HATE SPEECH LAW: A RESURRECTION OF DECREE 4 an article by BAYO OLUWASANMI

The Buhari government equates disagreement with its official position on issues as being synonymous with hate, and has failed to draw a line between divergence of opinions and hate speech. I have two predictions to make: before you're through with this piece, the federal and state governments of Nigeria may issue a decree against hate speech. The authorities, its agents, and some Nigerians would call for my head for circulating hate speech. 

At the last meeting of the National Economic Council in Abuja, the Buhari led federal government and the various state governments proposed a new law which would categorize hate speech as “terrorism.” It was agreed at the meeting that a special court be established for the arrest and prosecution of purveyors of hate speeches. To be sure, the hate speech law is fueled by withering criticisms of Nigerians against propaganda, lies, unrest, crisis, chaos, unfulfilled promises and socioeconomic problems that continue to plague Buhari administration. It's no surprise that the government would dress criticisms as “hate speech” in order to silence its harshest critics. 

As former military head of state, President Muhammadu Buhari was widely unpopular for his Decree 4, a draconian piece of legislation that allowed the government to imprison any journalist who embarrassed the country's military leaders – a nebulous charge that was frequently invoked to muzzle the press and civil society during the 18-month rule of Buhari, now a professed “converted democrat.” Buhari, as a former military man, showed little tolerance for dissenting voices the last time he was in power as a dictator. 

He has “a career of gross abuses of power and blatant rights of the Nigerian citizenry.” He clamped down on the press with the infamous Decree 4, he closed down newspapers, arrested and jailed many journalists, such as Ndukar Irabor and Tunde Thompson of the Guardian newspaper, over stories that were factual. He told Nigerian journalists then that it did not matter whether the story reported was true or not; if his regime didn't like it, the writer would go to jail. 

Tai Solarin, Nigeria's moral power house, social critic, crusader, and humanist extraordinaire, was the only one bold enough to dare Buhari and the only one left to speak for the voiceless. As he stood at Dugbe market junction in Ibadan, distributing leaflets detailing the various atrocities of Buhari, he was arrested and jailed. In prison, he was denied his traditional agbo that has proved effective in the treatment of his asthma. Three youths were executed on the orders of Buhari under the retroactive Decree 20. The names of the three youths should jolt your memory: Lawal Ojuolape (30), Bernard Ogedengbe (29), and Bartholomew Owoh (26). 

When he dislodged President Shehu Shagari from power, he kept him in an executive mansion while his Igbo vice-president Alex Ekwueme was locked up in Kirikiri prison. Buhari ordered the arrest of septuagenarian Chief Adekunle Ajasin. Chief Ajasin was arraigned and tried before the Buhari Kangaroo Tribunal. Chief Ajasin was acquitted. He re-arrested and retried Ajasin. Again the tribunal acquitted him of all charges of  corruption. He refused to release Ajasin, instead he was detained indefinitely. Ambrose Ali was tried for an underdeveloped plot of land and was jailed 75 years with heavy torture that led to his blindness and death. Jim Nwobodo and Lateef Kayode Jakande were jailed 100 years for stealing nothing. 

There is no need for new laws against hate speech. We have enough laws to deal with hate speech crimes: sections 59-60, 373-381 of the Criminal Code (applicable to the southern states) and sections 391-40, 417-418 of the Penal Code (applicable in the northern states). The Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 enacted by the National Assembly deals with the use of social media to promote bigotry and hatred in society. Sections 24 and 26 of the Act provide for the following: 

“24. (1): Any person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that – (a) is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any message or matter to be so sent; or (b) he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent: commits an offense under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment. (2) Any person who knowingly or intentionally transmits or causes the transmission of any communication through a computer system or network – (a) totally threaten or harass another person, where such communication places another person in fear of death, violence or bodily harm or to another person. Violation of this Act will attract imprisonment for a term of 10 years and/or a minimum fine of N25,000,000.00.” 

The hate speech law will restrict or abridge free speech of Nigerians. It's a law based on viewpoint, an egregious form of content discrimination which is presumptively unconstitutional. The Constitution does not entrust freedom of speech to the government's benevolence. Instead, our reliance must be on the substantial safeguards of free and open discussion in a democratic society. It cannot be stressed enough that speeches that governments or their agents view as offensive are protected not just against outright prohibition, but also against lesser restrictions. 

The Buhari government equates disagreement with its official position on issues as being synonymous with hate, and has failed to draw a line between divergence of opinions and hate speech. The call for restructure, call for devolution of power, call for a new constitution, agitation for creation of Oduduwa and Biafra Republics, debate on the unfinished business on Nigeria's unity, discussions where the country is headed and similar hot button issues that have lately engaged Nigerians like never before, no doubt, question the legitimacy and relevance of the “government of change.” 

I see the campaign mounted by the government for hate speech law as a deflection or diversion from serious national issues that cry for urgent solutions, viz: restructure, job creation, creation of state and local government police, a leaner and effective federal government, healthcare, education, housing, judicial reforms, creation of corruption courts, internal security, and many more. The idea that the Buhari administration wants to restrict or abbreviate speech expressing ideas that are critical of his regime as offensive and criminal, strikes at the heart of freedom of speech. I believe the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express the thought that we hate. Hate speech law is resurrection of Decree 4. It won't fly!

HOUSTON FLOOD: WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE!

ICHEOKU says may the good Lord provide them the strength to power through this crisis IJN.

NORTH KOREA: TOTAL ANNIHILATION AWAITS YOU - MATTIS

ICHEOKU says once again the diminutive midget of Pyongyang has been advised to heed the resolution of the United Nations firm stand against his continuing provocations; and that the total wiping out of his North Korea is now an option should he force the hands of the United States of American military. 

In a statement by the Defense Secretary Jim Maddog Mattis over its latest nuclear test, the secretary said “Our commitment among the allies are ironclad. Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming. We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so.” ICHEOKU says does not really know the joker that guy has, but whatever it is will likely very soon be forced out. The world including ICHEOKU is waiting and watching.

GREGORY WAYNE ABBOTT: ABLY LEADING THE LONE STAR STATE OF TEXAS

ICHEOKU says one of the things that washed up to national and international attention with the Hurricane Harvey induced great flood of Texas, is the governor of Texas, who many did not know before now is wheelchair bound. ICHEOKU is particularly impressed that a man with such a physical constraint could rise to become the governor of such a masochistic state, where everything is about toughness, a are you tough enough state and he is doing a great job leading the state. To even win the governorship election of such a big State as Texas is a big deal without more. This speaks volume about the governor's tenacity; and that as opposed to physical strength, that mental strength is the key and Governor Gregory Wayne Abbott has that in abundance.

ICHEOKU has nothing more to say except to wish the governor well and pray that he will find the strength to help his big state power through their recovery from the destruction that was wrought by the cataclysmic flood which swept through the state. His strength and accomplishments is a good encouraging testament to all physically challenged persons that anything and everything is possible once you put your mind in it. ICHEOKU hopes that the governor will continue to showcase his special ability governing Texas from his wheelchair, as such a can-do attitude is what everyone needs in order to survive and thrive. What an inspiration by an able man who the State of Texas has in Governor Gregory Wayne Abbott. May the good Lord continue to guide and protect him as he governs. 

THE TEXAS FLOOD OF BIBLICAL PROPORTION.

ICHEOKU says our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the great State of Texas as they face down the biggest storm of the century that has drenched their cities. Texans are tough people and they shall overcome. If Noah had nearly as half as what is presently at disposal in Texas battling the hardship of this storm, probably some more people would have survived that flood. But it is Divine and nobody questions a Divine will and so what was willed would have still have come to pass. Stay strong Texas.

HOUSTON FLOOD: OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THOSE RESILIENT TEXANS.

ICHEOKU says Hurricane Harvey has since left but its aftermath lingers on in flooding which is threatening to overwhelm those in the cities visited by the now departed hurricane turned storm in Southeast Texas including Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston etc. ICHEOKU wishes them God's protection as they battle the worst flooding in recorded Texas history. 

MAYWEATHER DEFEATS MCGREGOR: REMAINS UNBEATEN.

ICHEOKU says Floyd Money Mayweather lived up to his billings as the best pound for pound fighter ever to walk in the ring of pugilism. He TKOed Conor McGregor in the tenth round and remains unbeaten in his 50 career fights. ICHEOKU says congratulations Flyod.

NO MORE NATION BUILDING, JUST KILLING THE BAD GUYS.

ICHEOKU says the United States of America mandate to its military engaged overseas particularly Afghanistan is stop cuddling the bad guys, just whack them. ICHEOKU says certainly a c-change in the rules of engagement and it will certainly make it easier for our warriors who will risk less of their lives and limbs in battle fields. President Donald John Trump is definitely leading as said and providing the leadership our military needs as their Commander in Chief. Way to go.

WHAT HAPPENED a book of distortions by HILLARY CLINTON

ICHEOKU says defeated former Democratic Party's presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wrote a soon to publish book about her abysmal outing in the last election. A presidential candidate who lost to a novitiate, blowhard politician and current president of the united states of America Donald John Trump. In it she gave an account of her peculiar facts of what happened that torpedoed her presidential dream cum run. 

Unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, millions of Americans as well as other world citizens lived through the last election and do not need any further alternative facts from a serial liar and exaggerator extraordinary, as to what they witnessed. Their verdict is that the book is a complete regurgitate, a hogwash, a distortion of consequential facts and that nobody needs any extra lecturing from Hillary Clinton, a woman who lives in a permanent state of denial and whose penchant for exaggerating stories is phenomenal about what actually happened. 

WHAT HAPPENED is that there was an election campaign which she lousily waged as she arrogantly thought that she was merely waiting for her presidential coronation and did not need to work as hard to earn it. She carried herself throughout the campaign circle as a lady president in wait, without doing the heavy lifting that any presidential campaign requires. She  stonewalled American people and the Media on so many issues, including her HIllaryGate Email scandal and series of corruption. She did not campaign in or rather neglected the Ross Belt region and she had no answer on anything including her manifesto and mission creed. The only thing she campaigned on was hatred for Trump and she mightily urged Americans, especially her supporters to hate Donald John Trump, her then opponent. ICHEOKU says this is the synopsis of WHAT HAPPENED and not the tales by the moonlight she wants gullible cooled drinkers to waste their money on, by purchasing and reading her latest crappy book, WHAT HAPPENED. 

Anyway, an indictment which is probably coming down the pike of the Justice Department very soon, might be what it will take to finally shake Hillary Clinton up from her lingering comatose nightmare, from which she has never recovered since the night of November 8, 2016; leading to some concerned citizens and sympathizers alike to query whether the election loss has also impacted her faculties. ICHEOKU says will read the book just out of curiosity and to verify how much she lied or tried to alter the story of the last election campaign. However, ICHEOKU will not spend a dime buying the book, as enriching the Clintons any further and in any way, is rather scandalous. ICHEOKU will not be contributing further to the Clinton Family crime funds which buying this book entails. Yes indeed, something happened, but it was not what Hillary Clinton said happened. WHAT HAPPENED is that Hillary Clinton lost an election which was hers to grab but she fumbled; and her failure has technically, permanently retired her from politics. Adios Amiga Hillary!

THEY SWARMED AND ANTIFA FLED

ICHEOKU says thanks to American Bikers, the much anticipated protest in Phoenix rally-styled speech did not materialize. May be we should have more of these Bikers in every rally. Kudos to the real bad ass men with steely balls.

PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP SPEAKS IN PHOENIX

PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP'S AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY ADDRESS

BOSTON AND CHARLOTTESVILLE SHOWS, WHAT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

ICHEOKU says it is due to one thing and one thing only, the police did their job in one city while they chose to stand idly by and do nothing in the other city. This is what ended up being the major difference from the charade that was Virginia and the good job put up in Massachusetts. But in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in its city of Charlottesville, somebody in authority made the conscious decision not to allow the police to do their job; to protect a group of people who were legally doing what they were authorized to do by the Constitution of the United States of America and for which they obtained required necessary permit to do. They allowed a bunch of trouble making rabble rousers to crash the party and with it the mayhem that was witnessed in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

So, anyone drawing a comparative analysis between the two cities protests must be mindful of the political undertones that was in place in both places, which sabotaged one protest rally and made monsters of some people and the other one which followed a textbook detail of how to police a lawful event and avoid unnecessary tension in the land. ICHEOKU has no dog in the fight and could care less what any pinhead hater wants to say, but categorically rejects the current umbrage against the President of the United States of America Donald John Trump as being responsible for what went down in Charlottesville, because he is not. 

The president, as the father of the nation had to admonish both sides of the political fringed spectrums to cut the crap and be of better behavior. Anyone expecting him to have taken sides is mistaken, because as a president of all Americans, he is supposed to be impartial in all issues and matters involving the citizens of the nation. He did not start racial divisions in America, they preceded his presidency and they will still be around long after he completes his term or terms in office. When two children are engaged in a fight, any responsible parents have to first stop the fight, listen to their stories, before apportioning blame accordingly. The president spoke well on Monday when he said that both sides behaved badly; and again, the president was right on Tuesday when he called out the Nazis for their bad behavior after finding out the facts of what happened and once again, the president did not misspeak when on Wednesday he reiterated that there is always two parties to a conflict. 

ICHEOKU therefore calls on everybody to move on from the current Charlottesville nonsense and refocus on how to solve the multitude of problems facing the nation; instead of expending useful manpower dribbling about nothingness. Enough of the divisions and enough of the finger pointing at the White House; moreso, now that Steven Bannon has gone, once again a show of proof by the president that he is not beholden to any nationalists movement nor have been taken hostage by any white separatist group including the KKK. Americans should therefore move forward and allow the president a chance and the opportunity to do what he needs to do to help Make America Great Again.

CHARLOTTESVILLE MELEE: AN AVOIDABLE DISPLAY OF AMERICAN UNDERBELLY.

ICHEOKU says all anybody can do now is to second guess what indeed actually went wrong in Charlottesville, the usual Monday night quarterbacking; and there is a lot of finger pointing to go around and at so many different directions. ICHEOKU refuses to accept and is not buying the narrative that it was strictly a one sided madness that went uncontrollably too far, too quickly; because it is not. It takes two to tango; every coin comes with two sides and there are always two tales to a story. 

Yes, the original protesters, with permit, were protesting against something dear to their heart, the planned removal of a statue which they do not want to see removed; and they have the right to express themselves freely and without let. Suddenly, another group came to challenge their right to freely express themselves, resulting in the disturbances that was seen in Charlottesville Virginia; needless to add that these rabble rousers did not have permit to simultaneously stage a protest. They took the laws into their hands and got away with it, as the police stood idly by, hands akimbo, and watched as the disruption and protection took a horrible dimension. Did the nationalist have right to do what they did, you bet they did; and included in that right is the additional right not to be disturbed or molested as they carried on with their protest. So query, if they did and had necessary permit as required, why then did the police, paid with public money into which these white nationalists also contribute by way of taxes, not provide them with much needed protection and allowed the meddlesome interlopers to disrupt an otherwise peaceful march. 

This is the issue that should be investigated and not all these ruse being thrown up in the name of racism, because it is not the underlying factor in the Charlottesville incident. It is on record that the opposite end of the political spectrum has been carrying on all manners of protest since last November 9, 2016 when President Donald John Trump won the presidency of the United States of America. Hillary Clinton, a sore loser, instead of conceding election as any sport would do and urge support for the new president,  half heartedily did and immediately turned around to urge resistance to the new president and it has been one trouble after another from the far left ever since. It created so may reverse hate groups including the Alt-Left anarchists who has been agitating ever since. The same people have disrupted several conservative events and speeches including Ann Coulter and Milo Yiannopoulos aborted speeches in University of California Berkeley. They  even nearly burnt down part of the school to make sure they caused enough terror to cause the university to revoke already granted permits to host the event that had them as speakers. The same group of leftist mad dogs went to San Jose to stir another trouble, yet they were not railed in. 

It is on record that while all these leftist protests were going on, the nationalists did not bother them nor interfered to disrupt them and they had their way freely. ICHEOKU says why is it then that it is okay to treat the two groups differently and in America that is supposed to respect the fundamental rights of all of her citizens equally, regardless of how opprobrious they might be. Why is it then that the far left can enjoy their protected speech but the far right cannot? Why is it then that the far left is allowed to enjoy their freedom of speech to protest unmolested, but the far right is not allowed to also enjoy their own protest without being molested. No matter how reprehensible their protest action may be, provided they kept it within the law, it is nobody's business deciding what can be allowed or not. It is for the law enforcement agencies, led by the police, to determine when they went over and beyond their authorized permissible scope. It is not the opposing viewpoint agitators that has the right to decide this and this is where the injustice reared its head; because had there been no disruption or attempt thereto, those white nationalists would have peacefully carried out their rally and nobody would be talking about a rally that went awry including an avoidable death of a young woman. 

Justice denied one is justice denied all, because if the nationalist are deprived their right to free speech today, whose turn will it be tomorrow, anybody's. What if it was the nationalists that interfered to disrupt other peoples rights to freely exercise a constitutionally guaranteed freedom, will the reaction have been the same? It is therefore unjust to selectively decide who enjoys what right, as guaranteed under the constitution and this is the real bone in the Charlottesville meat. There should be freedom for both sides, as freedom for one person should tantamount to freedom for everyone, including the bad and ugly of the society. Where does this censorship start and end? What if these nationalists did not like to hear all the horrible names the alt Left protesters have been calling President Trump and decided to take the matter into their hands to stop it? President Donald John Trump was called so many unprintable names including Hitler, but he did not and never gassed six million Jews. Yet it is okay by these leftist anarchists to use such name on a man who merely won an election against all odds and despite all roadblocks. 

So why is the name calling of the president acceptable but the name calling of others, including the Jews, not acceptable. It does not make sense and only the conspiracy of parties of interest who want to stop the president or make his presidency difficult, find this double standards acceptable. The universal fairness test would have remained sacrosanct: does the constitutional protection of freedom of speech cover the white nationalists speech which they wanted to freely exercise? If yes, then those anarchists who muzzled their speech and prevented them from doing what they were constitutionally authorized to do and duly obtained permit to do, should be the culpable party here and not those who were merely victims of a reverse hate. This is the pertinent issue here and hopefully both sides will learn to tolerate each other because if they don't, and the authorities continue to carry on with their bias against one side, they might push that side underground and into a reactionary forces which America does not want now. 

Thousands of Timothy McVeigh's clones are not what any sensible and rational America would rather trade for allowing mere speech, no matter how hateful and hurtful and even reprehensible. ICHEOKU says let both sides be allowed to freely air their grievances as there are a lot between them. It is their legitimate right of free speech to say whatever they want within codified limitations and they should freely exercise same without any hindrance whatsoever. The alternative is not a palatable option and this should guide everyone's action going forward in the current debate on racism in America. 

Lastly blaming President Donald John Trump for what went down in Charlottesville is a distasteful brain freeze garbage because racism has always been a way of life in America, long before Trump became president and it will continue long after he leaves office. He neither engineered nor in any way was party to what happened or should President Barack Obama be held responsible for the murders of the five Dallas police officers by a Black Live Matter's nut job? In the same vein, should Bernie Sanders be held responsible for the lunatic who shot up a Republican's golf practice session? It is about time all these guilty by imaginary association ended. Lastly, President Donald John Trump was right in pointing out that it takes two to a dispute because nobody ever quarrels with him or herself. ICHEOKU will even go a step further in actually blaming the alt Left who went seeking for trouble where the alt Right were merely doing their thing as the party responsible who should be held to account for the near crisis which erupted in Charlottesville. They are not speech police and cannot and should not be allowed to pick and choose which speech qualifies as acceptable speech and which one does not. Enough of this needless storm in a tea pot.

STEVE BANNON: A NECESSARY SACRIFICIAL LAMB.

ICHEOKU says the president had no choice but to let Steve Bannon go and in order to hopefully rejig his governance towards getting his agenda back on the track. An agenda which has literally stalled with no clear meaningful movement and needed a reboot. Steve Bannon was becoming too much of a distraction with all the media focus on him which sort of took some of the shine on both the president and his government. The pressure was mounting and had remained resolute until the president yielded and allowed his top strategist to be eased out of the White House. 

A man viewed by many anti-Trump and Never-Trump hollering monkeys as a white nationalist, the ambassador/gate keeper of the movement inside the White House, especially after the mixed messaging that came out of the Charlottesville melee, had to be sacrificed on the alter of pleasing those blood hounds who has been calling for the head of the presidency himself. Whether this very big sacrifice, of such an awesome proportion, will placate and appease those nut-jobs and atone for all the imaginary sins of President Donald John Trump is left to be seen down the road. But Steve Bannon, the president's former chief strategist, is now gone and stands shoved out of the White House. He joins Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, General Flynn and the many other now ex-staffers of President Trump's White House who have been let go. 

It would also appear that the previously fired, eleven-days only communication director of the White House, Anthony Scaramucci, finally had his way. with the departure of Steve Bannon. He was the catalyst which quickened the reaction of staff push out from the White House. He had fingered Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus as two senior staffers of the president who has no business being in the White House, claiming that they are not truly loyal to the president and are sabotaging the president's agenda and leaking classified information about the government to the media. First to go was Reince Priebus and now Steve Bannon follows suit, showing that Anthony Scaramucci eventually achieved his primary objective to rid the White House of both men, albeit retrospectively.  

ICHEOKU says the interview Steve Bannon gave to American Prospect magazine was indeed a killer, the last straw that finally broke his back and forced the president's hands,  and he acted on a nearly boiled over rage against Bannon. Similar to Anthony Scaramucci's own interview to the New Yorker magazine which led to his being let go, Steve Bannon's interview was indeed detrimental to the Trump's government policies, especially its ongoing stand off with North Korea over it nuclear weapon pursuit and ballistic missiles firing. No sane president would stand idly by and watch as his chief adviser creates a firestorm  between him and his military chiefs; people who are planning a massive "fire and fury and power" response against North Korea, while the same adviser is busily behind the scene, sabotaging the response by literary telling North Korean Kim Jung Un to ignore the president's threats as it is merely hot air. 

ICHEOKU will not take it and is glad that the president saw it the same way and found it unacceptable. You don't go rogue against a president or anyone for that matter, in whose service you are engaged in. You go 'lock and step' with the person, fanatically defending whatever policy objective he marshaled out, regardless; or in the alternative, you resign your appointment and your office let another loyal staffer take. But to allow such a rascally conduct will amount to permitting two captains on the same ship and it can only spell disaster. Therefore, President Donald John Trump acted wisely and in the best interest of his government when he fired Steve Bannon in order to send a message that his government's policy towards North Korea is solid and that there is no equivocation nor divisions within his government on the decision to decisively deal with the crisis. 

Steve Bannon is gone and stays gone. The only question now is whether the forces which are amassed against the president would accept the sacrifice and let the president be and allow him to do his job geared towards accomplishing his flagship Make America Great Again campaign promise. The fear however is that these forces will become an Oliver Twist and like the plant in the movie "Little House of Horrors", having tasted blood, will continue to demand for that crimson liquid until they exhaust the president's will to carry on fighting for the American people. With all these firings, particularly the latest Steve Bannon's, these forces will feel more emboldened in their pursuit of the president scalp, having realized that pressure works and that they can influence the president and will continue to dictate who goes and who stays in the White House. 

The good news however is that Steve Bannon, who claimed that he voluntarily resigned and was not fired, is not feeling terribly sad about his latest fate. He has promised to continue fighting for the president from outside the White House. Feeling relieved with his release from the shackles of office, he will go to a full blown war for the president against all his traducers, both in the Congress and in any other place they might be holed in within the Washington DC Swamp establishment. In his own words, Steve Bannon said "If there's any confusion out there, let me clear it up: I'm leaving the White House and going to war for Trump against his opponents -- on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America." ICHEOKU wishes Steve Bannon God's speed in his new avowed mission and appreciates his effort in electing the president and also for his service while it lasted. So long Steve-B. 

(The publisher of Breitbart has now returned to his pet project as the chairman of the company).

LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN'S STATUES: PULL DOWN ALL THE GADDAM STATUES.

ICHEOKU says it is about time enough really became enough, so that a very deplorable chapter in the storied history of America can finally be laid to rest. Enough of all these vestiges of slavery and Jim Crow's segregationist era, which constantly reminds their victims what an ugly past they and their forebears really went through in America. Doting the landscape in one form and fashion or the other, statues, which still continue to tower and hover over America till this day. 

ICHEOKU says if Iraqi people could do it, so should Americans. If Russian Ukrainians could do the same and pull down Lenin statues, so should Americans find the courage to pull down at least some of the offensive statues. If Germany could bury their Nazi past or at least try, so should America be able to rise up and wipe the slate clean about an inhuman past which nobody should be proud of. Therefore why is America finding it rather difficult to similarly erase this very ugly past. Why is the United States of America, a champion of freedom and liberation, be clinging to this ugly past experiences of slavery, segregation and Jim Crow laws of "WE and THEM" state policy that dehumanized fellow human beings and made them two third humans. 

ICHEOKU says enough of all this foot drag and making of excuses of a nonsensical heritage past; the time to have ended it completely came a long time ago and therefore now is the only acceptable time to boldly embrace the moment, admitted belatedly. Therefore, every statue honoring anyone connected with slavery, establishing and/or enforcing segregationist laws, should immediately and without more and/or any further ado, be pulled down forthwith. These mean spirited fellows and every person and partaker of this ignoble acts should be deemed not to have any storied records worthy nor deserving of immortalizing in perpetuity.  They should not be honored and their descendants should rather be ashamed of this their past connection, than celebrate them. This is irrespective of whatever sentimental, nostalgic, memories, which anyone may have about them and/or what they represent or did. 

There is no explanation, whether or not satisfactory, which would in any way otherwise justify such honor, because their victims are still here and it reminds them of a very horrible past each time they behold such statue. The people of Iraq, despite the attachments of Sunnis, especially those of Tikrit to Saddam Hussein, did pull down every statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and there are many to help them completely erase whatever memory or sore taste which Saddam Hussein left in them. Americans also once pulled down the statue of British King George in New York after the revolutionary war of independence. Ukraine and other former Soviet era republics also pulled down Vladimir Ilyich Lenin statues to help them close that chapter of their horrible past recorded history. Germany has not only pulled down Adolf Hitler's statues but went a step further by de-legitimizing everything Hitler and abolishing and criminalizing anything Nazi including the Fuhrer salute. 

So based on these precedents, why can't America also do the same by completely eradicating anything and everything slavery. This is the way to go for a country that is indeed serious about making amends for its past. America cannot be allowed, by the same token, to be saying that they condemn racism and have since abolished slavery and segregation and still be honoring those people who actually imprinted that man's inhuman treatment to fellow man and left such a dark spot on America's soul. The logic does not add up and a moment has now thrown itself up for America to do good for and by its minority citizens and quit reminding them that they are technically their properties and not equal fellow human beings. It is this ability to rise up and really be great in magnanimity, by taking down all the offensive statues, that America can indeed become whole again, more united, and then forge ahead collectively to doing many more great things. Americans of all shades and every hue should therefore help wipe away this lingering psychological nightmare, a ghost of the past, which these statues represents and constantly remind and subject our minorities fellow citizens to and help Make America Whole Again. 

Sierra Leone MUDSLIDE: OUR HEARTS ARE HEAVY,

ICHEOKU says our condolences to the people and government of Sierra Leone on the loss of hundreds of citizens to a Noah's flood which overwhelmed the country's capital city Freetown. May the country find the fortitude to bear their loss as they try to recover and rebuild.