any safer than before 9/11? Has the ruthlessness of the campaign of "shock and awe" as well as other reactionary actions taken since 9/11 in retributive justice stopped these madness or made those who want to do us harm begin to love us? The answer seem to be in the negative and so will the French threatened reprisals not likely to succeed in accomplishing a secured objective. Icheoku says short of a mushroom cloud rising above the Middle East and with it the particles of what use to be the Middle East, a holistic approach should be preferable and more desirable towards finding a solution to this madness than all these campaign of bombing. 

The West should consider collectively reaching out to those Muslim countries in the Middle East and elsewhere in a dialogue on how to re-program the minds of these murderous beasts whose religion seem to encourage this their irrational behavior. Icheoku says may be it is about time the two civilizations started a serious brainstorming, using Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as Islamic representatives to try and redirect the warped thinking and mindset that fodders this idiotic imbecilic murderous ideology of these roving Islamic lunatics. 

Be that as it may, Icheoku questions the morality of a world which mostly goes on overdrive of condemnation and reactions when terror strikes and kills white people but appears lukewarm when others fall victims? Is it a case of there being no sympathy, sentiment and conscience when it comes to the preservation of certain lives even if it means the taking of other lives? When Boko Haram was ravaging Nigeria, the world but paid a lip service to the affliction of Nigerians. The world, especially of white people practically  stood hands akimbo and instead of rushing to the aid of Nigeria with weapons and technical support to rout these Islamic urchins, were rather rationalizing and linking their unwillingness to supply much needed weapon to the scorch-earth tactics of the Nigerian military? 

Query, how would these white people now react to the French president's promise to respond ruthlessly over the attack in Paris? Icheoku asks is it a case that their own lives matter most or is better than anyone else's and should not be taken; and now it will be okay to respond in whatever way and manner possible? Just like blacks in America are beginning to sensitize white people that "black lives matter," every life in the world including the lives of black Africans should matter to the world. Therefore an attack on one country or people should be treated as an attack on all countries and peoples; hence an incensed world should unanimously rise up and rally as an army of one to put down such anarchists with an overwhelming force. 

Icheoku is emphatic that had the world risen up when Syria's Bashir Assad first alerted the world of a threatening Islamist terrorists in his country, possibly this scourge called ISIS would have been stopped at infancy? If the world had also rallied to the aid of Nigeria when Boko Haram was ravaging the country, may be these Islamist terrorists would have since had a rethinking because they would have known that a furious world would always together put them down and out decisively. But no, when blacks and other people of color fall victims to terrorism, these white people will fathom explanations as to why and how it was rather tribal feud and despotism were drove the "insurgency?" Icheoku remembers how the then America's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton point blankly rejected calling then budding Boko Haram a terrorist organization. Instead she explained it away as a simply a protest by the marginalized of Nigeria's North against a biased Southern president? 

As a solution, Icheoku advocates for the world to bandy together and in unison, as one humanity, rise up and face down this scourge of humanity called Islamic terrorism. An attack on Nigeria Northeast should be seen as an attack on New York or Paris or London or Moscow or Beijing. An attack on religious faithfuls gathered for worship in Suleja Nigeria should attract the same condemnation and response as the attack on workers who reported to start their daily work at the World Trade Center or music fans who were enjoying their music idol at Bataclan Music venue in Paris or dinners chowing down on some delicacies or football fans watching an international friendly soccer match. Russia once had a similar situation with Chechnya terrorists and the world thought it was Vladimir Putin being irrational with his retaliatory scorch-earth  response that once and for all put an end to that madness. 

Icheoku maintains that the world is but one humanity enterprise which should treat problems facing each other as if of a general affliction. But Icheoku abhors a situation where the world goes on hyper-sensitivity only when the "right-skin" types become victims of a scourge and appears to tamper things down when other colored lesser mortals are victimized. It should not only be the senseless slaughter of Parisians that would elicit world condemnation and reprisals; nope, the slaughter of innocent Northeastern Nigerians, Kenyans, Somalians, Egyptians, Yemenis, Iraqis, Pakistanis, Indians and even Syrians should command commensurate reaction. Life should be life and amounts to something anywhere and everywhere. It should be a universal one-cap fits all enterprise which should be safeguarded and preserved equally, regardless of skin color or region or geography of habitation. Therefore any threat to life anywhere should be a threat to life everywhere and deserving of equal global response in defense thereof. Our hearts go out to the victims of Paris massacre and prays it will provide the wake-up call for the world to finally man up and do something to stop the cancer of Islamic extremism.

RONDA ROUSEY DEFEATED, FINALLY CUT TO SIZE?

Icheoku says at last the lady of UFC and the face of females engaged in martial arts and kickboxing sports, who is famous for her "arm-bar" tactical submission and whose ownership claim to to the title was somewhat storied and undefeated, has been brought down, routed by a relatively unknown pugilist, Holly Holms. Boy was it a long awaited and overdue defeat of Ronda Rousey whose supposed invincibility was beginning to creep into her head. 

Icheoku is not a hater but loves the ever-shifting nature of sports where no one ever holds any title in perpetuity and as if it is theirs for keeps. Titles has to change hands and it sure did it change hands in Melbourne Australia with Holly Holms snatching Ronda Rousey's women bantamweight championship title. It was a very beautiful fight indeed with satisfied fans applauding a feat hitherto considered unimaginable. Now the world of UFC as well as millions of fans world over including Icheoku now has something to really look forward to in a possible rematch between Ronda Rousey V Holly Holms, assuming Ronda ever recovers the courage to face her nemesis again. Icheoku says that Holly Holms will still rout Ronda any next time, if ever there will be one. A very good Holly-dominated fight it was indeed, which witnessed several direct punches to Ronda's face as well as the very good kick to Ronda's jaw which saw the bloodied Ronda counted out on an irrecoverable technical knockout, bloodied, dazed and confused and later rushed to the hospital.

WE ARE ALL PARISIANS IN GRIEF !!!

Icheoku says the world must stand firmly with France in seeking out all those who had anything to do with the planning and execution of the terrorist attacks in Paris that left over one hundred and fifty people dead and several other hundreds wounded. Terror must be defeated and now is the time to visit these terrorists with drastic reprisals. Icheoku says our condolences to the French people!!!

PARIS TERROR ATTACK IS ANOTHER ONE TOO MANY, HOLLANDE SHOULD RESIGN?

Icheoku says Islamist terror strikes Paris again, yet the president of France Francois Hollande is still in office? Is it not about time he resigned his office for his inability to secure France and also protect its citizens and residents? What is Mr Hollande still waiting for before throwing in the towel so that another French who could protect France and the French people, would move into Elysee Palace in his place. Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta just resigned his office following a "mere" nightclub incident which is not even terror-related; but here in Elysee Palace is still sitting a president under whose watch Paris and the French people have come under so many terrorists attacks since he took office? 

Icheoku says if Francios Hollande cannot discharge his primary duty of protecting France and the French people, doesn't honor demand of him that he surrenders the fiat of state and move away to make way for another more competent president to step in and secure France. Since May 6, 2012 when President Francois Hollande took office, there have been over nine Islamic terrorist strikes in France; culminating in today's mother of all terror attacks which has so far claimed over 150 lives with so many others severely wounded. On May 23, 2013 a solider was stabbed and wounded by an Islamic terrorist shouting Allah Arkbar; on December 20, 2014 an Islamic terrorist attack in a police office left three wounded; on December 21 2014, eleven pedestrians were left wounded when an Islamic terrorist ran them over with a vehicle. 

Continuing, on December 22, 2014, another ten people were wounded with one killed when yet another Islamic terrorist plunged into them with a vehicle; between January 7 - 9, 2015, twenty people were killed with twenty-two wounded when attacks on Charlie Hebdo and Hypercacher supermarket left Paris in a near hysteria. On February 3, 2015, three were wounded in a Jewish center following another Islamic terror attack; on April 19, 2015, one person was killed when an Islamist terrorist attacked inside a church; on June 26, 2015, one French man was  beheaded by an Islamic terrorist with two others wounded when his vehicle plowed into them. On August 21, 2015, four persons were wounded in a terrorist train attack. Then today, November 13, 2015, the grand-finale of all these terrorist attacks in France again  happened leaving over one hundred and sixty casualties as well as several more hundreds wounded. The attack was multi-directed including inside a music venue, sports stadium and a restaurant. 

Icheoku asks is there anywhere still safe from these Islamists murderous attacks under a President Francois Hollande's France?  Why should this president not consider stepping aside so that his office another could take who would restore safety and security to France and the French people? Icheoku extends our condolences to the French people over their now seemingly unending terrorist attacks as we hereby also call on President Francois Hollande to resign immediately. 

But is there any solution to all these global Islamists madness, one might ask? Although Spain was removed from these terrorists' bulls-eye following their forced withdrawal from any further military actions against Islamist terrorists anyway especially in the Middle East following the train bombing in Madrid.  But should this cowardly flee when faced with danger now become the only way to buy our peace and starve off these terrors? Should this now become the model for the guarantee of safety in the Western world. Should we all just turn the other way as these terrorists have their way in their Middle East without fear of reprisals in order for them to leave us alone in peace in the West? Except that someone has to keep these Islamist dogs caged or on their feet running from assured annihilation, because running away from them is not an option worth exercising because if we yield them one ground they will come for more. 

Their thrust challenge is a task the West must be willing to accept and ruthlessly crush. These urchins must be dealt the heavy hand and simply wiped off from the face of this earth in order to secure our peace and guarantee our way of life. If it means interdicting all the Muslims in France like America did with the Japanese during the second world war, so be it; may be it is an option worth considering. Icheoku says someone in their midst must have heard or seen something but failed to say something before this mayhem went down. If it means giving them an ultimatum to stop these senseless wastage of human lives or be shipped back to their Middle East enclave, so be it too. Icheoku says this constant spillage of blood in Europe must stop or be stopped however possible and regardless of how drastic the measure. It might be one situation that is an exception to the end justifying the means? 

What a tragedy of great proportion this is. Like with Charlie Hebdo, Icheoku says we are all now Parisians following this attack. This attack must not be allowed to cage us in or leave us whimpering or force us to stop living the life we know or are used to. This attack must be responded to drastically and if it means nuking them, lets get this problem taken care of once and of all. To hell with these Islamist terrorists. May be it is about time all Muslims are rounded up and executed or dispatched to eternal damnation in hell. But be that as it may, the buck of securing France stops on President Hollande's desk; a duty which he has so miserably failed in. Therefore his resignation should be in order at this time and Icheoku hereby calls on President Francois Hollande to resign forthwith. It has been severally shown that Mr Hollande lacks the capacity to protect France and the French people from harm and has no use remaining as the head of France.  

THE BUHARI CABINET, THOSE NOISE MAKERS THAT IS?

Icheoku says it took an elected President Muhammadu Buhari six long agonizing, suspenseful months to constitute his cabinet and finally form a government? Then ask yourself, what was he doing preparatory to his election as president if not assembling a crop of men and women, potential ministers, ready to go as soon as confirmed?  Icheoku asks was this how the president would have implemented his threatened paralleled government, had Jonathan of Otuoke not chickened out from mounting a serious stake at a second term and won his reelection? Anyway, Nigerians indulged him with their votes and elected him president and Icheoku is not prepared to re-litigate that disappointing election. Icheoku now makes a few comments about the inaugurated cabinet:-

Of all the appointed men and women, former Lagos State Governor Babtunde Fashola was given a portfolio that needs an action figure and sure, he is a perfect fit for the task at hand, particularly with regards to the power sector. Icheoku use to admire him very much as the then best performing governor in Nigeria until that ill-fated and ill-advised deportation of fellow Nigerians from a Nigerian territory Lagos. However, Fashola has since apologized for that misguided act and the matter should now rest; admitted he qualified his apology with trying to explain his unconstitutional conduct as a kind of getting rid of some public "nuisance?" Icheoku says except that those Igbo deportees are no worse a public nuisance than the Omo Oniles, Area Boys and Alaayees of Lagos; yet these miscreants were not similarly deported to somewhere that did not mind their presence or where "public nuisances" are tolerated or shipped off to?  

But be that as it may, Icheoku agrees that Fashola has the burning desire and a can do spirit to finally make Nigerians experience constant power supply in their country. If anyone can pull it off, Governor Fashola is that person and has no reason not to; especially not after repeatedly giving his views on how to get it done in the past and now has the opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. Fashola now has everything to prove to Nigerians and the man who assigned him the responsibility and he must not allow that their supreme trust to be in vain. Although the Power ministry has been an Achilles heel for the several ministers sent there over the many years to unchain the lack of power supply, but hopefully Fashola will defy the odds and get the job done and Icheoku strongly trusts that he will get it done. Further, the only other person who would have ensured that Nigerians got steady supply of power was Barth Nnaji, but unfortunately, Jonathan of Otuoke sacked him before his plans for Nigeria could incubate and for no reason other than flimsiness. But let the past now rest as Fashola is the man of the moment, presently assigned the task of solving the "Never Expect Power Always" of the power sector in Nigeria.

So with Fashola, Icheoku says if at the end of the day he could not or failed to or was sabotaged from ensuring steady supply of power in Nigeria, then it is finished as the job CANNOT ever be done. Hopefully he will have the courage and fortitude to take head-on the 'Generators Mafia', who took the power sector hostage and are continuing their sabotage of power supply effort in Nigeria in order to remain in business. Unlike his predecessor, the immediate past minister in charge of power, the incompetent Nebo, who instead of bravely doing what was needed to sanitize and turn the epileptic power supply situation around, was busily praying and invoking 'Holy Ghost Fire' upon his declared "witches and wizards in the power sector", Fashola will employ a different approach - the get it done approach. Unfortunately for Nebo, after several years of drooling around in the ministry, his prayers were apparently not heard, answered nor listened to, otherwise uninterrupted power would have become abundant. Today, a new man of action has been put in charge and Icheoku is hopeful that things will get done and done fast to bring Nigerians the succor they long desire and deserve. Icheoku says God's speed Fash. 

The other portfolio Icheoku will like to mention is the Interior Ministry now assigned to Kano State's Abdulrahman Dambazzau. With that assignment as well as the Zamfara State's Dan Ali for Defense and Kebbi State's Malami Abubakar for Justice,  President Muhammad Buhari has successfully cornered every security portfolio and agencies in the country and handed their control to Northerners. This is just for the records only as Icheoku is convinced that Dambazzau as former chief of army staff and security adviser is well qualified and has all it takes to get the job of  internally securing Nigeria done. Icheoku says congratulations to the new Interior Minister and hopefully he will expedite action on compensating the families of those applicants stampeded to death during a job interview under the former minister of Interior Abba Moro. A motor park tout whose only qualification for getting the job was that he muscled David Mark's election and as a pay back, David Mark forced the hands of Jonathan of Otuoke to compensate him with the portfolio.Speaking of a square peg in a round hole, that is.

Icheoku says President Muhammad Buhari scored a masterstroke, which will ultimately take the wind out of the sail of those Biafra agitators, with his appointment of the Foreign Affairs minister. By appointing Enugu State's Geoffrey Oyeama as Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister, the reason d`etre for the agitation for Biafra is somewhat nipped in the bud. Otherwise how can a group crying marginalization and threatening to pull out of Nigeria explain that one of their own is now the foreign affairs minister or rather the image or face of Nigeria to the world? How can a people complaining of being marginalized sustain this their argument when one of their own is now representing Nigeria as its foreign affairs minister? Short of this masterful coup de grace achieved with this particular appointment, Icheoku does not know much about the said appointee to comment any further; but wishes him a successful outing as Nigeria's face to the world. 

The other somewhat surprised and to an extent questionable assignment is that of a medical doctor Chris Ngige, who was sent to the Labour and Employment Ministry. Icheoku as well as many other Nigerians thought that, with his background in medicine, the Health Ministry was his for the giving and would have been a better fit for him? This point of view is enhanced by the  "round peg in a round hole" mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari; a problem which was however solved with the appointment of a medical doctor as the Health Minister. Icheoku prays that Ngige will bring his can do attitude as then performing governor of Anambra State before Olusegun Obasanjo signed off on his kidnapping and eventual impeachment, over to and turn around the Labor Ministry.

Last but not the least is the assignment of Transport Ministry to the Judas Iscariot of Southsouth Niger Delta region, Rotimi Amaechi. Hopefully, the man whom "Rivers States people know does not like money, hence does not take bribes", will commit every kobo allocated in the budget to finally and fully transform or rather effect provable "CHANGE" in transport development in Nigeria. Icheoku asks Rotimi Amaechi, is it worth it afterall sabotaging the presidency held by his region for a mere appointment as a Minister of Transport? A matter made more glaringly clear because Rotimi Amaechi will not be an Umaru Dikko type Transport Minister because President Muhammadu Buhari is not a pushover President Shehu Shagari. Icheoku asks Rotimi Amaechi, what is the worth of the Transport Ministry in terms of power, budgetary allocations and controls as to make it a fair trade-off for Aso Rock? If Rotimi Amaechi wanted to be only a Transport Minister, shouldn't he have discussed that option with Jonathan of Otuoke and have himself appointed therein instead of moving the earth and heaven he moved to sabotage Jonathan's reelection? Only time will tell whether Rotimi Amaechi will eventually find a noose and do what only naturally comes to traitors like him; a despicable person who for selfish reasons and inexplicable hatred of his own kind, ganged up against his brother with outsiders. If only this man is a disciple and/or if he is in doubt, he should revisit the Godfather and also watch Godfather III, particularly the admonition of Al Pacino Michael Corleone of his brother Fredo before having him whacked. 

As for the rest of other appointees, Icheoku either does not know them enough to pass a comment or does not care a hoot about them or their portfolios to oblige a comment. However, Icheoku prays they will all succeed in their various assignments and hopefully they will be able to prove themselves good fits for their respective positions.  They must endeavor not to give the president reason to regret the confidence he reposed on them by appointing them. Among these minsters, Icheoku has chosen Power, Works and Housing Minister Fashola and Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazzau as the two most likely to succeed ministers. Icheoku is convinced that both men will come out tops in this class of newly minted ministers when their their term ends and the results are called.

Icheoku also commends the choice of the new man at the helms of affairs at EFCC. The agency needs some vitality as the former guy Ibrahim Larmode has become too fat on the job to continue performing optimally. So a person with Ibrahim Magu's track record of past performance and resume will surely bring the mojo and bite back to the agency. What a parody that one Ibrahim moved out to make way for another Ibrahim to move in, leaving Nigerians wondering what is in a name and/or about the name Ibrahim? Now lets see if the President Muhammadu Buhari sputtering government will finally get some serious traction and eventually, lift off. Icheoku wishes all the best to the the presidents men and women as well as their boss, the president; and says may Nigeria thrive and prosper IJN.

PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, NOT SINCERE.

“Since we assumed office in May, I had been mindful of the need to ensure that the appointment of new ministers translate into a roundpegs in round holes 'while showing sensitivity to our diversity as a people' and our various positions as groups of stakeholders of our country." - President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Icheoku says except that it is too little too late on the issue of "showing sensitivity to our diversity as a people." Query:- at what stage did the president finally realize that Nigeria is a motley of divergent people who need to be fully and equally represented in his government? When did he have this epiphany, after he made lopsided appointments which drastically favored his Northern Hausa/Fulani region of the country at the ratio of about 21 appointments for the North and only 3 appointments for the South? 

Anyway, it is his presidency and he can do with it whatever and however he likes, including appointing only his Miyetti Allah people into various positions of authority and in full control of all the security agencies of the country. Icheoku asks if the stakes were to change and a southern is or becomes the president, will the North accept a similarly skewed appointments which drastically favors the south against them? Except that no one is listening as everyone in Nigeria seems to have drank the cool-aid that is a promised change and a supposedly incorruptible President Muhammadu Buhari. 

HELMUT SCHMIDT DEAD AT 96 AND STILL SMOKING?

Icheoku says he lived a towering life better imagined by so many others as Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982. Helmut Schmidt, the chain-smoking leader of Germany passed on at a very ripe old age of 96years as Icheoku wonders if he silenced all those who claim that smoking causes lung cancer and early death? Icheoku says if dying at nearly one hundred years old is early death, many in this world would similarly wish their departure. Then factor in his unashamed and unabashed smoking which is generally of public knowledge and you ask yourself where was his lung cancer; except that Dana Reeves died at 40years old of lung cancer and never once smoked in her very short life. Now go figure how factual are some of these scientific postulations. Icheoku no longer smokes but reserves judgment on all those still puffing the blue white smoke as doing anything that increases one's life's pleasure is nothing to be ashamed of. Moreso everyone is going to die someday of something, so if they said smoking is going to kill you young, then pray you die as young as Helmut Schmidt. Icheoku says adieu to a great German.

TWO BLACK POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED FOR MURDER IN KILLING OF A WHITE BOY?

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Icheoku says less than forty eight hours after two black police officers shot and killed a six year old white boy, they were charged for murder. Unfortunately for them, they killed the wrong skin-color; otherwise why were the cases of all those blacks killed by white police officers not readily treated in the same way with dispatch? Why were those white officers involved in shooting and killing of all these black victims of police brutality not similarly charged with murder or at least charged with something instead of always discharging them as not guilty whenever charged at all. But now a life that matters was taken and the two niggers that dispatched it, must be summarily brought to justice. 

Icheoku says still wondering why 'Black Lives Matter' activism is gathering steam and the increased restiveness of blacks in America which rightly feels that they are being treated as if they don't matter. Icheoku says no life should be senselessly taken by police officers who are trained, equipped and paid to protect and serve. Every  life matters and what is good for the geese should equally be good for the gander. Therefore every police officer who needlessly kills anyone, regardless of the victim's skin color, should be made to face the law, period. But the continuous disregard of black lives as if they don't matter, leading to charges not being brought against their assailants white police officers, is the thing that roils many people with conscience in America.  

Hopefully this two black officers will receive a fair trial; but in Southern State of Louisiana, their being blacks and killed a white six year old boy will not help their case at all; and therefore their conviction is but a fait accompli to say the least. Norris Greenhouse Jr. and Derrick Stafford of Marksville  Louisiana PD are standing trial for the shooting death of six year old Jeremy Mardis who was killed when the the two officers among others fired into his father's SUV striking him severally in the head as well as chest. His father Chris Few survived but is in the hospital recovering from his police inflicted gunshot wounds. According to the police chief, the boy "didn't deserve to die just like that"; to which Icheoku responds exactly how those many black children killed by white cops "didn't deserve to die just like that', admitted no one ever deserves to "die just like that." May there be justice to both the killed and the killed and may this wanton police killing of Americans please stop.