OBAMA'S RUSSIAN SANCTIONS, SIMPY REACTIONARY?

ICHEOKU says why did the security agencies not proactively nab "The Russians" in the act as they were hacking those emails, rather than now claiming or rather asserting that "The Russians" hacked the emails to influence the election in favor of Donald John Trump. As far as Icheoku is concerned, this is yet another face saving grandstanding and piling up for the devastating loss of an election which they arrogantly thought was bagged already. All their attempts to explain away their abysmal failure and very poor showing in the election, from all manners of laughable explanations and schemes including a recount and attempted influence of the electors at the Electoral College, having failed; they are now staging their last final act - lets punish The Russians for influencing our election. Icheoku says really; and assuming The Russians influenced the election, will that be the first time a country ever influenced an election in another country? The Venezuelans would gladly attest to this regarding their late President Hugo Chavez and current President Nicholas Maduro elections; ditto Nigerians with their President Muhammadu Buhari election; Israelis and the attempt to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; as well as with the last successful Brexit vote which President Barack Obama weighed in against while visiting the United Kingdom few weeks to the election. 

Which country interferes more in other countries governance more than the United States of America; usually under the ruse of spreading democracy and ensuring that the peoples votes counted and that their wishes were respected? What kind of democracy is it that America practises when Hillary Clinton becomes an anointed candidate of a party, only waiting to be coronated Queen; while her opponent Bernie Sanders is actively walled off from ever standing any chance by the Democratic Party honchos who deployed all manners of favoritisms to ensure a preordained outcome including leaking debate questions to Hillary Clinton? How else could American people have known the real Hillary Clinton if not for those leaked emails? What if The Russians, assuming they did, were only ensuring that Americans truly know who they were voting for before voting; and in that way, help ensure that they truly voted for the best non conniving candidate to occupy their White House? There are simply so many what ifs involved in the last election and the campaign leading to it. Why is it okay for America to help other countries "spread" democracy but it is not okay for The Russians, assuming they did, to help America sustain its own democracy? Why is it that nobody is mad about what those emails revealed concerning the character of Hillary Clinton; but are raising hell over who possibly disclosed the contents of her character? 

ICHEOKU bemoans the righteous indignation as at best biased and heavily skewed; and solely driven just to suit certain bruised ego and hurt feeling over an election which was clearly lost and convincingly won by another. What an inexplicable narrative, especially coming from a president who was once caught on hot mic telling Dimitri Medvedev to tell Putin that he will deal over nuclear weapons after his elections. This is a president too who emphatically told the world that nobody can hack American elections and chided then candidate Donald Trump to man up and stop whining and to go campaign for votes. This is a president who repeatedly told American people and the world at large that Donald Trump can never be elected president and not under his watch; and now that he has been forced to swallow his vomit is turning tricks before our eyes with pretended indignation at the Russians for allegedly rigging the same elections he said is rigging-proof. The current narrative is a mission in foolery which must not be allowed to stand by the incoming president Trump. What else is indeed the ultimate goal here if not to try and restart the engines of a Cold War which the world breathed a relief that it was finally over, sputtered to death. Icheoku says please not in our name and PE Donald John Trump must add it to the list of things to reverse upon his inauguration.

The problem in Syria started when attempted influence of Syrian election to get President Assad out of office failed. That the United States of America had their hands in all the above elections is without doubt; begging the question what then is the difference between these and what the Russians allegedly did with regard to the last American election? It is the name of the game that countries always try to influence outcomes overseas that will be favorable to their own overall beneficial interest. So assuming the Russians did influence the election, are they not allowed to have a preference over the candidates running for the presidency and try as they allegedly did to achieve their desired objective; or is it a case of only the Americans reserve the right to so do but not other countries? Edward Snowden the whistle blowing former NSA contractor is on the run today and holding away in Russia because of his leaked information about extensive spying activities by the United States government including eavesdropping on telephone calls of its allies such as Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. So what exactly is the beef here other than a lost election which did not go down with the Washington entrenched interest and they are heaving to take their pound of flesh, albeit as a consolatory prize. At least if they lost the election and disgracefully so, let them blame the Russians and convincingly so, by now punishing the Russians. 

That the Russians are competitors in the international arena is a fact and that they would like to be respected as co-equal player is also an undeniable objective of theirs. But whether the Russians actually want to see America destroyed, Icheoku does not think so and says that there is a need to seek rapprochement with the Russians instead of the current attempt to re-litigate a Cold War several decades after the Berlin Wall came down. The world at large would benefit more from a world in which the two great powers are on the same page trying to solve numerous problems afflicting the world rather than going back to the trenches of the old East and West divide. To this effect therefore, Icheoku condemns the latest sanctions and expulsions placed against the Russians as a needless wielding of the proverbial big stick. If true that they hacked the emails, it was just an added impetus to the wind underneath the sail of President Elect Donald John Trump election victory, but definitely not the sole reason he won. The country was tired of the trajectory of the last eight years and wanted a change and they voted for change. Furthermore the 33,000 deleted emails were not deleted by the Russians and this went a long way in adding to the doubtful character of Hillary Clinton which further isolated some discerning voters. 

Traditionally political parties do not usually win three straight terms in American presidential elections and this time was not going to be any different and it was not. Then add an unapologetic assault on American cultural landscape with policies that tended to dilute and water down White people's hold on the country and you have a perfect storm of operation change the direction and Americans trooped out to say enough. But instead of analyzing these situations, vested powers are just looking for a scapegoat to hold responsible for the election outcome and they found it in the usual suspect, the Russians. There is no need for this and there is no need to start tensions all over again as the world has enough on its plate already. As the Russians are being chastised and made the bogey man, America has lost its influence in the Middle East  and were not even invited to a ceasefire peace agreement reached by the same The Russians and Turkey over Syria; needless to add that Turkey is a (former) ally and a member of the NATO. American relationship with Israel is also under serious threat with the long simmering cold face-off between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Obama culminating in the latest non veto of an anti-Israeli settlement vote in the United Nations. Meanwhile Iran with an active anti-America hardline policies is being cuddled with payments and a free range over the Middle East but The Russians are the enemy, right? 

Icheoku is prayerful that this latest anti Russian actions would be part of the things to go under the incoming Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. America does not need all these hiccups in our relationship with Russia because the two countries cannot remain in perpetual and constant war mode for the rest of this life. Time to move on has since come and both countries can together achieve more with a respectful cooperation between each other. Enough of all these war mongering antics influenced by the military industrial complex to keep the arms industry humming and their bank accounts black. Funny enough nobody is questioning the contents of those emails and their relevance to the health of American democracy; but instead people are more interested and paying more attention in who leaked them and now this punishment. It is also interesting that the security agencies who are supposed to protect against such external intrusions are not being held accountable for failing to nip The Russians' hacking in the bud. Anyway, January 20, 2017 cannot come any sooner as the current haywire actions and policy mania need to halt immediately and be stopped cold. Time to turn the page has come and America can do more with more friends than enemies, including the Russians. 

DEBBIE REYNOLDS FOLLOWS HER DAUGHTER, DEAD AT 84.

ICHEOKU says were William Shakespeare penning this, he would mold it in the character and plot of Romeo and Juliet; except that this time it was a mother's love for her child. Her beloved daughter succumbed to a massive heart attack and a distrust mother who finds completion in her deceased daughter found no reason to go on keep on living. She went to bed and woke up to a massive stroke; and the rest as they say is now history as she too has also transited to the world beyond, hopefully to rejoin her daughter. Whether the dead knows that they are dead and recognizes themselves over there is one thing; but regardless, Debbie Reynolds did not want to remain an earthling going through the pangs of mourning the loss of a beloved daughter. Icheoku says she is probably happier now that the burden of pinning away because of Carrie Fisher's death has been lifted off her shoulders. 

One of her Icheoku's favorite statement: “I’m very religious. I believe that things happen and you have to go along with them. You don’t have to be angry and become an ugly person. You don’t have to become what the people are, who are attacking you. Love blinds all. I just had to grow up and realize that.” 

Her daughter, Carrie Fisher, 60, died of massive heart attack on Tuesday December 27, 2016 and at 84, Debbie could not bear it and wished death would also take her away; and less than 24 hours later, her wish was granted as a massive stroke claimed her life. Now, instead of supervising her daughter's funeral arrangements and burial, she will most likely be laid side by side with her daughter in a wake keep and buried alongside each other. Icheoku says what a life we all live, which end or how it will end, none of us knows a jack about; and here, a mother's love has once again prevailed. This is atypical of together in life and together in death, as what love binds together, not even death can put asunder. May their souls Rest In Peace.

OBAMA'S I COULD HAVE WON THE ELECTION: UNHINGED?

Icheoku says losing an election is one thing, but recovering from the loss is entirely a different ball game altogether. Americans are finding out, albeit grudgingly, that President Barack Obama is finding it very difficult to understand his rejection and all that he stood for, including a non existent legacy, in the last election. Nearly two months thereafter, the man whose ego was shattered to smithereens, could hardly believe that American people who previously elected him twice, flatly said no more Obama; never again, regardless of the cloak of a Hillary Clinton. 

Unfortunately, Barack Obama misread the height of the frustration in the land and that a frustrated people have no more love left for him. But instead of accepting this rejection in good faith, like a petulant child, he is throwing fits and tantrums over the shellacking which he received last November 8, 2016. Yes, the election was about him and his legacy and he severally mouthed off so, on so many occasions and circumstances, which made some people feel that Obama was not just campaigning for Hillary Clinton but was also campaigning for his own third term agenda, keep my legacy intact. The election was such a vehement rejection of what Obama stood for that some schools of thought are beginning to posit that had Hillary Clinton not run on Obama's legacy, she could possibly have been elected president of America. But a contriving and ever-calculating woman, who set out initially to run as her own independent self, miscalculated that there was still some rain check to be cashed on Obama and pivoted. She owned up or rather mortgaged her presidential run to Obama and literally wore a cloak of an Obama's third term surrogate. She was rejected as none of the things Obama wanted to continue, through a Hillary Clinton's presidency, were things American people want to continue pursuing. The result was a resounding 306 to 236 Electoral Votes thumping by President Elect Donald John Trump. 

Since that bolt of lighting struck Barack Obama, he has never recovered and might never actually recover, at least not fully. The devastating loss took a huge toll on him that he is increasingly hedging on the fringe of ridiculousness, if not an outright losing of his mind. He has canvassed every sundry manner of reason why the election was lost, from the sublime to the utter foolish; and has now descended into the sewer, trying to explain an inexplicable event. So far he has refused to own up to some responsibility for the lost election; admitted a lot of it lies squarely on his shoulders. A man who was ready to swallow his vomit to protect his ego, who once told Trump to stop whining because no one can rig American elections but has since changed his position to allege Russian interference and that the Russians rigged the election for Trump. A man who blames Hillary Clinton for not campaigning hard enough but forgot that he wore the face of Obama and the candidacy of Hillary Clinton as he traversed the land literally begging Americans that his legacy was on the ballot and that they should vote to sustain it. A man who admonished African American voters in North Carolina to please vote to help honor him by keeping his legacy. 

A man who probably campaigned even more than the candidate herself, selling a legacy theme which no one was buying nor bought. Suddenly he wants to throw Hillary Clinton under the bus by dismissing her as not being good enough a candidate and who could not and did not mount a winnable campaign. According to his latest acute malaria induced misremember of the last campaign, Obama has proclaimed that he would have won the election had he been on the ballot and campaigned against Donald Trump. Icheoku says Obama was on the ballot as he personally said so several times that his legacy ws on the ballot. He campaigned fiercely begging American people to honor his presidency by voting to ensure that no harm came to his legacy but now is telling American people what again? How else could Obama have campaigned more than he did, owning the campaign and making Hillary Clinton an aside or rather side kick, but was still rejected. American people disavowal of his policies and the trajectory of the country was such that in one campaign stop in Michigan, fewer than 1000 people showed up to listen to whatever the heck a sitting American President Obama had to say about his legacy that should be sustained. Seriously speaking, Icheoku says President Barack Obama actually cost Hillary Clinton the election as many people who would have voted for Hillary Clinton believing that she would chart a different course, did not, afraid she will continue the Obama crap.

In the defeated President Barack Obama's own words, he said: "I am confident in this vision because I'm confident that if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could've mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it." Icheoku says it is not true as no vision was marketable to the American people. President Barack Obama did run and President Obama failed to articulate it and President Obama also failed to mobilize a majority of American people to rally around it. For every intent and purpose, President Obama was only wearing the mask of Hillary Clinton during the last campaign election as  it was obvious to the American people who actually was behind the mask, but they said bluntly, no, thanks, but no Obama again. Yet without shame nor any compunction, he still goes about trying to put together his pieces that was smashed on November 8, 2016. Icheoku says never in the recent history of American presidency has any president been this haughty, in denial and full of it; and his failure to admit and take responsibility for the lost election rubs many people on the wrong side.  Even the Clintons would on hind sight, be ruefully regretting why they did not embark on that journey without the baggage of an Obama eight years which saw America somewhat diminished in stature, lagging in strides and failing to project maximum power and its known exceptionalism.  

What a lousy statement from a lousy president, heavy on speeches and grandiose grandiloquence, but who is definitely short on performance. A knee jerk, touchy feely president, who failed to provide direction and the leadership Americans can believe in. A president who drew a redline and failed to back it up. A president who watched as a fragile world tumbled into an inferno. A president who murdered African King Gaddafi just because he can and nothing more. Gaddafi gave up his nuclear program; Gaddafi paid compensation for Lockerbie bombing; Gaddafi gave up his two spy agents who were fingered in the bombing as well as the German nightclub; Gaddafi opened his vast oil reserves for American and Western oil companies and Gaddafi pledged a new order; yet Obama had him killed and this was a man who called Obama his son and son of Africa and wished Obama could be president forever. It was not as if Donald Trump did not campaign against Obama's policies and government direction; he was not shy about his intention to do havoc to all of them including his executive orders induced policies. He told American people what he is going to do with everything and anything Obama. Obama on the other hand was defending his actions and begged American people to please help him defend his legacy by voting for the other gal, but they decided. Yet Obama had the temerity to barefacedly assert that he could have won the election had he ran? 

Icheoku says possibly he was counting on African Americans turning out in large numbers for him; but he forgot that many of this constituency were left holding the plate by his government and feeling so shafted, would not have enthusiastically trooped out as they did in 2008 and again in 2012; thinking that without any reelection holdups post 2012 that he would be more bold in doing certain things specifically for the African American community. Something like the Marshall Plan for Europe which rebuilt Europe after the world wars; but he laughed it off. So how does any sane person explain that one guy ran against everything and anything Obama with a promise to reverse them and won. Then the other gal ran as an Obama incarnate with promise to maintain all his legacy programs and was rejected and lost. Simply put, a vote against President Barack Obama, a total knock of whatever his hands ever touched and now he cannot take it. Icheoku says this guy needs to get off whatever high horse or substance he is on; his reality is completely detached and has thus far taken a form of an illusion. In the final analysis, President Barack Obama at least owes Hillary Clinton the decency to stop punting the reason for the very bad outcome of the last election solely to her because the president is equally culpable, if not solely responsible.  Just like Obama would have taken the credit had Hillary won, so should he take the responsibility for his failure to have her elected. Enough of these lame excuses and explanations because they are becoming both laughable and nauseating.

XMAS GREETINGS FROM PRESIDENT ELECT DONALD JOHN TRUMP TO YOU.

ICHEOKU says from President-Elect Donald John Trump to you, a wondrous joyful Christmas. Merry Xmas everyone.

MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY: THE LIGHT WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL OVER DARKNESS.

Icheoku says thanks to President-Elect Donald John Trump, Christians and other men and women of goodwill in America and the world over can once again proudly celebrate the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Master Jesus Christ, whose day of birth Christians mark on Christmas. The attempt of this past eight years to suppress and equalize the symbolism of that day has failed and like every other previous attempt at wishing Christianity to go away failed, Barack Hussein Obama did not succeed with his Muslim agenda over America. Good riddance. Just 27 more days and he will become part of history which no sane person wants to relive again. Merry Xmas America and lets party like it is 1999. Our Lord and Savior liveth and sits upon the throne of God and has once again prevailed. 

SULTAN CELEBRATED VISIT TO ENUGU: GOVERNOR UGWUANYI GOOFED BIG TIME.

Icheoku says the problem with Nigeria and the principal reason why the country has not taken flight, several decades after it celebrated her independence, is largely due to the quality and caliber of people who are usually in charge of affairs therein, the so called leaders. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has now joined this club of clueless, vision-less, leaders, who set non progressive priorities and who are preoccupied with frivolities and non essential and ineffectual enterprises. That a governor of a state with so much dire needs should embark on a jamboree of hosting an Islamic leader of the Fulani Sokoto Caliphate with the peoples tax payers money and when the same visiting leader has not called to order his people, the terrorists Fulani cattle rearing nomads, who are terrorizing the people of Enugu State, smacks of someone simply out of touch and lacking in desire, the protection of the people. What a slap on the face of the people of Enugu State, who are watching in awe, as their elected governor lavishes such undeserved and unmerited attention, hosting the Sultan of Sokoto in Enugu State and with the peoples money. 

Icheoku queries what did the Sultan do to merit such honored attention by the people of Enugu State, who have suffered untold hardship and so many loss of lives in the hands of the Sultan's nomadic Fulani cattle people? Why honor the Sultan by inviting to and hosting him in Enugu State at the expense of the people and so very near to Christmas? It is an insult on the peoples sensibilities and it is hereby unequivocally condemned by Icheoku as not properly thought through; and should be condemned by every decent human being who is burning with a great desire to see a better and more functional Nigeria. Enugu State people have suffered untold economic hardship and loss of lives in the hands of these terrorist Fulani nomads who are supposed to answer to Sultan Saad Abubakar. But each time, following their rampage and massacre, only speeches come out of the Sultanate in reaction, without any of the miscreants ever being held to account. No compensation or apology was ever paid to the victims of their atrocities and a governor of these victims is cavorting with the leader of the killers and maimers of his people. Enugu State people have also lost some of their sons and daughters to the IPOB cause in the hands of an army and security agencies largely dominated by the Sultan's people. The Sultan also has the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari; but the Sultan has never said a word or put a word through to the president to stop this wanton and indiscriminate killing of Biafran unarmed protesters and in a democratically free society; yet this is the guy the governor was hosting with the peoples money? 

Even President Muhammadu Buhari's lopsided and skewed appointments of mostly his Northern people to positions of power and authority did not get any condemnation from the Sultanate either. So what exactly did the Sultan do for the people of Enugu State to merit this lavish honor by the Enugu State government and with the peoples money? That the governor shut down all markets and businesses in Enugu State during this infamous visit is also very nauseating and you wonder whose interest was the governor of Enugu State and in Enugu State's Government House serving and protecting? Why shut down the peoples means of livelihood simply because an Islamic leader of the Sokoto Caliphate was visiting Enugu State? Icheoku says, are Enugu State people now part of the dominion of the Sultan of Sokoto that his visit should suffer the people such great inconvenience and loss of income; and since when was the capitulation completed? This is a governor  who would not and/or have refused to raise and promote any Igbo King or even Enugu State King, but is happily and slavishly genuflecting and bowing to other people's King called Sultan. The usual argument against an Igbo king is that Igbo people are too republican to have a king; yet same Igbo person, a governor of Enugu Igbo State, who is supposedly anti Igbo King, is happily bowing and genuflecting before another people's king. 

What an irony in stupidity and a mentality mired in subservient slavery that was in total display. It is akin to someone who hates and would not take care of his own wife but marvels and admires another man's own wife who is being taken good care of. If you don't want a King why then do you care so much about another peoples King? It is similar to Nigerians, who will not obey laws and rules in Nigeria but on traveling abroad or visiting other peoples country, readily conform to every minuscule of rules and regulations and laws and even ordinary custom that operates in those other countries. It is this same conformance to civilized behavior while abroad that saw Oba Akiolu of Lagos clutching his own dinner box, which he went to personally buy himself and walking back to his hotel room while in London a few months ago. So the question remains, why do these Nigerians only put on their best behavior while in other peoples country and would not replicate same while in their own country, Nigeria? Icheoku is totally flabbergasted that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who would not help organize or re-organize the floundering Oha-Na-Eze Ndigbo into a more formidable Igbo pressure group nor help reposition MASSOB and/or IPOB as a feared muscle to Oha-n-eze Ndigbo, is busily suckling up to the Sultan of Sokoto Saad Abubakar, giggling like a bride who is being proposed to or a child who just saw his long gone mother or a beneficiary who just happened on his mentor. 

Icheoku has no problem with any dignitary visiting wherever they want to visit; but certainly not on the peoples tax payers money; especially under the current tensed atmosphere of great tribal agitation for self determination pervading in Nigeria and the Southeast in particular. Does this governor not really care about the true feeling of the people he is governing, regarding his August visitor and his Fulani people, who are killing the governor's people of Enugu State and destroying their means of livelihood, their farmlands. Query, would the Sokoto State government reciprocate such honor should an Igbo King or Enugu State King go visiting Sokoto state? At least the last time Icheoku checked, the Biafran surrender did not amount to a complete capitulation into slavery to the Fulani North. The declaration of no victor, no vanquished, was the official state policy at the end of the war, so why this voluntary backpedalling into second class servitude by according the ruler of the Fulani Sokoto Caliphate such state visit which forced all markets in Enugu State to close in his honor. Who will make up for the lost time and income by these traders; especially with Christmas just a few short days away. Simply put, were Enugu State and Nigeria a functioning democracy, without deadly retribution, what Governor Ifeanyi Uqwuanyi did was enough ground to invoke articles of impeachment to shame and remove him from office. If he likes or loves other peoples Kings, he should endeavor to get his own King and celebrate and honor him like the people of Sokoto did and still do to their Sultan. Like Ijele masquerade, the king does not make himself, the people do. What a mentally enslaved, servile human-being, this governor is and his duty is supposed to be champion in chief of the people of Enugu State and protect their utmost interest. What a jerk; indeed quite pitiful. 

ANDREI KARLOV: RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY ASSASSINATED.

Icheoku says how anyone is expected to guard and protect against this sort of madness is beyond any meaningful comprehension. A trained police officer, trained to protect and serve, turned out to be an Islamist terrorist who used his service  pistol to assassinate a foreign diplomat on his own country's soil. This is the height of betrayal, both to his country Turkey that trained and paid him; as well as the foreign dignitary on his own country Russia's diplomatic mission to the country. It does not make any sense neither is there anything to understand in the whole stupidity that saw a country's ambassador, the pseudo-president and chief representative of the country, being gunned down and so publicly. It is tantamount to assassinating a visiting country's president on the host country's soil which ordinarily translates to a declaration of war.

However, that the gruesome act was captured on video and is being so publicly aired on also defies the logic of self-censor and the argument of not empowering such terrorist or help provide them free media with which to propagate their warped ideology. What happened to the time-honored respectful practice of not showing such grotesque act which normally accompanies such acts? Where was the respect accorded to the ambassador, whose killing was so publicly aired as, well as his painful twitching of face as he was falling down to his death due to the barrage of hot leads piercing his backside? Why was the sound of the gunfire and also the madman's rants carried too. Why was this exception to the rule allowed in the case of the assassinated Russian ambassador to Turkey, whose assassination is being shown on the Internet as well as on some reputable websites and news organizations? Even the terrorist who pulled the trigger is being shown  as he sneaked up behind the ambassador, firmed his both hands and pulled the trigger, with the ambassador face of pain as he fell down dying. Worse all, why let his crooked  political message air or is there a concert here to try and provide justification for the heinous act of terrorist assassination of a country's ambassador? 

Regardless, Icheoku condemns in its entirety the callous murder of Andrei Karlov as both cowardly and unprecedented; and hereby joins numerous others calling for investigation into the incident. If as is being claimed the assassin was an off-duty police officer, what was he doing within the vicinity with a fully loaded service pistol? How did he manage to gain access to so close behind the ambassador and opened fire without any immediate retaliatory resistance. How did he know the itinerary of the ambassador and that the ambassador would be at the Art Gallery at the time he crept up to kill him. Further, why were there no security details protecting the ambassador, knowing fully well the fluidly nature of security in Turkey, especially in recent times? As far as Icheoku is concerned, the assassination is more than provocative and you wonder why the gunman was summarily killed instead of demobilizing him and taking him alive for interrogation. Now he is dead and possibly died with the conspiracy that led to his dastardly act; and you wonder if the president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is even safe himself, judging by such crazies as this sworn police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas, many of whom might still be merely bidding their own time to strike. 

It is definitely a new world out there which we all are facing to live and put up with. Things are increasingly falling apart and no one knows the point in which they will start to hilt. Like America's ambassador Stevens in Benghazi, Andrei Karlov was murdered by Islamist terrorist, admitted no one knows how widely spread his ilk are spread within the Turkish police and other armed security forces; begging the question, who is safe and who is next. How many Mevlut Mert Altintas are there still lurking around, clean shaved and dressed up in black suit like responsible citizens but who at any given opportunity will turn rogue and commit such a treasonous act. As things stand now in this treacherous world where things are barreling down the steep hill, only the swearing in of PE Donald John Trump and his joining forces with the Russian Vladimir and other coalition of the willing to seriously tackle these monsters who are creeping everywhere will restore hope to humanity. Any other attempt to fight these urchins with a divided focus will only spell disaster for a world already on the ropes. These islamist terrorists mad dogs need to be urgently reined in, either by summarily dispatch or long prison sentences. Enough of this continuing maddening global insecurity.  May the soul of Andrei Karlov rest in peace. Icheoku's condolence to his family and country. Adieu. 

TRUMP BRINGS BACK CHRISTMAS TO AMERICA, MERRY CHRISTMAS AMERICA !

Icheoku says once again it is good to be American and celebrating Christmas without shame or apology for who we are and what we believe in. Muslims celebrate their Ramadan without shame or apology; Jews celebrate their Hanukka without shame or apology; Blacks celebrate their Kwanza without shame or apology; Mexicans celebrate their Cinco de Mayo without shame or apology; so why must Christians be reticent or be blackmailed into not proudly celebrating their own festivity of Christmas? Why should they not mark the birthday of their Lord and savior Jesus Christ with fanfare, just because some haters will hate anyway, regardless. President-elect Donald John Trump has given us reason to be proud Christians once again and this Christmas is like no other in the last eight years of apologies and hiding behind holidays. The holiday is for a reason and the reason is the birth of Jesus Christ; and in the spirit of the season, Icheoku says Merry Christmas America and to the world at large that wished for this moment again. Thanks to President-elect Donald John Trump who saved Christmas. Hurray!

HILLARY CLINTON: THE "RUSSIANS" WHO HACKED THE ELECTION.

Icheoku says a hopelessly shameless people and their ever changing narrative on why their heavily flawed and irreparably damaged candidate, Hillary Clinton, lost the last election.  It is the Russians; just blame the Russians for everything that went wrong with the last election and it will simply be explained away. The Russians made it impossible for Hillary Clinton, the unelectable American reject and would have been first female president of America, to be accepted by a people who detest her and her corrupt practises as well as her stonewalling about everything preceding the election. Yes, it is the Russians, provided the Russians are cloaked as Hilary Clinton and no one other person else.

Icheoku says as long as Hillary Clinton remains in denial and refuses to look in a mirror to see the reason she lost the election starring back at her; that long will she remain traumatized over her latest rejection by the American people and that long will her recovery take, if ever. The fact of the matter is that Hillary Clinton was a damaged candidate right from the get go, that but for all the gang up against her opponent and winner of the last election, she would have lost more votes than she came up with. Her dislike by American people is such that even the women-issues champion in chief, Oprah Winfrey, had to beg Americans to please vote for her even if they don't like her. Madonna even went to the extreme by promising Americans blow job if only they would hold their nose of dislike and pull the lever for Hillary Clinton. That a candidate who could hardly attract 500 people in a 700 persons arena when her opponent was attracting 27,000 people in a 12,000 persons arena, is looking for someone else to blame for her failed presidential bid, shows a person who is very far detached from the truth. This is a woman who has overstayed her welcome in the public arena and has made so much enemies and offended so many people in the process and way before her latest gambit, looking elsewhere for a fall guy to blame. It is very unfortunate indeed that anyone could be this so farther removed from her reality that you wonder how she processes information generally. 

First she did not campaign as forcefully and effectively as any candidate seriously desiring the office of the president would. She was over-confident in her victory; especially against a "reality television star" Donald Trump; added to the power of the incumbent president and her former president husband including a very biased media which were all amassed against her opponent. Then she started pulling her different rabbits from her bag of tricks trying to hoodwink Americans into voting her by default of their distancing themselves from Donald Trump. There was Alicia Machado, the fat washed-out "beauty" contestant who thought she could sway some unhappy ugly menopausal feminists but failed, as she did not succeed in bringing enough of them over to effect the outcome of the election. She then pulled the rabbit of the Khan family but it also bombed out as Americans were looking at some serious issues facing the nation rather then some puerile emotive nonsensical. Thereafter she pulled the rabbit of some strange women with their tales of sexual assaults including one who alleged that she was publicly groped in an airplane 30 plus odd years ago and you wonder who could possibly believe such tale by the moonlight. Lastly, her team pulled the rabbit of Access Hollywood locker-room jive-talk, thinking they finally nailed her opponent into submission.

It was apparent to keen political watchers and observers that throughout the last campaign that Hillary Clinton never campaigned on the strength of what she was going to do for American people or do differently from the lackluster Obama government. She was only telling Americans why they should not vote for Donald Trump and that Trump is the bogey man that must run away from and run to her for safety and protection. So who campaigns on such negative vote for me and expect to coast to victory; especially facing such a bulldozer and never say never personality as Donald Trump. But no, it must be something other than her incompetent campaign that did her in. This is a woman who deleted 33,000 emails and rather than explaining what happened, decided to stonewall Americans about it and when Americans remembered and stonewalled her from entering their White House, she is pointing accusing finger at the Russians, instead of doing some introspection to see the culprit residing within herself. This is a woman who barely won the frail grey haired grandpa Bernie Sanders in her party's primaries, which Americans later found out was a result of conspiracy by top Democratic Party officials including leaked debate questions. Icheoku says but for the gang up and the full investment of a Hilary Clinton for first female president agenda by her side and the White House, Hillary Clinton would not have been the candidate of the Democratic Party in the last election. 

It is also on record that Hillary Clinton refused to do any press conference or answer questions on her past criminal activities for over 200 days during the last campaign circle. It is also on record that she did not campaign throughout the month of August, preferring instead to do no harm and quietly tiptoe into the White House; while her opponent traversed the land like a maniac who is possessed by get a favorable outcome and it paid off. It is also a fact that Hillary Clinton had health issues which was masked until that video of her bumbling head surfaced, which saw her being propped up on both side as they loaded her into a van; yet she would rather none of these impacted the outcome of the last election as it is much easier to make the Russians the bogey men that stole her election victory. Then she was captured on video calling over 33 million Americans "irredeemable deplorables" and she thought these disparaged hardworking Americans would suddenly develop amnesia about the insult when they went to the polling booths to cast their votes. A woman whose campaign attacked the Catholic Church as well as the Evangelicals of America and who refused to heed the advise of New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan to distance herself from the remarks; yet she is making the Russians the hatchet men who did her election in?

When all the powerful unions and bodies of organizations including the police, firemen, board patrols, NASCAR, NRA, retired officers as well as Christian bodies were endorsing Donald Trump and throwing their support behind him, Hilary Clinton thought it was a joke as she figured her support in California and New York among LGBTQ community would trounce them all. She forgot that there is strength in number and that any strategic thinking candidate will rather make a play for the electoral college and not the numerical strength of just California and New York. This is a woman who had opportunity to pick a real Hispanic vice presidential candidate to lock in Hispanic bloc vote; but instead, settled for a fellow white Caucasian hillbilly from Virginia who speaks Spanish, thinking that speaking Spanish is enough incentive for Spanish voters. This is a woman who also had opportunity to lock in black American votes by choosing a black vice presidential candidate but rejected a wise counsel to choose Senator Cory Booker as her vice presidential candidate. So instead of doing some introspection and telling herself the truth that had she chosen Cory Booker, may be black Americans would feel vested enough in her election and trooped out en-masse to make it happen. Ditto would her picking Julio Castro, the HUD Secretary who is a bona fide Spanish American have yielded a better Spanish votes; but instead it is the Russians. 

That Hillary Clinton is drab and does not inspire anyone is a fact which led Colin Powell to describe her as "not transformational." She did not light any fire in anyone except probably Huma Abedi who was already daydreaming about being the most powerful person in a Hillary Clinton's presidency. Hillary Clinton has a funny waspy voice that is very irritating to listen to; she does not connect with anyone and has no wow factor going for her. She tried feigning to be everything to everybody and it came out as the fake which it is; the worse of it all being when she went to a black radio station and claimed to keep hot sauce in her bag always. Icheoku never felt revulsed about Hillary Clinton as that day and would bet if a search is conducted in her bag this minute, no hot sauce would be found therein. Hillary Clinton lost so many Americans long before the last election campaign including a wide segment of women who have not forgiven her husband for messing around with so many women; who regrettably did not get any protection from Hillary Clinton when they were being victimized by her philandering husband Bill Clinton. Monica Lewinsky, Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones and so on readily come flooding to mind; and the fact that some of these women made national appearances during the last election campaign to remind Americans their ordeal was also overlooked by Hillary Clinton as possibly contributing to her loss; just blame the Russians. 

Icheoku says Americans have now heard so many reasons why Hillary Clinton lost the election; from FBI Comy letters, to Black Americans who did not troop out to vote for her; to American White women who hated their kind and broke for her opponent; to Nate Silver whose projected Hillary Clinton landslide win which depressed her voters turnout; to American chauvinistic society which frowns against strong women and did not vote for her; to all manner of sundry reasons and to now the Russians. According to her latest pathetic reason, it was a payback by Russian Tsar Vladimir Putin who has not forgiven her for what she said against him when she was Secretary of State. Icheoku says a loser of an election has never looked so lost as a Hillary Clinton clinging to every manner of incredulous reason to explain the shellacking she received. Who knows what her next reason would be, but whatever she decides to push out, Icheoku would suggest that she seek some professional counseling, a shrink, in order to get herself under control and once again regain her faculties. It is obvious that she has not recovered from her latest election loss and might not ever recover; at least not as long as she chooses to remain in denial and looking elsewhere for the reason she lost the election. Icheoku says the Russians did not cost Hillary Clinton the election, as the only RUSSIANS who were involved in the election is Hilary Clinton herself and no one else, not even Putin. Hillary Clinton is merely seeing shadows and hearing voices, both early signs of a total mental breakdown and hopefully it will not get to that. What a sore loser; an American Reject, who is on the verge of losing it completely.

MMM: A PONZI SCHEME MONEY PYRAMID TAKES ROOT IN NIGERIA.

Icheoku says one of the signs of a tanked and struggling  economy is the desperation of the people to find anything that gives them some sense of hope that things are still under control; that they will survive; regardless of the foolishness and/or unrealistic their hope or venture might sometimes be. Like a drowning person, the people are forced into a survival mode, clinging and grappling, looking for, doing things and holding unto things which other more rationally saner observers would consider rather foolish and/or not thought out through properly. They become easy preys, sitting ducks, for these predators masquerading as saviors who approach them with mouth-watering schemes of a paradise on earth. Being desperate, they easily bite the bait and before you could say Jack, they would be wishing the earth had opened up and swallowed them earlier before they were prospected, rather than remain in the place where they subsequently found themselves.

It has happened severally in the past, both in other climes and in Nigeria as well; and it is once again happening in Nigeria with proliferation of so many of those 419 "miracle-working" men and women of "God" and their fakery. These 419 false custodians of heavenly grace are promising hopelessly frantic gullible Nigerians miracle of riches; and when these victims cannot wait long enough, even after twenty years, for their own miracle of riches to come to fruition, they turn to other lurking exit route from their life's situational problems. This is the yawning gap which MMM seeks to and has come to fill and they are succeeding in ensnaring a population that is both desperate and nearing despondency and which is increasingly tethering on edge. A population which is in a mad rush to make it big and without necessarily putting in the required hard work which success always requires. Icheoku says the Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox phenomenon is one such huge scam and is exploiting the two conditions which predatory scam artists are always looking for in their potential victims - need and desperation, which translates to vulnerability. 

The Russians Ponzi scheme MMM has invaded Nigeria and is currently making mince-meat lunatics out of millions of Nigerian desperadoes who fantasize about hitting the big pay day.  They have their dream cars, houses, lifestyles mapped out but do not want to travel the often thongs-strewn beaten path that yields such. This very gullible forget that there is no free lunch anywhere and that if it looks too good to be true, it might as well be so. They also forget that when you go to Las Vegas or Macau, you go there just for fun; but if you happen to land a jackpot, then it becomes an additional blessing but never the expected norm because the odds are always in favor of the house. They forget the rule of life that if you want it, you either earn it or you steal it and that bank robbery or drug pushing will not be in existence if there is any money scheme that truly doles out such fantastic largess. But regrettably, such scams usually come with sugar coated and mouth-watering promises that too often prove irresistible to their victims. This ensnaring tool, the beautiful promises, they normally fulfill to the primary baseline first responders; which they would then use to bait their intended target, the other millions of people, who would then be left holding the plate and through whom the promoters would have their payday. 

Rule number one to three of making money, there is no cheap or easy money anywhere on planet earth; so if you want it, you have to either work for it or take the high stakes risk associated with getting it. There is no shortcut or Father Christmas who loves you enough to want to double or triple your money. But the gullible and easily swayed, hopelessly overtly excited people, who usually fall prey to such bait and switch scam, often act with suspended intellect. These are the people possessed by the fantastical nonsense of get rich quick scheme, the MMM mania which is sweeping across Nigeria. Some of the people are also in dire need of staying alive and to keep hope alive, have found themselves so vulnerable that they have fallen victims to these predatory scammers. A country people which have found themselves in a state of extended miasma and are looking for any way out, are unfortunately lining themselves up for the inevitable heartbreak which will come with an assured burst of the current MMM bubble. It is the same reason the 419 men and women of "God" are cashing in on Nigerians with their pretentious miracle of riches that have provided such an instant anchor for MMM - gullibility and crave for instant riches without working for it. 

If only these Nigerians have heard about the notorious Bernard Maddof of the United States of America who made off with nearly $150 billion of other peoples money in a similar Ponzi scheme before he was finally nabbed and now serving 150 years in prison. The arrangement is simple - it is called other peoples money collective with pittance paid out as interest from the same money deposited to entice enough customers before they eventually cash out and crash the scheme. It is not if but when MMM will crash because as with every such money Ponzi scheme, the intention of the operator is simple - maximize the outtake and get out fast. That Nigerian government has not shut down MMM shows the rot that is the country's leadership; although it is practically a way of life now for so many, but a government that is worth its duties and responsibilities to the people would have since saved them the inevitable future heartbreak with a little inconvenience now of shutting it down. Icheoku says if their promised returns were realistic, there would be no banking industry in existence as everybody would empty their accounts and turn their money over to MMM. But no, the desperate deaf poor wants to cross over the great divide between haves and have nots, and are prepared to do whatever it takes. 

Those who were around in the mid eighties to early nineties, before 419 took hold and over everything, would remember that similar money schemes existed and were everywhere in Nigeria, but where are they today. The same fate awaits MMM and all those hopelessly possessed Nigerian "investors" waiting to hit the jackpot the easy way. That MMM have crashed in other countries including Zimbabwe is not enough to dissuade these vulnerable Nigerians from putting their money into such a burning fire that will consume it. In the final analysis, wonder banks never work the wonders they promise; therefore knowledgeable people do not patronize such schemes because experience shows that their activities are not sustainable and that if you get involved, you will be burnt somewhere down the road. Please fellas, if you can avoid the temptation, avoid the money virus that is now feeding off the vulnerable and gullible Nigerians who are hoping to make it big and make it out like bandits. It has hurt before and it is going to hurt again, so please get out before you go down. As PE DJT would say to people acting out, ICHEOKU says to you, please STOP IT and now.

YEEZUZ MEETS PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP

Icheoku says there is nothing with that, especially for a President-Elect Donald John Trump who pledged to be president for everyone; and nearly fifty million Kanye West's followers are a great percentage of the American population who make up the everyone. Coincidentally, both highly accomplished men dyed their hair golden for their epic meeting; athough what they discussed in the meeting is pretty much not known; but whatever it is, it has kept social media buzzing and humming.  Icheoku says such outreach is great and should be encouraged among the polity and as often as possible as it will help President-Elect Donald Trump towards making it great again. Icheoku says, approves. Salute.

RUSSIAN ELECTION HACK, SIMPLY RIDICULOUS.

Icheoku says for the umpteenth time, the world is being inundated with Version 'Russians Hacked the Election' excuse by a people in denial, in their woeful attempt to explain away the shellacking they received  in the last election. A shameless people who are not tired of manufacturing excuses after excuses of why they lost the election;  and who have refused to actually focus the searchlight on the culprit for their loss, the irreparably damaged and deathly flawed candidate they field, Hillary Clinton. Icheoku says they can play the field all they want; they can also, like Houdini, try to pull one rabbit after another from their magic hat of explanations; but until they boldly and courageously look inward to see their nemesis wearing a form of a woman, named Hillary Clinton, their search will continue to come up empty.  

Once again, Americans are being bombarded with tales by the moonlight of Russians hacked the election and influenced the outcome of a Donald Trump's presidential victory. Icheoku queries, why did these security agencies, whose job is to protect and guard against such external intrusions, not act to preempt the Russians and stop them cold when they tried? Why are they now shouting thief, thief, after the bull has bolted out of the barn. Why did they not catch them red-handed when there was still smoking gun residue in their hacking fingers. Why now, especially without any convincing evidence other than mere speculative guesswork? But some super egotistic personalities who are still traumatized and still in a suspended state of shock that Donald Trump wiped the floor with them, all of them; including an entire world that was marshaled against him; are raising hell with allegations trying to de-legitimize an election victory that was secured fair and square. They are in denial and have refused to allow the process of recovery to commence by still holding out false hope that perhaps, by some magic, the election result will change to produce a different outcome. 

Their ego was simply so much going into the election that they concluded the election won even before the campaign ever started; which saw Hillary Clinton not taking her campaign seriously enough and did not even care to campaign in so many states, having assured herself that the election was already in the bag. She also refused to hold press conferences nor answer reporters questions demanding to know certain explanations to some of her criminal activities, especially as related to the 33,000 deleted and bleach-washed emails. Even when questions were shouted at her, her minders stills stonewalled and prevented her from answering them. Then add her Wall Street speeches and what they contain, which she refused to shed lights on. This is a woman who had no new nor bold idea on what her presidency will do to turn things around; whose campaign was mostly based on "Do Not Vote Trump because he is this and that", but never told Americans why they should vote for her? That she has no love lost between herself and the wider American people did not also matter to these guys who are now spewing this Russian hacked the election nothingness.

Ichoeku says a people have never been as arrogant as these folks who are pushing this Hillary Clinton should have won the election nonsensical. They expected her to win regardless of her flaws and the lackluster campaign she mounted. They expected her to win because it was her turn or rather women's turn to be president, whether or not this particular woman was that woman who American people would have wanted to elect as their first female president. A woman who is so despised that even women issues champion in chief Oprah Winfrey could not give her a full throttle endorsement and said to vote for her even if you don't like her. So, query, who ever empowers someone they do not like into a higher position of authority? If one does not like Hillary Clinton, how could that one be expected to vote for her for president? Meanwhile all these high negatives are of no interest to her apologists who were only interested on her coronation, regardless. So instead of these people pushing this "she would have been elected narrative', the correct and proper inquiry should have been who would vote for such a high negatives candidate, especially one who deleted 33,000 emails and went to brand nearly 34 million Americans irreparable deplorables. Funny enough too, these apologists are not concerned that Bernie Sanders fell victim to the conspiracies unearthed by some of the leaked emails; but are only interested in who made their content public. A crime was committed, but instead of investigating the crime, they are rather interested in who ratted the crime out.

Anyway, it is rather interesting that the current frenzied 'Russians Hacked the Election' is coming on the heels of the fluttering recount effort which they equally orchestrated. They thought that recounting the votes was going to change a thing; but now that Donald Trump is gaining votes ahead of Hillary Clinton, to plus 168 now, they figured the reason for her defeat was not in miscounted votes and have now changed gear, pivoted back to the Russians. It would be recalled that they have so far pushed so many narratives as to why their Hillary Clinton was demolished in the last election. From FBI's James Comy letter to Congress; to Black people failed to show love to Hillary Clinton by turning out votes; to White women did not support their fellow woman; to Nate Silver 538 depressed voter turnout by too much optimism and confidence; to miscounted votes as well as to all manner of silliness including coming back once again to Russians hacked the election. Icheoku says surely these people are turning themselves into laughing stock of sore losers who do not know how to accept defeat honorably. If the Russians did it, at what point did they know or find out it was actually the Russians and not any other group of hackers? if the Russians did it, did they magically too coarse voters to vote for the other guy? If the Russians did it, did they make the Clinton campaign write all those emails that showed them as wearing two faces of Janus - one which they show publicly and the other one which they wear in private? 

For whatever it is worth, this latest craziness is both pitiful and shameful and should be stopped forthwith. President Elect Donald John Trump won the election fair and square, admitted it surprised so many people world wide and that it was a deathly blow to the bloated ego of some people who swore that Donald Trump will NEVER be president. Icheoku understands where they are coming from; their ego was mortally damaged and now they are desperately trying to put a band-aid on. The same people mocked Donald Trump into running for the presidency and unwittingly motivated and engineered the outcome of his being today's president elect of America. Ego is one funny thing and ego has ruined so many things including lives and it is this ego that is currently in the way, meddling in an otherwise decidedly concluded presidential election. The good news is that America is not a banana republic nor is it one small African country where elections are easily manipulated and annulled; otherwise at the rate these people who are pushing this false narrative against Trump are going, they would have since taken the laws into their hands and overruled the peoples wish. Their trajectory is frost with danger and the earlier they pulled back the better for everyone including American democracy. Therefore, it is about time they accepted their defeat and lick their wounds and then get ready for 2020. Hillary Clinton lost the election because she was not a good candidate and Donald Trump ran a better winnable campaign and he won.  

WOLE SOYINKA: SELF DEPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Icheoku says President-elect Donald John Trump has not even been sworn in yet but he is already affecting changes in so many spheres including immigration. In addition to building the Great Wall of America, he promised to also remove immigrants who should not ordinarily be in the United States of America. These include immigrants who are in America illegally as well as those whose legal stay are somewhat questionable. It would seem that Nigerian Professor Wole Soyinka fell into this last category and decided to preemptively remove himself before Trump's men would strike and bundle him out of America. According to sources, the Professor of Literature and Nobel Prize Laureate, in fulfillment of his vow never to enter the United States of America again should Donald Trump win the presidency, has "thrown away" or rather destroyed his Green Card residency permit. 

Icheoku says if indeed it is true that Wole Soyinka has destroyed his Green card and thus technically, self-removed himself from the United States, it is one problem solved for the newly appointed immigration tzar, who will now have one less of an immigrant to worry about. But who is this Wole Soyinka to think that it should matter whether or not he entered the United States again and whether anyone will miss him anyway? Did he actually destroy his Green Card and if he did, does he have right to destroy a property which does not really belong to him but which belongs to the United States of America government? Why did he not publicize the destruction and why did he allegedly "throw it away" unceremoniously since it would have had more impact if done publicly; afterall his threat to never enter the United States was made publicly. Icheoku truly believes that Wole Soyinka did not destroy nor "throw away" his Green card and was merely posturing by stating so. First he needs the Green Card more than America will ever need or miss him if he actually removed himself from the country. So who hurts more if Wole Soyinka does not enter America anymore; Wole Soyinka of course and so in whose interest is it to maintain his residency eligibility, same Wole Soyinka.  

Woke Soyinka used to be the beloved of many Nigerians who loved him for being a stand-up guy until he started cavorting with some leprosy-ied Nigerians including invertebrate politicians whom he jumped into bed with. Suddenly the man who was once showing the light of way started speaking in bifurcated tongue, flip-flopping on issues and bold-facedily started telling untruths and becoming dodgy. A man who once wrote a treatise on why Buhari must never be elected president, suddenly somersault into an apostle and itinerant campaigner-advocate of elect Muhammadu Buhari president because he is the now messiah of Nigeria sent from On High. That this claim has since turned false is a testimony every living Nigerian is prepared to give because Wole Soyinka has since been proved to have lied by vouching for Buhari. The same Wole Soyinka also accepted a N80 million Naira 80th birthday bash from a government which was owing its workers several months arrears of payment; again questioning his wisdom or rather when he sold his soul to the devil or mortgaged his conscience to the oppressors of Nigeria. 

That Wole Soyinka has become a totally different person in recent years is a fact; suggesting that the man in him died a sudden death and that what is now left of him is but a ghostly apparition of his former brave self. This is a man who once entered into a radio station armed with a pistol to try to effect a change. A man who once went to prison because of his convictions during the Biafra war and who has been on the side of the oppressed peoples of Nigeria, battling the inept leadership that have held the country in a stranglehold. But without any warning signs whatsoever, he decided to join up with the same people he has been fighting all his adult life against and you wonder what was his purchased price? Icheoku says to still call a man who has stood silent in the face of the tyranny that is President Muhammadu Buhari's presidency a man, is a great disservice and dishonor to the word, manhood. So what happened to our dear Wole Soyinka and why has he changed into this new wimpy condoner of impunity, having remained silent ever since the despotism of Muhammadu Buhari crept into the land. The same noticed change in personality is equally to blame for his outburst over inquiries about his Green Card by people who want to know if he has acted on his promise.

Icheoku says like those who fetched ants infested firewood who should not complain when lizards pay them a visit, Wole Soyinka brought every inquiry about his Green Card unto himself; because if he never uttered those words, nobody would have followed him up, trying to ascertain if he carried it through. Therefore, castigating such inquirers is a disservice to Wole Soyinka himself because that is exactly what he would have done were the shoes to be on the other foot. Further, he overreached himself calling people names and once again threatening to also leave Nigeria never to come back; but where he wants to go from Nigeria he did not disclose? Icheoku says if Wole Soyinka leaves Nigeria, no one would miss him either; just like no one would miss him if he never entered the United States of America again. In this world we live in, no one is that important or indispensable, no matter how highly placed or how important he or she thinks of self. The only attempt at fathoming any possible explanation that somewhat makes sense is that something has changed or is changing in Wole Soyinka's neurons. At his very advanced age of 83 years old, it is possible that the once very erudite professor is beginning to show early signs of old age related infirmities of the mind. It is possible that his increasingly weird talks and actions are early signs of Alzheimer's disease including dementia; all suggesting a depreciation of his lucidity of mind? 

Query:- why would any sane person so publicly threaten to destroy his Green Card and regardless of how riled up he may have been with the possibility of a Donald Trump's presidency, what is in it for him that he should vow never to enter America again? Did he think his threat was going to change or effect any vote; or that anyone was going to beg him to please not leave or enter or remain in America? At least, he could have recused himself from America and never come back until the end of Trump's presidency if he wanted; but without making it public as no one has ever been barred or stopped from leaving America if they want. As with the saying beware of what you wish for, Donald Trump has won the election and Wole Soyinka was asked if he has carried out his threat to destroy his Green Card and then his outburst. Icheoku says his outburst is simply inexplicable, unwarranted and uncalled for. If Wole Soyinka did not mouth off his intention to destroy his Green Card, nobody would have known about it nor border him by following up to know if he has performed his bargained. 

It was a voluntarily made threat which condition arose with Trump's winning the presidency, it is therefore incumbent on him now to perform as any honorable person would; admitted he is not under any obligation to so do. But we are talking about honor and a Professor and Nobel Prize winner is supposed to be honorable, otherwise how does anybody take him seriously going forward. Icheoku says Woke Soyinka owes it to the world, including Americans and Nigerians, the destruction of his Green Card and hereby calls on him to destroy his Green Card forthwith. To just chicken out or do otherwise or lie about destroying it when he did not in fact actually destroy it and/or there is no evidence of its actual destruction, will only make Wole Soyinka a lilly-livered boastful individual, who runs his mouth just for the heck of running his mouth. Be that as it may, it is safe to assume that Wole Soyinka made the boastful threat just to remain in the limelight of relevance during the last American presidential election and is not a man of honor who puts his money where his mouth is. So paraphrasing President Ronald Reagan, Icheoku says, Wole Soyinka tear up your Green Card or forever remain a shriveling loudmouth.

GHANA ELECTS A NEW PRESIDENT, NANA AKUFOR-ADDO

Icheoku says the wind of change blowing across world's political landscape has swept across through Ghana, sweeping away the incumbent president and in his place, a new president has been elected to lead the former Gold Coast territory, now Ghana. President-elect Nana Akufor-Addo defeated incumbent President John Mahama in a well conducted free and far election; and his third time trying for the presidency, thus putting some credence in the aphorism, third time is the charm. 

Good enough the outgoing president, who lost his reelection bid, has accepted the result and has conceded the election. It is encouraging to watch peaceful election and power transfer in a continent plagued by sit-tight leaders who hardly lose election nor ever accepts defeat and would rather plunge their country into internecine bloody war than allow the expressed wishes of the people hold supreme. President Jammeh of The Gambia is now proving to be one such sit-tight lout, who previously conceded an election that threw him out of power only to now make a u-turn, recanted and is making a bid not to quit. 

Icheoku says congratulations to both the newly elected President Nana Akufor-Addo and the outgoing President John Mahama for their victory and concession respectively. They are both noble statesmen and they are showing their countrymen and women the right way and how to move a country forward politically. It is a new dawn in Ghana and as usual, the face of victory is always radiant as is the gleaning face of the victor, Mr Nana Akufor-Addo. Congratulations also to the people of Ghana for a peaceful election and may God continue to bless and keep them safe.

SOYINKA DEMYSTIFIED: THE TRIAL OF BROTHER JERO - CHARLES OGBU

If the 82 year old comparative literature professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka could use words such as "Imbeciles",  "Barbarians", "Morons", "Stupid", "Internet Millipedes" etc on Nigerians simply for reminding him to tear (not throw away) his green card as he promised he would if Donald Trump emerged winner in the U.S. election, assuming he was the one sitting in that office currently occupied by the Daura-born political hurricane called Muhammadu Buhari, what do you think he would do to his political opponents, members of the opposition and young Nigerians criticizing him on the internet. 

This is a man who has spent the greater part of the 82 years he's spent so far on this earth 'chuking' his mouth into the affairs of others. The same man who once called the wife of his president a "Shippopotamus". We were told that Soyinka hates military dictators. Never mind that he quickly accepted the position of the FRSC chief from IBB, a military dictator. We were told that Soyinka fought tyrants from Fernando Po to Bermuda Triangle. Never mind that he recently helped enthrone another tyrant, Muhammadu Buhari as the president of a 21st century Nigeria. 

My question is, what exactly is the difference between those military dictators who jail their critics and a Wole Soyinka who haul invectives at his fellow citizens simply for reminding him to keep his word. And what is the difference between those who turn reason, commonsense and logic upside down to defend dictators like Idi-Amin, Adolf Hitler, Muhammadu Buhari etc and people like Pius Adesanmi and co who have been standing commonsense on its head in a desperate bid to portray Wole Soyinka as a God who can do no wrong? So because a man is a Professor, people should no longer criticize him if he progresses in error? 

Something is criminally wrong with a people who think that certain academic achievements confers one with immunity over criticism. Professor Wole Soyinka is not exactly the problem. The horde of hypocritical alleluia boys giving him the God status are the real problem. The mindset of "my hero can do no wrong" being exhibited by people like Pius Adesanmi and co in this Soyinka issue is the same mindset exhibited by supporters of tyrants all over the world. 

Dictators are made, not born. If you love a man to the point where you cannot stand anyone expressing reservations about such a man, trust me, you need to watch  it. What you have for that man is blind love which is no love at all. If you only condemn 'wrong' when it's done by your enemy and praise it when its done by your friends, trust me, you are part of the problem, not the solution. 

Big lesson: Don't get carried away by big titles such as "professor", "SAN" and other etcetera etcetera stuff attached to people's names both on social media and in real life. Engage every man according to what he brings to the table. Some of these men with those big titles are as morally-bankrupt and integrity-challenged as they come. I think the law of diminishing return is taking its toll on our dear Prof. Wole  Soyinka. Just like many Nigerians, he is a victim of this thing called God complex. Journalists should help our Prof. stay away from the camera and microphones. Just like the big masquerade, Ijele, he has overstayed in the village square, he now stand the risk of children mistaking him for a mere mortal wearing mask. This is indeed the trial of 'brother' Soyinka!"