HALLIBURTON BRIBERY SCANDAL, BAN BABANGIDA FROM POLITICS FOR LIFE!

The Pandora's Box of the Halliburton $180 million dollars bribery scandal has been opened and inside of it was found the stout itchy hands of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida! Now he wants to use some of the proceeds of the bribe money, his share of the Halliburton's kick-back, to buy his way back to power and then mortgage whatever remains of all Nigeria's present, subsisting and future financial interest and pocket the proceeds in his pocket? Recall that this evil genius is yet to account for the $12billion dollars first Iraqi war oil windfall, seventeen years after his forcible misrule of Nigeria. Nigerians please tell Babangida that Aso Rock has no price-tag and that even if it has, that Nigerians will not accept such tainted bank-notes from his filthy hands, in payment for their presidency.

Like he denied MKO Abiola the presidency, now opportunity calls for Nigerians to remind Babangida of that infra-dig and pay him back in his own coin; - mete out to him the same treatment as he gave to Abiola and always bear in mind that with a friend like IBB, no one needs an enemy! Nigerians please say no to Babangida, tell him not this time and never again shall such a notoriously corrupt army man be allowed to enjoy that which he previously denied others - Shehu Shagari in 1983 and MKO Abiola in 1993 respectively! Shamelessly enough, Babangida is now asking that the 2011 elections be free and fair; and that votes be counted with the peoples' elected candidate allowed to govern? Icheoku says, look who is talking, the toothy fairy madman of Minna, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida; a devil incarnate who never allowed a similar free and fair election of Chief MKO Abiola to hold, and thereby denied the people of Nigeria their rightfully elected choice president to govern? What goes around comes around as Babangida now stares his forthcoming nemesis in the face, and Icheoku prays that he will live to feel the humiliation and dejection that come with a denied mandate, assuming he ever gets one. It is called Karmic law!

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida having been implicated as a partaker of the Halliburton's $180 million dollars bribe money, and thereby tarnished Nigeria's image further; and compounded Professor Dora Akunyili's "re-branding Nigeria" effort more, Icheoku says he is not a fit and proper person to rule Nigeria and should therefore be banned from contesting or holding any future public office in Nigeria, including the presidency. Nigeria's problems are already compounded enough to add another stigma of a country being governed by a notoriously corrupt and bloody president. In the spirit of the newly revived war against corruption, sanctioning Babangida will be a necessary good first step and no other sanction will be more far-reaching than to deny him his dream pet-project of ruling Nigeria legally. The first time was as a thieving illegal coup-plotting junta, which he wants so much to wash away by being duly elected by the people of Nigeria as president and in order to atone for his sins of that nation hijacking.

Icheoku therefore call on the National Assembly to pass a law immediately, banning any person implicated in the Halliburton scandal and/or any other public official bribery and corruption, from ever aspiring, holding, accepting appointment or nomination of or to any future political office in Nigeria; or on Nigeria's behalf, elsewhere, everywhere and anywhere in the world. Such a measure will send a strong message that Nigeria is now seriously and earnestly fighting corruption; and confirm that at last, the issue of corruption has reached its final bus-stop. Choke off the head and the body withers away, so corruption must be fought to finish from top to bottom in order to defeat it once and for all. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida is a good specimen for the experimentation of seriously defeating corruption and this Halliburton's bribery scandal provides a golden opportunity to rein him in and set an example with his bloody self.

Evil-genius and president wanna-be, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, must be damned for being such an over-reaching eyesore for Nigeria. Such a notoriously corrupt person and bribe-taker does not deserve to ever wear the toga of a Nigeria's president again; and must therefore be banned from standing in any future presidential election or other office for that matter. A bribe-taker is such a low-life imbecile that should not be allowed to be president of Nigeria otherwise his sin of taking bribe will affect the moral standing of the general populace and by implication, rubbish the 're-branding Nigeria' effort of Professor Dora Akunyili. Who in Nigeria wants a bribe-taker to be his/her president; not any person known to Icheoku and you and you too?

The Senate have courageously done a similar thing in the past when they voted to deny former coup-plotting heads of state any state pension; and should now summon the mother of all courage to stop this corrupt and virile Babangida from ever realizing his eternal dream of becoming a legitimate president of Nigeria or even running for it, his declared intention to run for president in 2011 notwithstanding. Only such a goal-directed action is capable of sending the desired message, loud and clear, that it is a new day in Nigeria; and that no one, no matter how highly placed or notorious he or she may be, including Babangida, is any longer above and beyond accountability. Babangida must and should be held to account for his sins of partaking in the Halliburton's bribery and as a consequence thereto, stopped from marching into Aso Rock! The ban should include the rest of his thieving corrupt accomplices, implicated in this bribery scandal, including Mike Akhigbe, Rilwan Lukman, Philip Asiodu, Oladipo Diya, Mike Okigbo, Aminu Saleh, Ibrahim Aliyu, Anthony Ani, Ismaila Gwarzo, Alhaji Gidado Idris, Tom Ikimi, Orji Kalu, Babagana Kingibe, Patrick Dele Cole, Aliyu Mohammed Gusau and Jeremiah Jerry-boy Useni.

It is instructive that Orji Kalu, the only Igbo person who benefited from this massive bribery largesse; has now risen so far among the echelon of corrupt Nigerians that he now shares in their evil booty?A man Icheoku formerly greatly admired but whose participation in this bribery scandal has greatly tasked our loyalty that we hereby, withdraw all past, present and future endorsement for higher office, hitherto bestowed on this man and abundantly? Icheoku asks where are the NLC, SNG and other NGOs who parade themselves as the conscience of the society protesting this nefarious and heinous revelation from the Halliburton Bribery Files? Icheoku has always known that the weighty list of the Halliburton bribe-takers had hindered its release and/or prosecution of those implicated culprits till now. Acting President Goodluck Jonathan must now show that he has what it takes to be a leader and be bold in stopping Babangida and his band of thieves from going back to Aso Rock to finish looting whatever is left of the meagre treasury; admitted that he is yet to account for the $12 billion dollars first Iraqi oil windfall. Enough Nigerians, stop the roguish IBB from bulldozing his way back into Aso Rock in 2011 - just ban him from standing for the election, period!

So like they say in a popular lingo, 'show me the money;' Acting President Jonathan Goodluck must now show us his courage and determination in tackling the monster of corruption in Nigeria! A good place to begin will be to "Ban Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and his corrupt co-travelers in bribery land, from running and/or holding any future political office in Nigeria or on behalf of Nigeria, anywhere and everywhere in the world! Jonathan's pledge to fight corruption to a finish will be meaningless as long as this imbecile remain the 'godfather' of Nigerian politics. So as Jonathan opens the Halliburton Files, he must instruct Madam EFCC Farida Waziri to immediately go to work, using Babangida as the headline suspect! If Jonathan musters the courage to do this, his name will forever be etched in the annals of Nigeria history as that man who trampled where angels feared to tread.

Icheoku asks Jonathan; now that history has called on you, will you be courageous enough to answer? Icheoku asks Jonathan, as Nigeria is asking who shall I send to fix her, will you be able to say, 'here I am send me?' Please Mr. Acting President Jonathan Goodluck, do not let this golden chance pass-by unanswered; Babangida is the most hated Nigerian alive, second only to Olusegun Obasanjo, except that many Nigerians fear his ruthless maniacal and murderous dispositions; so moving against him will be a very populist thing to do; so give it a shot! Please Jonathan, help Nigeria heal and move forward, force Babangida out of the presidential race, arrest and indict him for corruption, hoping you have the balls to take on such big monster. it is the stuff heroes are made of and you must stand up to be counted as the leader that did big things. BAN BABANGIDA NOW!

IBB 2011, A THREAT TO NIGERIA? - an article by Robert Azu!

Just when you think we are finally getting into the kind of mature national conversation needed to make progress come 2011 in Nigeria. It seems that it’s also the time the cookies chose to crumble and as usual its one step forward, a ten backward.

The Nigeria civil society community having virtually decimated, with mere pen and common sense, a tiny but dangerously gluttonous evil cabal operating by ill thought blusters and endless infantile gimmickry, was about to focus more comprehensively on the electoral reforms. Which one of the first steps must include the removal of the widely discredited INEC chair, Maurice Iwu in order to reassure and reengage the incredulous on the integrity of our electoral system? Then enters the self styled evil “genius”, Gen Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, 70 years, back to our national discourse. The former tyrant, dictator, despot and maximum ruler who was one of the masterminds in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of President Shagari in 1984 and who also callously annulled the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, widely acclaimed to be the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history is threatening to impose his tyranny on Nigerians come 2011.

When IBB and his co-putchists subverted the democratic will of the Nigerian people in 1984, they told a frightened Nigerian people, that their treasonable acts was borne out of patriotic zeal to save Nigerians from the excesses of the politicians, whom the sanctimonious soldiers claimed to have been corruptly enriching themselves. We now know better. What followed was capricious release of convicted corrupt politicians, sequel to his second coup in which he finally captured his ultimate prize, our national purse. There is no award for virtually any Nigerian to reel out the many details of how IBB allegedly stole his country blind and none need to be stated here. What is important is that IBB remains a poster boy for corruption in the minds of Nigerians. An image he have repeatedly flunked all the opportunities to redeem. The hard facts will remain sacred and unchallenged in the scrolls of Pius Okigbo report, John Fashanu’s exclusive revelations, World Bank corrupt third world leaders’ report etc.

Under IBB’s eight years and seven months tyranny, unemployment soared in an unprecedented level, milk disappeared from the breakfast table while income fell abysmally as the dictator unleashed his structurally adjustment programme, a policy which many have argued was too sophisticated for the dictator’s barely educated faculty to comprehend. Sapped and squeezed at all sides by a newly bold institutionalised corruption, Nigerians cling on the dictator’s promise to restore civil rule. After needless loops of self deceit and gimmicks, that earned him the ignominious sobriquet of political maradona, he finally chose an August 1993 date for civil democratic transition. History have demonstrated to us all, how honest he was to this sacred promise to the Nigerian people. Suffice it to say, that hope ’93 was violently dashed and the political effects have continued to rock the political firmaments of the nation. This is reason enough to bar him from politics.

IBB have come to remind us of the wounds and damages he wrecked on our country. At best, he strikes me as a megalomaniac at the apogee of his disdain for the opinion of his fellow countrymen.

Ordinarily, there is nothing untoward on a citizen’s offering to run for President of his country, despite his unpopularity as such will be sorted by the electorate. But IBB is no ordinarily citizen. He is said to be loaded, in the Nigerian parlance in a manner unrivalled by any Nigerian alive. Every responsible community or indeed a nation will and should be wary of character wielding large bags of unexplained wealth, if it sincerely intends to abolish all corrupt practices as Nigerian constitution stipulated. Nigerians have reason to suspect that their disconnected political class would not bat an eye before selling their own mother for cash. Like a coquette, not particularly choosy with her men, it would not matter to the ruling elite that what is at stake is the soul of our great nation: her values, freedom and commonwealth.

That otherwise reasonable people could actually imagine bringing back, the same people they accuse of wrecking our nation speaks volume of the fundamental damage IBB inflicted on our national value. It is at best intellectually dishonest and at worst serious madness. Madness in this instance could be defined as having the same old men, playing the same old game, over and over again and somehow expecting a different result. We already know IBB’s position and records on official corruption, freedom of speech and the press, other human rights, respect for judiciary, poverty alleviation, etc. Let’s declare it loud and clear the mere thought of IBB again in Aso rock constitutes a disturbing nightmare to the Nigerian people. And no amount of paid or wannabe hirelings can wipe out the stench of the IBB years.

To end lightly, one of IBB sympathisers claimed bizarrely on the back page of Thisday newspaper last week that IBB at 70 could pass as a young man, because people are living longer these days. Really? A country, the United Nations put the average life span of her IBB sapped males at 47! Talk of out of touch.

AMERICA - NIGERIA RELATIONS THAWS, AS OBAMA WARMS UP TO JONATHAN?

Icheoku asks, what suddenly changed to warrant this sudden about-turn regarding Nigeria, on the part of Washington; after-all both President Umaru Yar'Adua and then vice president and now Acting President Jonathan Goodluck were beneficiaries of a discredited Olusegun Obasanjo's doctored election 2007? And if feelers are right, America has beef with the manner of the 'election' that brought them both to power; hence the earlier subsisting cold-shoulder to their government; which continues till date with the acting presidency of Jonathan Goodluck? Icheoku is really now at the deep end with this sudden warming up to Jonathan in view of the earlier turning down of the plea of then not bed-ridden Yar'Adua to visit Washington and meet with President Obama.

Strangely too, America recently allowed the hitherto embargoed Ibrahim Babangida to visit and nurse his late wife Maryam while bed-ridden in a Los Angeles hospital and suffering from ovarian cancer, from which she never recovered. It is also rumoured that Obama's Washington is actively encouraging Babangida's presidency in 2011 and you wonder which side President Obama is on - the Nigerian people or their corrupt leaders? It is albeit so strange that wonders shall never end in that a youthful energetic leader of the free world is allegedly rooting for the return to power of a 71 year old tired despot; whose hands is forever soiled and dripping with the blood of so many Nigerians? Dele Giwa, Mamman Vasta, Gloria Okon, Gideon Orkar, MKO Abiola, Ejigbo military officers plane crash, just to name a few all perished under his watch, as a military coup head of state in Nigeria for eight years? A known scofflaw who disrespectfully refused to honor summons by the Justice Oputa duly constituted legal investigative panel to testify and give evidence over some burning state issues; and who created the enabling environment for 419 to thrive in Nigeria, is the kind of man preferred as Nigeria's president by Washington? Please say it is not true and Icheoku hopes it is not true; as such inexplicable and misplaced allegiance will surely have a discomfiture in Obama's admiration by the Nigerian public. Why in a country of 150 million people, littered with so many highly educated professionals, would the choice of Babangida be preferred by Washington's Obama? Something is not right with this trending and Nigerians must rise up to stop Babangida and whoever is sponsoring his candidacy!

Now to the issue of Jonathan's sudden embrace by Washington, can anyone with insider knowledge please tell Icheoku what changed? Is Acting President Jonathan Goodluck no longer tainted by the charade of the Obasanjo tele-guided 'election' of 2007 or is he communicating to these Americans better and in the language of oil, which they understands most? It would have been all good and dandy; except that it sends a bifurcated message across to the various ethnicities in Nigeria that one 'duly elected' president is a taboo and another 'doctrine of necessity' produced acting president is welcomed to the Americans? Something is certainly not right, but very fishy and unnerving with the picture. We don't know about you but we are very suspicious of the motive behind this new "Jonathan is good, Yar'Adua is bad" dance scenario in and by Washington. Go figure!

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, PLEASE LEARN TO IGNORE THIS SARAH PALIN!

Icheoku calls on President Barack Obama to henceforth completely ignore and stop responding to any and all jabs of the Alaskan air-head, Sarah 'mother of Bristol' Palin. It is not the president's place to engage her in her vile comments, as such is somewhat diminishing of his very high office, responding to every hot-air out of this 'street-brawling' woman's mouth. Sarah Palin was not even the Republican Party's presidential candidate and does not currently hold any public office to merit a presidential rebuttal or response to her frequent maniacal outbursts. Icheoku advises the silent treatment for Sarah Palin as this will make her go away and out of national spotlight, as 'duking it out with the president,' is the kind of story our national media thrives in and such will keep her on television.

The president of the United States should not continue to spend his highly valuable time responding to some hallucinatory imbecility of a stay at home, jobless mom in faraway Alaskan wilderness, who was not even a good mother enough that her unwed teenage daughter Bristol got pregnant under her nose. Icheoku wonders how this psychologically disorganized woman who could not even effectively manage her home knows best what is good for America or how to run her fantasy America of her dream? If she was paying attention or was watchful enough over her family, her daughter Bristol would not be having unprotected sex inside her house and possibly on her matrimonial bed, yet she wants to tell us how best to run America; and by her? Only in her deranged mind, may be? Sarah Palin sincerely speaking, is a caricature of American politicians and very delusional about her clout or following; which a presidential rhetorical-engagement helps to sustain.

Such exchange of brickbats between the president and Sarah 'beauty-queen' Palin sends a wrong message that Sarah is effectively the opposition, hence is attracting the president's attention; which ironically succeeds in raising her profile further. Icheoku says, if any future outbursts from her 'you-betcha-ya' mouth ever deserves any response from the White House, such response should be given by some junior White House staffer or any other person but definitely not the president himself. It is our opinion too that even Vice President Joe Biden should not stoop so low as to take on Sarah Palin since she is not worth all the unmerited attention being given to her. Therefore, a better White House policy towards Sarah will simply be to just ignore her; and in that way, facilitate her quick diminishment and disappearance from our national television discourse. But should her upbraid become so asinine that a high up response becomes unavoidably necessary, then Vice President Joe Biden can step in and lead the effort, but never President Obama himself.

Sarah to most discerning and intelligent Americans, is a non-issue; but she represents the crack-heads branch of the Republican party which adores her and which the mainstream republicans themselves find very repulsive that the are even ashamed of identifying their party with? Every decent American including the enlightened section of the Republican Party are tired of Sarah Palin's street-brawl type of politicking; and such down and dirty politicking must not be glorified with presidential responses. Admitted that the president was dismissive of her over the nuclear question as not being a nuclear expert whose opinion should matter; in addition however, Icheoku says that Sarah is not an expert in anything whatsoever other than in stoking the worst ragamuffins of the republican extreme right, who hardly knows their right from their left and cannot even discern a thing as little as the fact that Sarah Palin knows little to nothing?

Good enough a republican heavy-weight and Secretary of State during their idol, President Ronald Reagan's administration, George Shultz, a man who should know and hence an expert, has scored President Barack Obama highly for what he accomplished by the new SALT treaty! Such views as his are what counts and not a pedestrian assessment by a beauty and no brain woman from Alaska who sees Russia from Alaska; and strictly speaking does not understand the gamut of the SALT treaty, both the expired and the renewed one to even offer a credible opinion? To see how little her comprehension of big issues as nuclear weaponry are and the very pedantic puerile manner she sees them, read her take on the recently signed treaty when she said, "No administration in America's history would, I think, ever have considered such a step that we just found out President Obama is supporting today. It's kind of like getting out there on a playground, a bunch of kids, getting ready to fight, and one of the kids saying, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face, and I'm not going to retaliate. Go ahead and do what you want to with me." Icheoku says this is the person the republican party wanted to be a heart-beat away from the presidency who sees everything in the eyes of a a "bunch of kids"? Sarah Palin also forgot that a nuclear-free world is a pet-idea of their much touted President Ronald Reagan which President Barack Obama merely continued? Could somebody please tell this Alaskan wild-life killer, Sarah Palin, that nuclear issues are a serious business and not kid's play-stuff; and that she should not so reduced it with such condescension?

Also from what she said at the Southern Republican (Un)Leadership Conference in New Orleans, one would see a person still so fixated on the president that over two years after the election her side lost to President Obama, she is still talking about community organizer, part-time senator, and full time candidacy? What type of a laced cool-aid does this Sarah Palin drink that she is still yoked to her campaign talking points several years after the electioneering campaigning was over and a duly sworn in, sitting president have accomplished almost half of his campaign promises to America including a health care reform? Sarah Palin also failed to realize all the efforts currently being made by the Obama's administration on North Korea and Iran; admitted both countries nuclear effort started way back before President Barack Obama came into office? And in her lunatic fixation on President Obama, she failed and/or refused to note that their own revered President Ronald Reagan it was, who first championed a nuclear free world with the original SALT treaty. In George Shultz own words, "President Obama has picked up on the notion that we can seek a world free of nuclear weapons, and that was very strongly felt by President Reagan!"

Icheoku says, George Shultz is the best thing to happen to President Obama's nuclear reduction treaty with the Russians, as it boosted it and also linked it undeniably to the republican party through their Ronald Reagan. It further commended its incorporation of additional clauses on "verification permissions and continuous investigations". But regrettably all these pluses were lost on this Alaskan mother, who could not even properly raise her daughter well enough, as to teach her not to get pregnant outside wedlock and in her home? Concluding, Icheoku says, Sarah 'beauty and no brain' Palin has proved once again that she is very naive and playing in a league far and beyond her abilities. She is an apologetic shame to all the intelligent women of America, especially those of them in Republican politics, who are now being evaluated through Sarah's eye, being their representative? For not seeing or appreciating the merits of the newly signed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (SALT), which President Ronald Reagan originally mid-wived, Sarah Palin is now a testament by herself and speaks volume that "with Sarah Palin, the Republican party has no candidate and should start searching for a flag-bearer beyond 2012." What a shame that she still has some following, admitted from the fringed lunatic far-right wing of the Republican Party, the Tea-baggers!

ATIKU'S RETURN TO PDP, A BAD OMEN?

The anticipated return of the Turakin Adamawa back to the fold of his old party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is ominous and portends a great danger both to the party and its faithfuls? His return if it goes through will fracture the party along his followers and those of other competing forces in that unholy alliance called PDP? It signals an impending cataclysmic upheaval that will see the demise of the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa?

His return will unnecessarily over-heat the internal polity and cohesiveness of the ruling party and should have been avoided by the party honchos; assuming they have the wherewithal to so do? But the spineless Ogbulafor led executive are not a match to the Adamawa political bulldozer who could readily deploy his PDM political machinery to get them out of the way? Icheoku says, the planned return of former Vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku back to the PDP is sincerely speaking, a thing which that party does not need at this time it is trying to put its house finally in order and with the 2011 elections so close by the corner? Instead of strategising for the 2011 elections and nurturing the remaining last one year of their Yar'Adua-Jonathan administration, the PDP will now be forced to start making rooms available for the accommodation of the Atiku Abubakar led political-harlots returnees.

But does the PDP need these people that much as to allow them back and unconditionally? How about those other dissatisfied members who never took a hike but remained behind to help fix what was broken? Why unnecessarily reward this prodigal son who could not successfully start out on his own with his new Mega Party only to now run back to the crib, called PDP? Afterall the party have proved that they can do without Atiku's band of charlatans, having successfully stolen the elections in 2007 without their help? The fact that Atiku Abubakar left the party when he did and under the circumstances in which he did, went over to the Action Congress, lost his Adamawa State in the 2007 elections, paid that infamous visit to Obasanjo at Otta Farm, tried forming the so called Mega Party but could not bring it to fruition; and suddenly is now making a b-line back to the PDP shows that the man has no real core or moral value; and is not a leader anyone could follow into battle? He should have been discarded for what he is - a political piece of garbage!

Icheoku queries how Atiku plans to explain his political harlotry to his many followers, admirers and party faithfuls; some of who missed out on several juicy opportunities just because they were branded Atiku's people and left in the cold of the Nigerian winner-takes-it-all political bonanza? Now their effort will be rubbished and wasted on the account of the greed of a man, singularly driven by his inordinate ambition to rule Nigeria at all cost and by any means necessary? That Abubakar Atiku is eminently corrupt is also well established, - one of his accomplice, former United States Congressman William Jefferson, is currently doing time in a United States penitentiary for his corrupt practices allegedly in conjunction with Abubakar Atiku of Nigeria? Atiku was also fingered in so many other cases of bribery involving several senior government officials such as the Siemens $12 million dollars and the Halliburton's $180 million dollars bribery; admitted that none of the cases have been conclusively prosecuted? It is also on record that Atiku allegedly brought into America the sum of $40 million dollars from questionable sources during the time he was vice president of Nigeria? But why is Nigeria cursed with abundance of such men with big itchy-fingers as their leaders?

Anyway, as 2011 approaches, it is becoming very obvious that Nigerians will be forced to choose between the devil IBB and the deep sea Atiku; and as always they will choose the lesser of the two evils! Like the biblical Jonah, a whale might be sent to rescue them in the deep sea Atiku but the devil IBB will certainly get them screwed up the more. Icheoku therefore says, if Atiku is being readied as a challenger to Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in 2011, then some of us might be persuaded to forgive his shortcomings as anybody will be better than the bloody evil-genius and prevent him from returning back to Aso Rock?

In a way, our mantra is, 'anybody but Babangida in 2011' and Atiku might as well be that person? If Atiku is the secret stop Babangida 2011 joker, then on that ground alone, Icheoku is on board and will throw our support his way! Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida is evil and rightly enough he describes himself as the evil-genius. Icheoku calls on every sane Nigerian to work tirelessly to stop "Project IBB 2011". It is a national security matter and for the interest of one Nigeria, it is a call that must be heed by all true Nigerians to deny this murderer what he twice sabotaged and denied others:- first in his 1983's coup against President Shehu Shagari and 1993 his June 12th MKO Abiola election annulment? Still in doubt, ask where is Dele Giwa, Mamman Vasta, Gideon Orkar, Gloria Okon etc and ask yourself if you want to rehabilitate this kind of animal whose hands is dripping with Nigerians blood? So, if Atiku is what it takes to actualize stopping IBB, Icheoku says he is the lesser evil and a more tolerable option, admitted it is not so savory? Icheoku says, if Atiku is the answer to the question of what to do with 'Babangida 2011', then our portal is available to help make Abubakar Atiku's 2011 presidency possible!

JONATHAN'S RECONSTITUTED CABINET, NOTHING REVOLUTIONARY?

Many Nigerians are somewhat disappointed with some of the ministerial match-ups Acting President Jonathan Goodluck made of his ministers designate? Principal among this is his retention of Professor Dora Akunyili in the Ministry of Information; a lady whose can-do-spirit and proven track record would have been more beneficiary used in a more essential ministry to the benefit of Nigerians. Icheoku had advocated for Dora to be sent to the Ministry of Power to give Nigeria the power (light) that have eluded them for so long. But the acting president knows best why she had to be kept in her old ministry, but no reason cuts it for Icheoku as she would have been better utilized where her impact could be felt more?

Also the Justice Ministry remained with a Benue State indigene which makes it highly improbable that the atrocities of Micheal Aondonkaa will ever see the light of the day; protected by a kinsman new Attorney General and another Benue stork in the person of the Chief Justice? Needless to add that the head of the EFCC is also from Benue State? Also Icheoku had thought that the joker of a female foreign minister would have been thrown up by Jonathan, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, to hob-nob with America's Hillary Clinton, Mexico's own female foreign minster and other countries that have elevated women amongst their society? But that opportunity was lost with the appointment of a male foreign minister with a jaw-breaking last name that no foreign press would be interested in attempting to pronounce, cover or interview? What a paradox that the hope and change Nigerians thought that Jonathan represented was afterall a ruse, as he has once again proved himself to be the company-man he has always been known as with these ministerial assignments?

Of all the six political zones, the South-East seemed short-changed most as they did not get any key ministry except Internal Affairs? External Affairs, Defence, Justice, Finance, Federal Capital Territory, Petroleum, Agriculture and Works & Housing all went to the other five zones? The entire South East zone got a combined total of four ministers only, which begs the question when shall the entrenched marginalization of the zone ever end? Icheoku hopes the Acting President Jonathan Goodluck will redress this imbalance when he fills the Ministry of Power, Health and Water Resources; otherwise the South East should know that they have no inheritance in the house of Jonathan.

However, Icheoku is impressed with the redistribution of power out of the Katsina-Kano axis; and also for decentralizing the oil/gas apparatus of control between the north and the south, with a Southern Minister of Petroleum and a northern Group Managing Director of NNPC. It is called fairness and inclusiveness, as the northern Hausa-Fulani alone do not own Nigeria and everything in it. The high profile Minister of Finance comes into office highly regarded in the international financial circle; Icheoku wishes him well and pray that the local bureaucracy will not sabotage his vision for a Nigeria finally on course.

Be that as it may, Icheoku is, over-all, satisfied with the caliber of men and women chosen to serve in this reconstituted cabinet. We hope that he will tweak it a little bit to fix noted glitches particularly his wrong choice of ministry for Professor Dora Akunyili? Icheoku had thought that Acting President Jonathan Goodluck would have used this opportunity to correct the anomaly of a Ministry of Information posted Dora Akunyili, but no; instead he sustained the status-quo and re-posted her thereto, in a strange case of continuing her under-utilization and thereby not unleashing her potential ability - a case of a square peg forced into a round hole? Otherwise in the future, Icheoku would rather cabinet-nominees are attached to their designated portfolios respectively, before they go to the senate for confirmation. That way, the wider body will determine whether or not any minister-nominee is a good fit for his/her designated ministry and cause changes to be made where needed, as obtains in more civilized and better functioning countries of the world. Anyway, we wish Jonathan well and hope he can make some positive impact with this cabinet and within the very short period of time left of his Yar'Adua-Goodluck administration! Goodluck to you Mr Goodluck!

MULLAH HAMID KARZAI, NOT A GOOD AND TRUSTED PARTNER FOR VICTORY?

Icheoku would not have bothered or even believed this story except that the man in Kabul has lately been behaving badly; albeit in a treacherous manner and thumbing his nose at the West? The West whose blood and treasure made it possible in the first place for him to be enjoying office as president of Afghanistan; he is now obtrusively disparaging?

Now he has refused to remain presidential and diplomatic in discussing matters of disagreement with the world including the United Nations and America? Instead, he is running his mouth like a street urchin discussing disagreements he felt he have with the past elections in his country on the pages of newspapers and other media; accusing the West of rigging the elections? And raving the tempo of his political disputation with the West one decibel further, President Hamid Karzai have threatened to join the Taliban? Were today April 1st, Icheoku would have waved it off as an April Fool's joke; but hey today is April 6th, and this is not such a joke or any other; and like in the Mayor of Casterbridge, this otherwise sick joke is now too often that someone needs to call it off and immediately.

According to the narrative, President Hamid Karzai does not want to combat corruption, reform the electoral laws or seriously reach out to Taliban insurgents towards obtaining a lasting peace in Afghanistan; and would rather join the Taliban than do this if pushed any further? Icheoku says, now the international community knows where the heart of President Hamid Karzai really lies, - with the people who oppose girls' education, beat up women for the simplest reason of leaving their houses without a male chaperon, object to women's participation in any public affairs including politics, and whose very strict interpretation of conservative Islamic and tribal laws highly short-changes women of Afghanistan. This is the man running Afghanistan and on whose behalf America and the world have invested so much in blood and treasure only to get this treachery in return? For the fact that he even mouthed the abominable words is by itself sufficient to withdraw every and all support he is directly getting from the West and have him removed from office or at worst, encourage the return of the Talibans to power?

How dare President Hamid Karzai even entertain this idea of joining the Taliban, whether as a rude joke or direct empty threat to have his way? How can a president of a country threaten to join the enemy of the country for which so much have been lost trying to over-run? Icheoku says, such a statement of intent by President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan is dangerous and capable of demoralizing the brave men and women daily putting their lives on the line to protect and save Afghanistan from a catastrophic ruin! Such statement is capable of forcing them to question the essence of their mission and to ask, what then is the use since the man they are helping to sustain in office have no scruples sleeping with the enemy and in a heart-beat?

Is it possible that President Hamid Karzai have been bought over by Ahmanejad's Tehran and is now acting a script of Tehran in showing disrespect to America? Does the West still have a strong and reliable partner in a man who would have Ahmadejad come into his country to harangue the United States, accusing it of a sundry list of things while the same United States is sweating to give Afghans a country where they can live freely? President Hamid Karzai's utterance is unacceptable and he should be made to recant same and unconditionally; failing which his government should be allowed to just fall and make way for a more effective partner to emerge. If it means getting rid of him, so be it; but it does not make sense that this disguised 'Mullah' should be allowed to continue running his mouth in this way, disparaging the world and rubbishing all our effort at sustaining his government and helping his country to survive. His threat to join forces with the enemy Taliban is simply put, treasonable; and he should be made to pay a prize? He is no longer a reliable partner for victory or the long term mission-objective in Afghanistan and should therefore be let go!

It is instructive to note that America and its allies hand-picked this previously unknown quantum, nervous, erratic and unpredictable president, to lead Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban nearly nine years ago and he just began his election-fraud tainted second five-year term only four months ago. Icheoku says, away with Mullah Hamid Karzai!

NIGERIAN POLICE, NOT CULPABLE IN ABUBAKAR RIMI'S DEATH?

Icheoku says Nigerians especially the northern stock should not unnecessarily blame the police for the death of Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi? Admitted his convoy ran into an armed robbery blockade en-route Kano from Nassarawa; but it is on record that they did not attack him and upon the discovery of his identity, waved him on? So why blame the police for the armed robbers who did not directly cause the death of Rimi? A 70 year old former governor Rimi, who is both diabetic and hypertensive, for all intent and purpose, died of natural causes? 70 years is a very long age in a Nigerian society where the average life expectancy is barely 55 years?Now add his very sick-health and you get a mixed bag of life-threatening condition; which the fear for his life confronted by armed robbers possibly brought immediately to a head.

Icheoku would rather the police is held responsible for incidents where their direct act or failure to intervene would have made any difference; but in this case, Abubakar Rimi was not directly harmed by the armed robbers, so blaming the police is excessive dumping on them and it is not right. Whether the late Rimi would have lived or still died if he did not "insist on making the night journey to enable him meet some commitments in Kano," despite entreaties by the Emir Hassan Ahmad of Nassarawa not to do so, is anybody's guess? But nothing is so unusual with the death of a diabetic and hypertensive, 70 year old Nigerian, who possibly is not adequately and properly medicated; and not on a regime of life-prolonging cocktails for his ailments? So Nigerians should pray for his Allah to receive him in their own paradise and allow his family to mourn their loss in peace; without unfounded blame game going the way of the police?

JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN, CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE HIS TRIUMPH OVER DEATH!

When the women arrived at the tomb, they were surprised to find that the tomb had already been opened; and looked inside the tomb to find it empty? Then suddenly an angel appeared, sitting beside the tomb; his robe was snow-dazzling. The angel said to them do not be afraid and why were they looking for Jesus among the dead? That Jesus has been raised from the dead as was promised; which they later confirmed upon a closer inspection of the empty tomb. The angel them commanded them to go tell it to the disciples that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, Alleluia!

Icheoku joins the billions of Christians all over the world in celebrating the triumph over death of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ; whose victory over death is the reason we proudly call ourselves 'Christ-like' in order to partake of his salvation. He conquered death and by extension all sufferings and challenges; so on this Easter, what are you, as a Christian, doing to overcome your own life's obstacles? Jesus did not conquer death because it was easy or without a fight; no, he worked very hard to make it happen and by the special grace of his Father who sent him to die for our sins. It was hard enough that he nearly gave up midway, but for the comfort in the bidding of his father, our God; whom he said, 'may your will be done!' So as you dine, drink and dance on this Easter day, please let not the essence and cardinal point of what we celebrate be lost on you as the risen Christ did not want his victory over the obstacle of death to be treated with levity or in any way, minimal/trifle understanding? He want us to get the real fact behind it - overcoming of our life's challenges; and that we should never give up or avoid the course simply because of its very difficult challenges; as winners do not quit and quitters do not win.

On this Easter day let us not forget the 'Garden of Gethsemane' of the Catholic Church, especially the Pope who has been called severally to resign from office on grounds of alleged sexual molestation cover-up? Icheoku does not ascribe to or associate itself with this school of thought which believe that all the catholic church sexual scandals will suddenly develop wings and fly into oblivion with the never-before done papal's resignation? It will not happen because such resignation will not solve anything; and moreso the pope is infallible and cannot and should not be stampeded out of office or into doing something unimaginable or harangued for being the head honcho of the Catholic church, some of whose priests have rather been busy, tending to their libidinous desires instead of their flock?

No one knows how far or for how long it will take to fix what is broken in the catholic church? But Icheoku advocates as first-line measure, for reverend fathers to start marrying? This is a thing whose time have since come and we do not necessarily see the correlation of celibacy to married life; and so neither makes a priest a better priest and therefore should not be a controlling factor here? Instead of all these traumatised alter-boys, let the priests elect for themselves and individually how they want to deal with their sexuality? Regrettably, molestation in the Catholic church has been an age-long, hot-button issue; which continues till today and which affects the church negatively. Some pundits even claim that sexual abuse by the clergy is a global problem; which requires a global solution to combat the catastrophe? Simply put, catholic priests are fellow human-beings too; and desires some recreational facilities; if you get my drift? Icheoku says to the Catholic law makers, allow your catholic priests to marry and have this problem solved? LET CATHOLIC PRIESTS MARRY! Anyway, happy Easter from our family of Icheoku to yours; have a blessed day believing that Jesus have conquered all your difficulties, by his defeat of death!

SCOTT ROEDER, ANTI-ABORTION DOMESTIC TERRORIST WALKS AT 102?

Yes he will walk again, a free man, but after 50 years at age 102 years? He is 52 years old now and will spend the next 50 years behind bars without the possibility of parole until the term is fully served. Quoting the sentencing judge, Judge Warren Wilbert, "if Roeder lives past 102, then he gets parole; and will also face a lifetime supervision after release? Icheoku says, what a way to send a message that crass intolerance resulting in the death of another, will not be tolerated and will be punished severely!

Scott Roeder, the Wichita Kansas anti-abortion domestic terrorist, who killed abortion provider, Dr George Tiller, for according to him, being 'babies-killer', was given a sentence of life with possibility of parole only after 50 years! This wily-eyed extremist would readily kill an adult human-being to prevent the evacuation/expulsion of unwanted fetuses from the wombs of women? Icheoku asks, what manner of logic on its head drives these anti-abortion lunatics who have no scruples taking the lives of other human-beings, including a medical doctor but have a strange infatuation to the unborn's life that they are prepared to kill to protect it? If really these people are concerned about the preservation and protection of life, why not the life of everyone and not just fetus-specific? Does it mean then, that to this people, the life of an abortion provider as in this case, is not a life worthy of similar preservation? Icheoku does not get it and would like anyone with a better understanding of the churning of the minds of the Scott Roeders of this world to please come to the rescue and throw some additional light on this? It is akin to the thinking in some Muslim sects that killing unbelievers to sanctify the earth of their unworthy earthly presence is an Allah-pleasing work of mercy?

Gladly enough though, the law is not afraid of nor is it intimidated by the Scott Roeders of this world, as it visits them with the toughest sentences allowable, whenever they are brought before it in chains and orange jump-suits or even undeserving two piece suits? In this case, the book was thrown at Scott Roeder as he got life with the 'Hard 50' sentence, in the first-degree murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller! Hurray! Most likely murderer Scott Roeder will never walk again a freeman and will come out of prison, dead as a door-nub; unless some miracle of longevity happens to make him see the magical age of 102 years? But this scenario is very unlikely and highly very improbable for a man with his quantum of rage and aversion to another fellow man? Icheoku is convinced that Scott Roeder will die a caged animal behind prison walls of a self-inflicted injury or a heart-attack, but will never live out his term of 50 years?

Extremism of any kind is dangerous and it does not matter who or for what it is being manifested. Moderation is the key and if you do not like another person or what that other does, use all the foul language you can to curse the person out if you must, but surely nothing warrants or is worth the taking of another's life including that of an abortion provider? Dr. George Tiller never forced any woman under gunpoint to procure an abortion; but was merely providing services to women in need of his medical intervention expertise, including those women who were raped and impregnated by their fathers, armed robbers, and other rapists? Could somebody ask Scott Roeder if he will like his daughter, if he has any, to give birth to a child conceived by through a rapist armed robber molestation or by himself, if he were an incestuous father? Sometimes, medical intervention on pregnancy could be for medical reasons including the health of the mother fetus-carrier, that sometimes makes it imperative that such fetus must be expelled in order to save the life of the host? Moreso, what does this Scott Roeder have against a woman's right to choose or decide what to do with her body and what to carry in it? His is a case of a self-serving closed-minded vermin who wanted to play God and decides for everyone what is allowable or what is not; but in this case bit more than he can chew by taking the life of another human-being! Scott Roeder claimed he is a Christian yet ignored the injunction of 'thou shall not kill' encapsulated in the ten commandment that was handed down to Moses? Yet we blame the Taliban for being so close-minded bigots?

The sentencing phase of the case in Wichita Kansas was very interesting and had its camera moments:- To the prosecutor, Scott Roeder yelled "The blood of babies is on your hands!" The prosecutor later described what Scott Roeder did in the following terms:- ''This was an act of terrorism, an act of brutality. It was abundantly clear this was an individual who chose to follow a path of lawlessness.'' And added, "Scott Roeder has no regrets and neither do I." Icheoku gives it up to this district attorney for bringing it down as it is and telling Scott Roeder to his face, to literally, go to hell? It will be recall that a jury of his peers found Scott Roeder guilty of first-degree murder after only 37 minutes of deliberations on January 29 2010 in the May 2009 killing of Dr. George Tiller in the foyer of a Wichita Kansas Lutheran church. The sentencing judge describing the heinous nature of the crime said, "The shooting in the church is heinous. He didn't kill him in the parking lot, he didn't go early enough to get him going into the church. Scott Roeder choose to kill Tiller in the very place that abhors violence." The rest is now history as barring a successful appeal, Scott Roeder will soon be forgotten in the zoo of prison inmates, somewhere in Kansas, where he will certainly spend the rest of his natural life, kept company by a guilty conscience which will keep asking him, WHY?

ABDULWAHEED OMAR, ANOTHER JOKER IN THE HAND OF THE CABAL?

The leader of Nigeria Labor Congress, Mallam Abdulwaheed Omar, is suddenly now proactive in the Nigeria protest scene? A man who disappeared when Nigeria needed him most, when President Umaru Yar'Adua's cabal held the country hostage and for over 100 days, has now emerged from his hide-out and threatening a nation-wide strike to frustrate the coming elections of 2011, under the guise of patriotically asking for regime change at INEC? By this eleventh hour activism, Omar has demanded that the horse be changed mid-stream, with scheduled elections so close that it does not make sense to bring in a new boss to start de-novo with preparations and conduct of the 2011 elections?

Icheoku says, any Nigerian who is serious with a good outcome in 2011 would not be advocating change of batons at this stage; but rather how to make elections work for Nigerians and not just the few Nigerian power-brokers and stake-holders? Such a person would know that Iwu is not the problem but a polity that is not disciplined, where winner takes all; hence the fierce urge to win at all cost, and by all means necessary since the end justifies the means in Nigeria? What about asking for the immediate implementation of the Justice Uwais electoral reforms recommendations? What about asking that election malpractice be made a serious felony attracting not only prison term but a ban from any and all subsequent future elections in Nigeria? What about protesting against undue influence or the means of choosing leaders by selection and not election, which encourages mediocre candidates being put in offices through 'god-fatherism' instead of meritocracy and ability? What about protesting Olusegun Obasanjo who arm-twisted and strong-armed the results of the two previous elections under advisement; which does not show Professor Maurice Iwu in good colors?

Anyway, Icheoku's position is that it is too late now to bring on a new man to organize and conduct elections scheduled for early 2011. Moreover Professor Maurice Iwu is battle-tested and supposedly now more ready than in 2003 and 2007 to deliver a more convincing outcome? He also have garnered necessary on-the-job experience from conducting two elections and some by-elections in between so far! Maurice Iwu also is no longer new to the intrigues of Nigerian politicians and their cunning ways to win elections by any means necessary? He has seen influence peddlers and their tempting offers, so would not be easily swayed? Maurice Iwu should be allowed to conduct this coming election and thereafter he can be fired but to do it now, prior to the so close elections will be crisis-ridden. Icheoku is no friend to Maurice Iwu and could care less if he is even thrown into jail; but let the truth be told, he is the best prepared and equipped presently to conduct the coming elections? Moreso, he will probably use the opportunity of the next elections, to redeem his name; which has somewhat been damaged as a result of the two elections he conducted under the 'duress' of Olusegun Obasanjo? Whatever happens with his term, it is our position that Abdulwaheed Omar lacks the moral authority to now desire to protest Iwu out of the INEC; a feat which he shied away from when his voice was needed most over Yar'Adua's debacle; when he scurried and hid in an undisclosed location, only to emerge after Jonathan has been empowered as acting president to give his lame excuse that he went into hiding in order not to over-heat the situation and give the military reason to stage a coup?' Really Omar; what changed since then, one may ask?

Icheoku warns that Abdulwaheed Omar is on a mission to abort the next 2011 elections? Mallam Abdulwaheed Omar is the latest joker in the hands of the cabal to deal with Nigeria which has shoved aside ailing President Yar'Adua; and has now been deployed to nix the next coming elections; and so must be stopped, pronto! Why did this Mallam Omar not protest President Yar'Adua to resign when Nigerians wanted him so badly to do so? His labor congress looked and searched him out for leadership direction but he was AWOL? There is something definitely fishy with his attitudinal change, which somewhat supports the proposition that this sudden found activism and the planned protest are both cabal agenda-driven! So, Nigeria and the NLC, pay no attention to this mallam!