TACO BELL CHIHUAHUA, PASSES ON!

It is with sadness that Icheoku comments on the passing away of Taco Bell's beloved advertisement star, the Chihuahua named Gidget.

She was 15 years old which in human age translates to 105 years old? What a ripe old age for this man's little best friend to make her final exit from this world. Lovers of Taco Bell will sorely miss their little talking Chihuahua.

Gidget was mercifully euthanized after suffering a massive stroke late Tuesday night at her trainer's home in Santa Clarita California USA.

A star of a 1997 Taco Bell television commercial which ran until 2000; Gidget was seen as a male dog who, through the magic of special effects and a voice actor, proclaims in a richly accented voice: "Yo quiero Taco Bell" — Spanish for "I want Taco Bell." Gidget flew first-class, opened up the New York Stock Exchange and made an appearance at Madison Square Garden? She also appeared in a 2002 commercial for GEICO insurance company, now famously represented by the British-accent talking green gecko; and in the 2003, appeared in the movie "Legally Blonde 2.

Gidget remains will be cremated! Icheoku says, ciao little cutie!

JACK BAUER, A FREE MAN!

The chief protagonist of Fox Television hit-wonder 24, Jack Bauer will not go to prison or be prosecuted for roughing up a pestering Jack McCollough in a New York City nightclub?

Manhattan district attorney's office said that all charges stemming from the head-butting of the victim are being dropped because the victim would not cooperate with prosecution? Icheoku says, good job, Mr. Jack McCollough and thank you for not putting America's saving agent behind bars; otherwise no one will be there to protect us from those fanatical, raving mad terrorists and torture out vital information from their sorry behinds whenever needed.

Real name, Kiefer Sutherland was charged with misdemeanor in May 2009, after designer Jack McCollough said Sutherland head-butted him and broke his nose in a Manhattan nightclub. Icheoku says, what an irony of coincidence that the victim shares the name Jack with Keith?

It will be recalled that the duo had issued statements few weeks after the altercation wherein they said they have resolved whatever differences they had; with Keith apologising for the snafu. Whether some millions of dollars in settlement exchanged hands, Icheoku does not know but we are glad that our Jack Bauer was left alone to continue to hunt down and give terrorists some bloody nose! When is our 24 going to come back, Keith?

IKE EKWEREMADU AND THE INSANITY OF AUTOMATIC TICKETS!

Nigeria Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his co-travellers in the Federal House, a bunch who has nothing to show for their wastage of Nigerian resources all these past years, are at it again. This time, these bunch of political-hooligans who did not even win their election free and fair, in the first place, now desire to have their offices stamped for them automatically and possibly for life?

Icheoku says, these guys need to have their heads examined for some pathological deformities and defects; as their present mindset are unbecoming of supposed democracy beneficiaries? How dare these folks want to harm the same process that brought them to office, that they now seek to disparage and rubbish the same system that threw them up by their recent outlandish and outrageous request, to be imposed on Nigerians without any elections; thereby denying Nigerian electors their constitutional right to choose who their representatives shall be?

Icheoku says, instead of an automatic tickets for these people, a referral appointments should be made for them to visit their shrinks to detoxify their brain of this most insane thinking of all times? Upon what basis, one may ask, do these democracy-truncators want their terms automatically renewed? Icheoku says, none and when the constituency funds they periodically squander is factored in, may be a march to the confines of the prison yard might be a better destination-option, instead of going back to the National Assembly buildings at Abuja, unopposed?

The irony of it all is that whenever it suits their convenience they will make allusion and references to America but fail woefully to offer and provide Nigerians the same good government as America provides her citizens? Imagine the cavalier manner with which they hurriedly confirmed Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi without any hard questions whatsoever, yet they want to cite America as their template, when the heat being put on Justice Sotomayor is still smoking really hot? What about treasury secretary Tim Geithner and what he went through during his confirmation hearing, or even the general elections held in the United States of America, where there was no Olusegun Obasanjo to impose a sick Umaru Yar'Adua on anybody? Back to Ike Ekweremadu and his recent interview wherein he expressed some support for automatic tickets; Icheoku asks, how did he get to the senate in the first place if not for the gesture of former governor of Enugu State Chimaroke Nnamani? Who told this man, Ike Ekweremadu, that America has parliamentarians or that America recycles her representatives automatically and without elections? The reason why Nigerians are being rode like donkeys by people like this loud-mouth, Ike Ekweremadu, is because majority of Nigerians are without requisite knowledge about what obtains in the rest of the civilized world; otherwise there would since have been a French-Bastille like revolution in Nigeria; and this time against the rogue-elites holding them down all these years. But they are riding on the ignorance of a majority Nigerians who do not know any better about what it is that their government owe to them, her citizens.

The most surprising thing with this postulation is that it is coming from a supposed lawyer and a democrat who should know better but for his selfish interest to become a perpetual senator? His agitation for automatic ticket is not in any way democratic but despotic and autocratic; his re-echoing of what the military-man, David Mark desires is rather very appalling for a man whose credentials includes a law degree. According to Bamanga Tukur, "there is no automatic position in democracy; positions are by elections or consensus. Nothing in democracy is automatic. Automatic positions are only seen in autocracy. Those practicing autocracy are the ones being automatic in their dealings. But democracy is entirely a different system. It is the coalition of willing and progressives who rely on peoples' mandate for good governance" Icheoku says, Bamanga Tukur spoke the minds of many silent and intimidated Nigerians as well as so many other democracy practitioners world over. Nigerians must therefore be prepared to rise up to stop the likes of Ike Ekweremadu, David Mark and the House of Representatives members clamouring for express ticket to return to the National Houses, unchallenged and unopposed?

Icheoku says, the solution to retaining some experienced persons in the national assembly is to have staggered elections throughout Nigeria, so that at any given time, some old steady hands are found at the tiller. Elections to various offices in Nigeria should not be cramped into one day and rushed through by rigging and intimidation; that way some senators and members of the House of Representatives will always be there to orientate the incoming freshmen and women who are newly elected into office? Those Americans, Ike Ekweremadu mentioned during his said interview who have somewhat become instituitonalized in Washington DC go through their parties' primaries and elections during slated periodic subsequent election cycles in their respective states? Icheoku says, there is a proper and better way 'institutional memory' could be maintained constitutionally, such as by spacing elections but not to forcibly and untra-vires the constitution, legislate that. Ike Ekweremadu should stop being clever by half by selectively pointing to certain places where senators enjoy 'similar privilege' as he is suggesting their Nigerian counterparts now enjoy? This guy, Ike Ekweremadu should know that in those his referenced places, Senators are democratic, they are not election-riggers and intimidators who employ thugs to harass and maim and sometimes kill their opponents; that senators are not Siemens bribe takers; that elections are held and that it counts; that there is a clear transparent processs which produce acceptable results and that officials are elected but not selected and/or imposed on the people. So, if he must ensure that 'Nigerian system runs like every other system, especially those who we have borrowed from', then he must start from the basics - fair and free election so that the real peoples' representatives and/or senators can emerge and not those masquerading impostors who were imposed on the electorates of Nigeria. But regrettably in Nigeria, it is always the case of 'shave me the Ogbodo's hair-style without asking to do what Ogbodo did to deserve and earn the hair-style'.

Irrespective of how well these people think they have performed, which Icheoku cannot substantiate, the bottomline is that their planned action is anti-democracy; and without zoning, may be Ike Ekweremadu would not have been in the senate talkless of being the deputy senate president; and the same goes with David Mark. Zoning sustains Nigeria as no man or woman is a repertoire of governance or performance, and others should be given a chance to prove their abilities. If there is no Olusegun Obasanjo to compare with sick Umaru Yar'Adua how would Nigeria know which president is Mr. Slowman? If there is no Colins Ndu to compare to Ike Ekweremadu, how would Ike Ekweremadu be opening his mouth this loud as deputy senate president? Democracy is about options and any human-being antagonising this vent should be condemned by all as an aspiring despot who should be stopped at the door of power, pronto. If Nigeria were to have bought Ike Ekweremdau's argument long time ago, may be Colins Ndu would still be in the Senate with Ike Ekweremadu struggling with his legal practice somewhere in a nondecript address in Enugu; but here is a man who zoning helped to throw up and is now anti the formular which gave him political-birth? Chairman of committees is not sufficient on its own to truncate democracy, otherwise why did Nigerians rise up to stop Olusegun Obsasanjo's third term bid? How do you know who will be better if the opportunity were never presented to that other to try out his/her hand or head? If not that Sullivan Chime came up, no body would have fathomed how corrupt Chimorake Nnamani was in Enugu State and the list goes on; including Lagos State GOvernor Fashola who seemingly is out-performing his predecsessor Bola Tinubu? What a bull-crap coming from this deputy senate president, who in his greed for power, failed to heed the time-tested warning that, everything has a beginning and an end; and that the present day 'experienced senator' was once a green horn. If these senators think that they have given a proper account of themselves at Abuja on behalf of their constituencies, why are they suddenly so afraid of standing for another elections in 2011? It baffles Icheoku so much that some of these people conveniently tailor their argument just to suit their present devilish scheme to covet what is not theirs? The senatorial district which they presently represent does not belong to them or any one individual, so the wheel of democracy must be allowed to spin out who occupies the seat in 2011 and thereafter. So Ike Ekweremadu, enough!

Senate President David Bonaventure Mark allegedly instigated this Ike Ekweremadu's haranguing of democracy ideals because his political star in Benue in 2011 has deemed so much it is almost non-existent, hence he is trying everything to guarrantee his position through a backdoor of an illegality. Ike Ekeremadu's 'invaluable experience' argument as a reason for this automatic tickets flies in the face of the fact that Nigerian democracy, when it re-started in 1999 had no prior existing left-over member/s in the Federal House from which pool his 'invaluable experience' senators were drawn from? Icheoku says, if these senators are not so afraid of losing the next election, admitted they never won the last one, free and fair; why this sudden attempt to surreptitiously maintain their seats without fighting for them at the polls? It is equally instructive that David Mark's so called “reliable, competent and knowledgeable” senators have not legislated in any way beneficial to the Nigerian masses as to improve their lot, since their corrupt sojourn in Abuja?

What is democracy without choices and how many terms would these 'special breed of senators' serve before others get a chance were they to have their way? In democracies like the United States of America, continuity or 'institutional memory' is dealt with through staggered mid-term elections, which ensure that not all legislators run for elections at the same time; and that some with the requiste legislative experience are always there to bridge the gap. Also, legislative institution should be established to serve as a feeder-lot to incoming legislators instead of trying to perpetuate discredited ones on the pretext of 'maintaining instutional memory'? Further in America, each legislator goes periodically, through their parties primaries before standing an election with the other party's candidate, where their constituencies decide who to send to Washington DC? Icheoku will anchor this commentary in one observer's statement that "despite the importance of legislative experience, it is not a sufficient reason to inject unfair, selfish, and illegal values into Nigeria's democracy. Automatic tickets would serve the selfish end of a few, who once they consolidate their hold on power, can legislate themselves into perpetuity thereby hurting democracy". Therefore, Icheoku calls on Nigerians to reject the call for automatic tickets and insist on constitutionally guarranteed democractic rights of Nigerians to chose/elect their candidate through the ballot either by raising of hand, paper or electronic; but their voices must be heard as to who represents them!

FRANK McCOURT, DEAD AT 78!

He brought the world the best seller, 'Angela's Ashes' - the Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of woe about his impoverished Irish childhood. Angela's Ashes was a story about the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. Irish native, naturalised American citizen, Frank McCourt died Sunday of melanoma in a New York City hospice, aged 78.

'Angela's Ashes was a long Irish wake, "an epic of woe," of some sort, finding laughter and lyricism in life's very worst. It became a million seller, won the Pulitzer and was made into a movie of the same name, starring Emily Watson as the title character, McCourt's mother?

Frank McCourt was survived by daughter, Maggie McCourt and brother Malachy McCourt. His remains will be cremated, with a memorial service planned for September, 2009.

Icheoku says, so long Mr. 'Angela's Ashes'!

HENRY ALLINGHAM, BRITAIN'S OLDEST MAN, DEAD AT 113?

What a paradox of life that "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women" kept the oldest British man alive for 113 years? Henry Allingham, attributed his longevity to these "vices" and yet medical professionals frown at them and are in tital disbelief? Should humanity embrace his sentiments or heed to the advise to run to the hills from these earthly pleasures? Icheoku says, it depends; but for us, 'if Henry is wrong we don't want to be right', afterall he just proved a credible specimen! What say you?

Born June 6, 1896, Henry was the last surviving original member of the Royal Air Force, which was formed in 1918. Henry Allingham was also one of the only two surviving World War I veterans in Britain; a war which caused about 68 million men and women to be mobilized. The other survivor being Harry Patch, whom Henry joined last year in a ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial near the houses of Parliament in London, to mark the 90th anniversary of the war's end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918!

Henry Allingham is survived by five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great grandchildren and one great-great-great grandchild. His wife Dorothy died in 1970 and his daughter passed in 2001?

Like most warriors' reluctance to war, Henry Allingham said, "I think we need to make people aware that a few men gave all they had to give so that you could have a better world to live in. We have to pray it never happens again." Icheoku says, he who knows it feels it, which explains the rush to the Iraq war by actors never knew what it is like for bullets to fly at very close range? But warriors as always, are very deliberative and will not unreasonably commit to rush off to wars! Farewell soldier!

CRONKITE, BOWS OUT!

His name was Walter Cronkite; he was a renowned CBS anchor man and he is now gone! He was just 92 years old! Walter died Friday July 17, 2009 at his Manhattan, New York City home with his family by his side to say their final goodbyes. His cause of death was cerebral vascular disease?

Cronkite was a permanent fixture of the "CBS Evening News" for over twenty years from 1962 to 1981, and brought to the world such huge stories as the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., several racial and anti-war riots, Watergate and the Iranian hostage crisis among many others.

Walter Cronkite was survived by children Nancy, Mary Kathleen and Walter Leland III; his wife of 65 years, Betsy Cronkite had predeceased him since 2005. Icheoku says, at 92 years, Walter Cronkite gave life his fair shot! Adieu Walkite!

PET AIRWAYS, AN AIRLINE FOR PETS?

When we taught we have heard it all, here comes Subair.com configured and operated Pet-Airways, the exclusive pets only airlines!

We have commented on pet hotels including San Francisco five-star Wag-Hotel; pet spa and podicure centers; pet taxi service; pet daycare centers, pet shopping centers; pet food stores and pet clinics. But the mother of it all seem to be an airline for pets, which seem to have broken all previous dotting pecks for pets?

Icheoku says, give it up to Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel of New York for this clever and surely better option to get pets around, from one US city to another. Pet Airways with a fleet of five planes, was specifically designed for the needs of our four-legged friends and business is booming with flights fully booked for the next two months.

For now, Pet Airways will fly pets between five major US cities of New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles at a cost of $250 one-way fare? Dogs and cats will fly in the main cabin of the plane, retooled and lined with carriers in place of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) will be escorted to the plane by attendants that will check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. And at each of the five airports it serves, the company has created a "Pet Lounge" for future fliers to wait and sniff before flights. Other logistics for the operations of the pets-only airline has been worked out and a visit to http://www.petairways.com/ will provide you needed information.

However, one analyst expressed doubt about the viability of such venture and whether enough market exist for it? According to her, "I'm not sure how sustainable it is, but if people are trying to go for a first-class service, it could make sense." As for Icheoku.com, we wish them good luck! Happy flying years, Pet Airways!

YouTube - Pet Airways Commercial

NAACP CONVENTION, OBAMA KEEPS IT REAL!

Icheoku brings to you the full text of what President Barack Obama said to the 100th NAACP convention in New York City, today, July 16, 2009! Happy trails.

"It is an honor to be here, in the city where the NAACP was formed, to mark its centennial. What we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we, as Americans, have traveled over the past one hundred years. It is a journey that takes us back to a time before most of us were born, long before the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, and Brown v. Board of Education; back to an America just a generation past slavery. It was a time when Jim Crow was a way of life; when lynchings were all too common; and when race riots were shaking cities across a segregated land. It was in this America where an Atlanta scholar named W.E.B. Du Bois, a man of towering intellect and a fierce passion for justice, sparked what became known as the Niagara movement; where reformers united, not by color but cause; and where an association was born that would, as its charter says, promote equality and eradicate prejudice among citizens of the United States.

From the beginning, Du Bois understood how change would come - just as King and all the civil rights giants did later. They understood that unjust laws needed to be overturned; that legislation needed to be passed; and that Presidents needed to be pressured into action. They knew that the stain of slavery and the sin of segregation had to be lifted in the courtroom and in the legislature. But they also knew that here, in America, change would have to come from the people. It would come from people protesting lynching, rallying against violence, and walking instead of taking the bus. It would come from men and women - of every age and faith, race and region - taking Greyhounds on Freedom Rides; taking seats at Greensboro lunch counters; and registering voters in rural Mississippi, knowing they would be harassed, knowing they would be beaten, knowing that they might never return. Because of what they did, we are a more perfect union. Because Jim Crow laws were overturned, black CEOs today run Fortune 500 companies. Because civil rights laws were passed, black mayors, governors, and Members of Congress serve in places where they might once have been unable to vote. And because ordinary people made the civil rights movement their own, I made a trip to Springfield a couple years ago - where Lincoln once lived, and race riots once raged - and began the journey that has led me here tonight as the 44th President of the United States of America.

And yet, even as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the past one hundred years; even as we inherit extraordinary progress that cannot be denied; even as we marvel at the courage and determination of so many plain folks - we know that too many barriers still remain. We know that even as our economic crisis batters Americans of all races, African Americans are out of work more than just about anyone else - a gap that’s widening here in New York City, as detailed in a report this week by Comptroller Bill Thompson. We know that even as spiraling health care costs crush families of all races, African Americans are more likely to suffer from a host of diseases but less likely to own health insurance than just about anyone else. We know that even as we imprison more people of all races than any nation in the world, an African-American child is roughly five times as likely as a white child to see the inside of a jail. And we know that even as the scourge of HIV/AIDS devastates nations abroad, particularly in Africa, it is devastating the African-American community here at home with disproportionate force. These are some of the barriers of our time. They’re very different from the barriers faced by earlier generations. They’re very different from the ones faced when fire hoses and dogs were being turned on young marchers; when Charles Hamilton Houston and a group of young Howard lawyers were dismantling segregation.

But what is required to overcome today’s barriers is the same as was needed then. The same commitment. The same sense of urgency. The same sense of sacrifice. The same willingness to do our part for ourselves and one another that has always defined America at its best. The question, then, is where do we direct our efforts? What steps do we take to overcome these barriers? How do we move forward in the next one hundred years? The first thing we need to do is make real the words of your charter and eradicate prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination among citizens of the United States. I understand there may be a temptation among some to think that discrimination is no longer a problem in 2009. And I believe that overall, there’s probably never been less discrimination in America than there is today. But make no mistake: the pain of discrimination is still felt in America. By African-American women paid less for doing the same work as colleagues of a different color and gender. By Latinos made to feel unwelcome in their own country. By Muslim Americans viewed with suspicion for simply kneeling down to pray. By our gay brothers and sisters, still taunted, still attacked, still denied their rights.

On the 45th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, discrimination must not stand. Not on account of color or gender; how you worship or who you love. Prejudice has no place in the United States of America. But we also know that prejudice and discrimination are not even the steepest barriers to opportunity today. The most difficult barriers include structural inequalities that our nation’s legacy of discrimination has left behind; inequalities still plaguing too many communities and too often the object of national neglect. These are barriers we are beginning to tear down by rewarding work with an expanded tax credit; making housing more affordable; and giving ex-offenders a second chance. These are barriers that we are targeting through our White House Office on Urban Affairs, and through Promise Neighborhoods that build on Geoffrey Canada’s success with the Harlem Children’s Zone; and that foster a comprehensive approach to ending poverty by putting all children on a pathway to college, and giving them the schooling and support to get there.But our task of reducing these structural inequalities has been made more difficult by the state, and structure, of the broader economy; an economy fueled by a cycle of boom and bust; an economy built not on a rock, but sand. That is why my administration is working so hard not only to create and save jobs in the short-term, not only to extend unemployment insurance and help for people who have lost their health care, not only to stem this immediate economic crisis, but to lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity that will put opportunity within reach not just for African Americans, but for all Americans.

One pillar of this new foundation is health insurance reform that cuts costs, makes quality health coverage affordable for all, and closes health care disparities in the process. Another pillar is energy reform that makes clean energy profitable, freeing America from the grip of foreign oil, putting people to work upgrading low-income homes, and creating jobs that cannot be outsourced. And another pillar is financial reform with consumer protections to crack down on mortgage fraud and stop predatory lenders from targeting our poor communities. All these things will make America stronger and more competitive. They will drive innovation, create jobs, and provide families more security. Still, even if we do it all, the African-American community will fall behind in the United States and the United States will fall behind in the world unless we do a far better job than we have been doing of educating our sons and daughters. In the 21st century - when so many jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or more, when countries that out-educate us today will outcompete us tomorrow - a world-class education is a prerequisite for success. You know what I’m talking about. There’s a reason the story of the civil rights movement was written in our schools. There’s a reason Thurgood Marshall took up the cause of Linda Brown. There’s a reason the Little Rock Nine defied a governor and a mob. It’s because there is no stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child’s God-given potential. Yet, more than a half century after Brown v. Board of Education, the dream of a world-class education is still being deferred all across this country. African-American students are lagging behind white classmates in reading and math - an achievement gap that is growing in states that once led the way on civil rights. Over half of all African-American students are dropping out of school in some places. There are overcrowded classrooms, crumbling schools, and corridors of shame in America filled with poor children - black, brown, and white alike. The state of our schools is not an African-American problem; it’s an American problem. And if Al Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich can agree that we need to solve it, then all of us can agree on that. All of us can agree that we need to offer every child in this country the best education the world has to offer from the cradle through a career. That is our responsibility as the United States of America. And we, all of us in government, are working to do our part by not only offering more resources, but demanding more reform. When it comes to higher education, we are making college and advanced training more affordable, and strengthening community colleges that are a gateway to so many with an initiative that will prepare students not only to earn a degree but find a job when they graduate; an initiative that will help us meet the goal I have set of leading the world in college degrees by 2020.

We are creating a Race to the Top Fund that will reward states and public school districts that adopt 21st century standards and assessments. And we are creating incentives for states to promote excellent teachers and replace bad ones - because the job of a teacher is too important for us to accept anything but the best.We should also explore innovative approaches being pursued here in New York City; innovations like Bard High School Early College and Medgar Evers College Preparatory School that are challenging students to complete high school and earn a free associate’s degree or college credit in just four years.And we should raise the bar when it comes to early learning programs. Today, some early learning programs are excellent. Some are mediocre. And some are wasting what studies show are - by far - a child’s most formative years.That’s why I have issued a challenge to America’s governors: if you match the success of states like Pennsylvania and develop an effective model for early learning; if you focus reform on standards and results in early learning programs; if you demonstrate how you will prepare the lowest income children to meet the highest standards of success - you can compete for an Early Learning Challenge Grant that will help prepare all our children to enter kindergarten ready to learn.So, these are some of the laws we are passing. These are some of the policies we are enacting.

These are some of the ways we are doing our part in government to overcome the inequities, injustices, and barriers that exist in our country. But all these innovative programs and expanded opportunities will not, in and of themselves, make a difference if each of us, as parents and as community leaders, fail to do our part by encouraging excellence in our children. Government programs alone won’t get our children to the Promised Land. We need a new mindset, a new set of attitudes - because one of the most durable and destructive legacies of discrimination is the way that we have internalized a sense of limitation; how so many in our community have come to expect so little of ourselves. We have to say to our children, Yes, if you’re African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that someone in a wealthy suburb does not. But that’s not a reason to get bad grades, that’s not a reason to cut class, that’s not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands - and don’t you forget that. To parents, we can’t tell our kids to do well in school and fail to support them when they get home. For our kids to excel, we must accept our own responsibilities. That means putting away the Xbox and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences, reading to our kids, and helping them with their homework. And it means we need to be there for our neighbor’s son or daughter, and return to the day when we parents let each other know if we saw a child acting up. That’s the meaning of community. That’s how we can reclaim the strength, the determination, the hopefulness that helped us come as far as we already have. It also means pushing our kids to set their sights higher.

They might think they’ve got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can’t all aspire to be the next LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be President of the United States.So, yes, government must be a force for opportunity. Yes, government must be a force for equality. But ultimately, if we are to be true to our past, then we also have to seize our own destiny, each and every day.That is what the NAACP is all about. The NAACP was not founded in search of a handout. The NAACP was not founded in search of favors. The NAACP was founded on a firm notion of justice; to cash the promissory note of America that says all our children, all God’s children, deserve a fair chance in the race of life.It is a simple dream, and yet one that has been denied - one still being denied - to so many Americans. It’s a painful thing, seeing that dream denied. I remember visiting a Chicago school in a rough neighborhood as a community organizer, and thinking how remarkable it was that all of these children seemed so full of hope, despite being born into poverty, despite being delivered into addiction, despite all the obstacles they were already facing. And I remember the principal of the school telling me that soon all of that would begin to change; that soon, the laughter in their eyes would begin to fade; that soon, something would shut off inside, as it sunk in that their hopes would not come to pass - not because they weren’t smart enough, not because they weren’t talented enough, but because, by accident of birth, they didn’t have a fair chance in life.

So, I know what can happen to a child who doesn’t have that chance. But I also know what can happen to a child who does. I was raised by a single mother. I don’t come from a lot of wealth. I got into my share of trouble as a kid. My life could easily have taken a turn for the worse. But that mother of mine gave me love; she pushed me, and cared about my education; she took no lip and taught me right from wrong. Because of her, I had a chance to make the most of my abilities. I had the chance to make the most of my opportunities. I had the chance to make the most of life. The same story holds for Michelle. The same story holds for so many of you. And I want all the other Barack Obamas out there, and all the other Michelle Obamas out there, to have that same chance - the chance that my mother gave me; that my education gave me; that the United States of America gave me. That is how our union will be perfected and our economy rebuilt. That is how America will move forward in the next one hundred years.And we will move forward. This I know - for I know how far we have come. Last week, in Ghana, Michelle and I took Malia and Sasha to Cape Coast Castle, where captives were once imprisoned before being auctioned; where, across an ocean, so much of the African-American experience began. There, reflecting on the dungeon beneath the castle church, I was reminded of all the pain and all the hardships, all the injustices and all the indignities on the voyage from slavery to freedom.But I was also reminded of something else. I was reminded that no matter how bitter the rod or how stony the road, we have persevered. We have not faltered, nor have we grown weary. As Americans, we have demanded, strived for, and shaped a better destiny.That is what we are called to do once more. It will not be easy. It will take time. Doubts may rise and hopes recede.But if John Lewis could brave Billy clubs to cross a bridge, then I know young people today can do their part to lift up our communities.If Emmet Till’s uncle Mose Wright could summon the courage to testify against the men who killed his nephew, I know we can be better fathers and brothers, mothers and sisters in our own families.

If three civil rights workers in Mississippi - black and white, Christian and Jew, city-born and country-bred - could lay down their lives in freedom’s cause, I know we can come together to face down the challenges of our own time. We can fix our schools, heal our sick, and rescue our youth from violence and despair.One hundred years from now, on the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, let it be said that this generation did its part; that we too ran the race; that full of the faith that our dark past has taught us, full of the hope that the present has brought us, we faced, in our own lives and all across this nation, the rising sun of a new day begun. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America".

THE DOWNES, NOT EVEN DEATH COULD DO THEM APART!

A British man in defiance to the time-tested adage 'till death do us apart', refused to part ways with his cancer-stricken, dying wife. Instead he chose to end his life alongside hers in an assisted suicide clinic in Zurich Switzerland? Icheoku says, what a show of love and affection that a healthy man, so enamoured with his wife, elected to be killed just to be with her as she lay dying? The only other time in recorded history, someone so loved another that he yielded a life, was the story of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose father gave up for our sake? Both stories are anchored on boundless love!

Married for 54 years, during which period their love became so ingrained in their body-gnome that the thought of one living without the other was a no brainier; simply put, they could not exist independent of each other that they decided to die together on July 10, 2009. Sir Edward Downes, 85 and Joan Downes, 74 died by drinking poison, at a Dignitas, Zurich assisted-suicide clinic! They drank some clear liquid and died holding each other with their two adult children watching and saying their goodbyes. Joan had been diagnosed with inoperable terminal cancer and Edward facing a future without his beloved wife, decided to end his own life, alongside. A tale of Romeo and Juliet, one would say but this R&J had been together for over one half of a century!

Edward was a renowned conductor, who had a long fruitful career, conducting almost 1,000 performances of 49 different operas over a period of more than 50 years with the Royal Opera House. He also had long years of association with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, where he became principal conductor and later conductor emeritus. In the 1970s, he became music director of the Australian Opera, conducting the first performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House in 1973. Sir Edward received a CBE in 1986 and was knighted by the Queen in 1991. He recently became blind and deaf, relying on his wife for most of his support. Joan Downes, a former ballet dancer, choreographer and television producer, had devoted years working as Edward's assistant, and was recently diagnosed with cancer of the liver and pancreas, and given only weeks to live.

Established in 1998, Dignitas provides their clients a room and board where they serve them with a lethal drink of barbiturates. In just five minutes, they go to sleep from which they never wake up again and forever. Sounds like a lethal injection? It depends on who you ask?

Switzerland charges a miserly 10,000 Swiss Francs ($9000) for this death service? Icheoku asks, why waste such amount of money to end one's life, when a Colt.45 cost less than $300 and with a fifty cent bullet straight to the frontal cranium? Laws which permit people to kill themselves also exist in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the United States of America states of Oregon and Washington which permit the incurably sick to obtain help from a doctor to hasten their death.

Edward and Joan Downes are survived by their two children and grandchildren; who said the couple had no religious beliefs and there would be no funeral. According to their children, their parents died "peacefully and under circumstances of their own choosing. They wanted to be next to each other when they died. They held hands across the beds. It is a very civilized way to be able to end your life"!

TO THE FRENCH, HAPPY BASTILLE DAY!

"Every aristocrat to the lamp-post! If we don't hang them, we break them; if we don't break them, we burn them"; with this war cry, the brave French people took their destiny in their hands and reclaimed back their country from the French Monarchy!

It was on this day, July 14th in 1789 that the French won their real freedom.

A year after, on the anniversary of the revolution which uprooted the French Monarchy, storming the Bastille fortress-prison and releasing the inmates, the Bastille Day was declared as a French national holiday on July 14, 1790!

Icheoku says, congratulations to the French on this anniversary of a brave mass-action by your forebears which freed you from despotic aristocratic rule. Happy Bastille Day!

CHRIS NGIGE (DR.), A LYING SACK OF MANURE!

In the Bill Clinton fashion of 'I smoked but did not inhale', former Anambra State governor and the midget of Alor, Odinkpunkpu-eme-ile, Dr. Chris Ngige claimed he went to the devil but did not bow down before him to worship him? Icheoku says, what a fat lie! Condemning the prevalent practice of secret oath taking by Nigerian politicians, Ngige said, "I went to Okija Shrine with my Bible and refused to take any oath." Really?

Icheoku says, what an arrant nonsense coming from this man who once led the great people of Anambra State as their governor. What was he doing inside a shrine in the first place, irrespective of whether he went there with a rosary, crucifix or even the blessed Virgin Mary? The mere fact that this little man agreed to be led before a shrine, is in itself, too much of a condescension, that he should be hiding his face in shame; and he is a medical doctor - an educated man, who should know better? No, he was prepared to dine with the devil just for power-grab? Lucifer found a willing body in this Dr. Chris Ngige and how low did he go just to be called governor!

Icheoku wants this ex-governor to explain to Nigerians particularly his Anambra State people what he was primarily doing inside Okija Shrine? Further, let him explain when Okija Shrine took the semblance of a church that he should go there armed with his 'holy bible'? Does Chris Ngige's god reside inside the Okija Shrine that he went there to pray to him with his bible? This midget is telling bare-naked lies, thinking that his audience are that gullible to believe a tale of a pregnant man? Icheoku calls on this man to come straight and level with the Nigerian people on what constituted his mission to Okija Shrine!

The only reason this sub-human specie is opening his mouth this wide is that his alleged godfather and oath administrator, Chris Uba was not smart enough to have photographed him, nude, prostrating before Okija Shrine, just like his fellow occultist Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, pictured here left, chained before Okija Shrine and the Ogun State pig of a legislator, Wale Hassan Alausa, pictured completely naked bottom right!

That Dr. Chris Ngige took an oath of allegiance to Chris Uba (pictured here right with Dr. Chris Ngige in red hat), at the Okija Shrine before becoming governor in 2003 was of a public knowledge; admitted he later reneged on that shrine-sealed and bonded agreement? If, and only if, a picture of a prostrated naked Dr. Chris Ngige existed, he would have stapled his mouth shut in shame and not stir the current air about his sanctimonious appearance before Alusi-Okija! Who does this man think he was talking to, a bunch of mentally challenged people who cannot discern anything or what?

In the said telephone interview with 'The Guardian' newspaper, Dr. Chris Ngige said, anybody, politician or businessman, demanding secret oath taking from anybody before supporting him or her is wasting his/her time, because it does not work. Icheoku says, how else would this son of a gun know about the efficacy or otherwise of an oath, if not that he personally broke his own very oath of allegiance and lived to tell it or rather shamelessly tried to deny it ever took place? The medicine man left says, no; Dr. Chris Ngige is lying! This very attempt at denying the obvious brought out the lying scum in this man and it is enough to see him for what he is, a lying conniving maggot, power-hungry despicable person!

According to the Prelate of Methodist Church in Nigeria, Rt. Rev. Ola Makinde, what the likes of Dr. Chris Ngige did by going to Okija Shrine with the holy bible is as barbaric as it is against the word of God! Chief Chekwas Okorie, the National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), lampooned Dr. Chris Ngige types as follows: "It is indeed worrisome that while the younger generation of other countries are engaged in efforts to make major breakthroughs in technology and other endeavours, their Nigerian counterparts, such as Dr. Chris Ngige repose their entire confidence in these primitive methods, as well as rely on godfathers, to whom they will take oath of loyalty to succeed in life." Icheoku says, well-spoken Mr. Chairman and acclaimed man of God; hopefully these bunch of mundane idol-worshipper/practitioners led by the likes of Dr. Chris Ngige, have been shamed enough to change their old ways of politicking in Nigeria! One commentator further observed that it is disheartening that illegal oath-taking usually involves highly-placed public officials such as Dr. Chris Ngige, who are expected to defend the Constitution and the rule of law. There is every reason to believe that the few reported cases constitute only a tip of the iceberg?

Like the Ogun State 'dishonorable' assemblyman Wale Alausa, pictured here completely naked right before a shrine, Icheoku says Dr. Chris Ngige has brought much odium, ridicule and infamy upon himself with his own admission of complicity in paying homage to Okija Shrine; irrespective of the taking of oath of unalloyed allegiance aspect of the story. However, and since Nigerians deserve saner and better leadership, Icheoku calls on the good people of Anambra State via their legislature to disavow this devilish practice and as a protestation for would be future oath-takers, to ban Dr. Chris Ngige for life, from contesting for and/or holding any future political office in Anambra State!

Having ruined his reputation as a man who would go to any length just for ephemeral and temporal power, Anambrarians should make a public disclaimer of him and his acolytes? Like all Satanic powers, his administration did not last but was mired in all manners of controversies until he was forced out of office! Until this prohibition is effected, Icheoku calls on Dr. Chris Ngige to cease and desist from provoking thoughts by such a vagrant lie as he told when he said he smoked but did not inhale!

ELECTION, HALLIBURTON & SIEMENS: WHY OBAMA SNUBBED NIGERIA?

"No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end."

With these words, it could not have been better stringed together and especially coming from the proverbial horse's mouth, President Barack Obama. Nigeria, through Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo truncated democracy by imposing sick weakling Umaru Yar'Adua on Nigeria? Nigeria through her officials demanded and received $180 million dollars in bribes from American company Halliburton as a condition precedent to awarding them a lucrative $6 billion dollars liquefied naural gas (LNG), which they skimmed off the top of the contract? Nigeria also through Senator Jubril Aminu and co, demanded and received $12 million dollars in bribes from German systems firm Siemens? So in a simple three phrases, it is a hijacked election, Halliburton bribery scandal and Siemens bribery scandal that rubbished Nigeria so much that President Barack Obama decided to ignore her in preference to Ghana? Should Nigerians be worried, you bet; except that its leaders are shameless criminals who does not care about reputation, and one of who slept with his son's wife, his daughter in-law and prides it as evidence of his being very virile? What a dog Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo is?

So now that Nigeria has heard why President Barack Obama ignored them, Icheoku asks, can anything be done to remedy what has damaged the country so much, that it is becoming a pariah among the comity of nations? Icheoku says yes, provided the leaders are ready to do what it takes to fix what is broken!

First, President Umaru Yar'Adua must ensure that future elections in Nigeria are conducted in such a way as to ensure probity and accountability. If they must rig the elections, it must be done in such a way as to have some semblance of sanity and not become so outrageous that its outcome defies every possible logic; like the ruling party PDP winning election in Lagos State or any of the Yoruba states or even in Adamawa State? Concede some states to other parties and let the winning margin not be as outrageous as the recent bottleneck in Iran with unfathomable margins? President Umaru Yar'Adua admitted that much when he said that the election which brought him to office was not fairly conducted; and while people expected him to conduct a fresh election, irrespective of whether he skewed it so that he wins it, he obtrusively went ahead to assume mandate and today, he is being avoided as a beneficiary of a fraudulent Nigerian election. Icheoku says, a beneficiary of a fraudulent scheme who sees nothing wrong with his new position, might as well qualify as an accomplice; and so it is that President Umaru Yar'Adua is an accomplice to the nightmare of an election conducted by Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.

Can the president still do something to repair his damaged reputation? Yes, if only he will summon the courage to do what is right and have the guts, to ensure the fairness of subsequent future elections in Nigeria, including the 2011 general election. Until then, Nigeria remains in the eye of President Barack Obama and the American people as the country which does not permit free and fair elections, which must be avoided!

Secondly, the Siemens bribery scandal must be conclusively investigated and the offenders punished. All the named Nigerian officials including Senator Jubril Aminu must be made to account for their misdeeds; which can start by relieving him of his position as the senate foreign relations committee chairman? The horrible thing about such scandal is that it paints every Nigerian as a possible suspect since they spring up such leaders, tolerate their misdeeds and nurture them without any expression of revulsion or repugnance for such misconducts. Until the $12 million dollars scandal is resolved, the world will continue to see Nigeria through the eyes of President Barack Obama and will avoid any meaningful engagement with her; being a very corrupt country where you must pay to play. President Umaru Yar'Adua, can show leadership by taking this case head-on, irrespective of the Jubril Aminus involved, and show the world that such action is not a state approved way of doing business in Nigeria. But when a Federal Senator is involved and he is supposedly being shielded by the presidency, it leads to many possible interpretations?

Thirdly, the top officials implicated in the Halliburton bribery scandal must be revealed and punishments meted out to them, including restitution paid to victim-parties. This is a case which have been zeroed within a period of years in Nigeria and the men at the helm of power then known and determined; and which involved very top officials of the state! So what is stopping these people from being prosecuted if not for the lack of back-bone by the current leadership in Nigeria? Icheoku says, were President Umaru Yar'Adua man enough, he would have done what is expected of him - order the probe and arrest of all those past leaders who were in charge in Nigeria during the bribery period. He has the instrumentality of the state which could be deployed to ferret out where these bribe-deposits were made, under a threat of state punishment. The committee assigned with the investigation of the Halliburton bribery scandal had boasted to the world that come June 22, 2009 they were going to reveal the master-minds behind the bribe scandal? But to the greatest surprise of all, the appointed date came and went without any word being said by the Nigeria Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro who heads the committee about who these corrupt men are.

Whether the pressure of cover-up became so overwhelming that Mike Okiro became dumb on his appointed date, Icheoku cannot tell but whatever happens, Nigeria is suffering the consequences of its lack of appetite to take-on evil and head-on? It does not bode well for Nigeria and this is why President Barack Obama snubbed her and instead went to Ghana for his first official state visit to Africa. The days of Nigeria playing the ostrich, which buries its head in the sand and believes it is hiding, is certainly over as President Obama's Ghana visit has revealed. The option now for Nigeria is, either President Umaru Yar'Adua takes the initiative to fix what has been pointed out to him as broken, by the July 10-11, 2009 snub of Nigeria by American President Barack Obama; or the Nigeria people forcibly demand for a change of the statusquo? But if none of these happens and very soon indeed, it is going to be an accelerated down-hill slide and Nigeria should pray American arm does not force the rest of the world to join the bandwagon to stem such malady as exists in Nigeria. Only time will tell.

OBAMA IN GHANA, WHAT HE SAID!

It is an honor for me to be in Accra, and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States.

I am speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia, for a Summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy, for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I have come here, to Ghana, for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well.This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's. Your health and security can contribute to the world's. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world — as partners with America on behalf of the future that we want for all our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility, and that is what I want to speak with you about today.

We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans.I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story. My grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade — it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year. My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at an extraordinary moment of promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways. History was on the move.

But despite the progress that has been made — and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa — we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya, which had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born, have been badly outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent. In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. It is easy to point fingers, and to pin the blame for these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense bred conflict, and the West has often approached Africa as a patron, rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is a daily fact of life for far too many. Of course, we also know that is not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or the need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth.This progress may lack the drama of the 20th century's liberation struggles, but make no mistake: it will ultimately be more significant.

For just as it is important to emerge from the control of another nation, it is even more important to build one's own.So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana — and for Africa — as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of promise. Only this time, we have learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you — the men and women in Ghana's Parliament, and the people you represent. Above all, it will be the young people — brimming with talent and energy and hope — who can claim the future that so many in my father's generation never found. To realize that promise, we must first recognize a fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans. As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I have pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interest and America's. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of aid that helps people scrape by — it is whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership.

And today, I will focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy; opportunity; health; and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: governments that respect the will of their own people are more prosperous, more stable and more successful than governments that do not. This is about more than holding elections — it's also about what happens between them. Repression takes many forms, and too many nations are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.

In the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments and honest police forces; independent judges and journalists; a vibrant private sector and civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in peoples' lives. Time and again, Ghanaians have chosen Constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously, and victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating in the political process. Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop postelection violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three quarters of the country voted in the recent election — the fourth since the end of apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.

Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation — the essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. What we will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance — on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard; on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting, automating services, strengthening hot lines and protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability. As we provide this support, I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights report. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.

This leads directly to our second area of partnership — supporting development that provides opportunity for more people. With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base for prosperity. The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities — or on a single export — concentrates wealth in the hands of the few and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns. In Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and infrastructure; when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled work force and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs. As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we will put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. That is why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers — not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it is no longer needed.

America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; and financial services that reach poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interest — for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, new markets will open for our own goods.One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and conflict. All of us — particularly the developed world — have a responsibility to slow these trends — through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity. Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity and help countries increase access to power while skipping the dirtier phase of development. Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and bio-fuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coast to South Africa's crops — Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad. These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to the market; or an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work. Its about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.

Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it is also critical to the third area that I will talk about — strengthening public health. In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.Yet because of incentives — often provided by donor nations — many African doctors and nurses understandably go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. This creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries. Across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care — for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns. America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy. Because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience and our common interest. When a child dies of a preventable illness in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.

That is why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges. Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and eradicating polio. We will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation — we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. As we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings — and so the final area that I will address is conflict.

Now let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at war. But for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. We all have many identities — of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families, our communities, and our faith. That is our common humanity. That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systematic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. All of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, Ghana is helping to point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon, and in your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational force to bear when needed.

America has a responsibility to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there is genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems — they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response. That is why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy, technical assistance, and logistical support, and will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa and the world. In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. That must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict, and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.

As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans.The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. In my country, African-Americans — including so many recent immigrants — have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos; in Kigali and Kinshasa; in Harare and right here in Accra. Fifty-two years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice."

Now, that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. And I am particularly speaking to the young people. In places like Ghana, you make up over half of the population. Here is what you must know: the world will be what you make of it.You have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can. Because in this moment, history is on the move.But these things can only be done if you take responsibility for your future. It won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you. As a partner. As a friend. Opportunity won't come from any other place, though — it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do, and the hope that you hold in your hearts.

Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say that this was the time when the promise was realized — this was the moment when prosperity was forged; pain was overcome; and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Thank you.