


"If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” - Ron Vernie Dellums.
Who says, American ingenuity cannot solve this protracted problem of OPEC toying with and doing yo-yo with world energy demands at their whims and caprices? Icheoku says, what a marvelous scientific breakthrough and the world cannot wait to see this car in the showrooms? American General Motors Corporation has just announced the birth of its Chevrolet Volt electric car, pictured above left; an answer to high cost of gasoline and a guard against global warming, as fewer gasoline will be burnt and thus a reduced environmental pollution? Icheoku says, provided oil cartels does not hijack the invention to stifle it; an electric car that debut in the 80s similarly met its Waterloo as well as an invention that allegedly gets 90 miles per gallon, which patent, was bought and killed by the oil companies? If this project succeeds, then it is one heck of a good thing to happen to mankind as well as the environment.
At $40,000, the four-door sedan which hits showrooms late next year, will be somewhat expensive but in the long run will be cost effective? The Chevy Volt which does not have regular internal combustion engine, will be four times more fuel efficient than the popular Toyota Prius hybrid. The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile range; after which a small internal combustion engine kicks in, generating electricity for a total range of 300 miles? Its batteries can be recharged from a standard electric outlet just like any other electric appliances; - just plug it!
Tesla Roadster, another electric car from America's innovativeness, gets 224 miles per charge but at $100,000 price tag per unit, is only the rich-friendly? In the battle for alternative energy driven vehicles, Toyota, GM and Nissan Motor are presently leading the innovation with their Prius, Volt and Leaf cars, respectively.
According to GM profile, the Volt will cost about 40 cents a day, at 5 cents per kilowatt hour to operate and its new lithium-ion batteries pack will have an estimated life span of ten years? In due course, charging stations will be set up by a third-party investors to meet demand of charging the batteries en-route, just like there are gas stations. Icheoku says, at 230 miles per a gallon, the Chevy Volt is a nightmare come through for OPEC as it will impact their bottom-line adversely; and unfortunately, most of the countries of OPEC have a monolithic oil-based economy which will eventually turn belly-up? Congratulations GM for accepting and proving the challenge of alternative energy possible.
Icheoku asks, who will then marry "worthless" single girls, who are not 'viable commodity' as a source of income and lack the added advantage of widowship; the new preffered status which yields income for men whose responsibility is just to say 'yes'? The government of Nepal will pay men to take in widows; but could a still married man take such widow as a second or third wife? The plans has drawn the ire of the women of Nepal whose interest is infringed by the new government's scheme to pay cash incentives to men for marrying widows? The single women have a dog in the matter as their prospective husbands most likely will now settle for the cash-cows widows with a price-tag; while the widows protest their being converted into disposable property, while the fortunate women whose husbands are still alive are protesting a likely future fate? $650 USD, the amount paid on the head os each widow is a lot of money to entice a man to for just say 'I do". Moreso, some men could see that as a means of an easy money and there is no requirement that they must stay married to such a widow or provide conjugal necessities to her?
Icheoku says, these women of Nepal possibly misspoke when they shouted, "You can't sell your mother," because the widows are not even being sold; but are rather being given away for free with an extra inducement of cash for the men to agree to accept them? Bribery 101? In other words, the wome of Nepal are mere worthless 'garbage', good only for the dumps which the men are being incentivize to have them? Can you imagine what fate then awaits such handed-off widows in the house of their cajoled new husbands? Icheoku says, if domestic abuse and enslavement has a base in this world, then such a women subjugating country as Nepal is that place!
Admitted the government possibly meant well as it try to humanize widows and once again, make them more socially acceptable. But as one activist pointed out, it would only add to their woes as men would marry widows for money and later abandon them? A possibility, since there is no mechanism in place to prevent the unravelling of the bonds of marriage so soon after the forced marriage? These women would have been better empowered in a different way such as giving them jobs, better health care and education! If the Hindu religion truly humiliates bereaved women in this manner, then Icheoku holds the religion in contempt for violating women's human rights. With 50,000 Nepali rupees ($641) for every widow in Nepal, that is more than enough to start some actual empowerment either through education or vocational training. It is instructive also that revolving violence and HIV-AIDS have decimated the male population of Nepal resulting in a by-product of very high number of widows. Another unfortunate thing with this Nepalese society is that "as soon as a woman becomes a widow, she loses her status within the home and society. She is not allowed to participate in religious ceremonies and can no longer wear red clothing - which is considered auspicious - and jewellery". Their place in Nepalese society is so deplorable that according to one commentator, "If you see a widow walking on the street on your way to do some kind of special job, you have to return immediately because it's considered bad luck to see her". Icheoku says, really? But how about the widow's children or relatives? Widows for sale as practised in Nepal is a culture whose time has come to change it. Are there any Diaspora Nepalese around, or don't you cringe reading such a bad testimonial of your motherland?
The original story was sourced from Leadership Newspaper:- Goat With Human Face Delivered In Kano
Icheoku says, the only reason President Umaru Yar'Adua and his band of northern occupiers are even talking with Niger Delta freedom-fighters is that they have weighed the odds of winning the battle of the creeks, and it is staked up against them! Their only meaningful option to avoid a staggering humiliating defeat is to surreptitiously throw up an amnesty-bait; and unfortunately, so many activists are biting same with some of them, now hooked. Boyloaf Niger Delta cannot win using this present position of weakness as those northern mallams are very obstinate and do not reason. If in doubt, where is Ken Saro-Wiwa who thought reason makes sense? Also where is Adaka Baro? Lately the MIA Niger Delta list has expanded to include Ken Niweigha and the Boma brothers? Reasoning is not a particular forte of northern Nigeria mallams, it never happens with them as their arrogance never allow them to hear the other Nigerians' point of view. Regrettably, Boyloaf and crew will soon find out the hard way, once their debriefing in completed and the crusading North will crush you guys and feed you to the marine animals in the Atlantic waters. Read the hand-writing on the wall!
According to one commentator's query, if Boyloaf is disarming, does it mean that he has succeeded in emancipating the Niger Delta? Another advised Boyloaf to look around to see that the situation has not changed one bit nor is it any different from what it was from the time preceeding his struggle? Icheoku in signing off, says, whether this fellow, Boyloaf, is a traitor, a saboteur or just a pragmatic personality correctly reading the moment to understand the futility of his adventure or was simply too afraid to suddenly now die in the hands of the northern army, only posterity will judge. But we are emphatic that Boyloaf and crew are a band of deserters who turned their backs on the Niger Delta struggle, when the struggle was approaching its end of the tunnel's destination of light!