icheoku

WHOLESALE JETTISON OF POLICIES, BANE OF A NIGERIA STALLED?

2012-01-25T00:21:00.000-08:00

Icheoku laments the wholesale throwing overboard of ideas and policies of past governments by their successors and the lack of continuity of some laudable programs started by such previous administrations, as the major problem militating against Nigeria's overall development. It is akin to a house which is midway to completion, being demolished by its new would be occupier who then starts it all over beginning with the drawing plan, blueprint and then foundational works. Then right before its completion but in advanced stage of construction, there is a change in title deed and yet again, the same old song plays itself out de-novo. The result is a house in perpetual state of being built which is never finished nor completed and which can never be finished just because subsequent occupiers find it psyche-soothing to always press the reset button each time and every time there is a change of guard.

One popular aphorism has it that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different result is the shortest form of insanity defined; hence Nigeria cannot expect to grow into a major player within the un-enabling environment of its ever temporary governments and the cavalier manner with which they abandon or change existing policies put in place by previous governments. Such fluidity of policies make it impossible for any country to solidify and have a directional core; which in turn denies it the character of a tangible and meaningful place to attract investors and their investments. Recently the Nigerians Aviation minister was quoted as saying that the concessionary contracts entered into by the previous administration as it concerns airports in Nigeria would be reviewed and Icheoku wonders which investor would like to risk his money in such a quicksand, roller-coaster investment climate where one's investment is not secured nor assured; but is malleable to political dictates of whoever is in power.

Icheoku says any incoming new administration worth its name and in a place where things follow conventional procedure and not obfuscating parochial and primordial pandering, would first go through a well detailed and comprehensive transition or handover note to determine what policies of the past government need continuing, which needs dumping and which parts could be conveniently continued with some targeted fine tweaking. That way there would be a real bridge of connectivity between the past and the present government and by necessary implication, provide a platform for the new government to build upon. But a new government which does not see anything good in its predecessor or the need for there to be some basic life saving and preserving umbilical cord retained, will end up groping for direction for the duration of its term on how to steer the ship of the state. As a consequence thereof, such an unguided infantile government ends up failing as it most times performs worst than the one it succeeded; due to the simple fact that it was not properly grounded or anchored.

The situation is not helped by the peculiar nature of Nigeria, where government is personified in the person occupying the seat of government; and the two becomes one or the proverbial "two-nity" (pardon my attempt at pun of trinity). The new comer brings along with him only his own people as every official that served in the previous government is swept out and with it, goes all their policies and ideas on how to move the government forward. With new officials, comes new ideas and untested policies; and the revolving door keeps on oscillating as successive governments emerge to continue the circus that leads to nowhere.

Take for example some laudable Nigerian programs of the past which are now defunct and where still existing, are but their ghostly apparitions. The genocidal Yakubu Gowon, a man between who and Icheoku there is no love lost because of his controlled Federalist army genocide on Biafrans especially the women and children, initiated the three "Rs". A commendable policy geared towards making amends for the atrocities committed against the people of Biafra and to enable the war-wounds heal. No sooner was his government overthrown by Muritala/Obasanjo than the new regime discarded the reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation program that would have gone a long way to assuaged the ill-feelings of Biafrans and thus create enabling environment for the wounds of that war to heel. But unfortunately the man who ordered the Asaba massacre, Muritala Mohammed, did havoc to this palliative policy alongside his eventual successor Obasanjo, a man whose disdain for the Igboman is legendary. As a result, the psychological damage of that war of survival, a war which was forced on the Biafran people by the pogrom against the Igbo people in the North, still effervesce till today. This three "Rs" would have been the proverbial shot in the arm for Biafra and by extension Nigeria heeling process, but Muritala and Obasanjo decreed otherwise as they wished they had dropped an atom bomb on the entire Southeast?

Then enter NYSC, the National Youth Service Corp program which is now a shell of its old self. Well conceived by Olusegun Obasanjo administration as a laudable means of integrating Nigerians by having Nigerian graduating youth go to other parts of the country to serve their fatherland. This writer's first foray into Yorubaland was as a result of the program which took him to Efon Alaaye in the then Ondo State and there started the budding love for the people of the Southwest whose hospitality and social life is yet to be equaled amongst other peoples of Nigerian. From a personal experience, but for the NYSC, may be Yorubaland would have been out of my radar; but suffice it to say that greater part of my adult life was spent in the Southwest and it was memorable; all thanks that the vision of OBJ, the man who Icheoku do not agree with for most part. Admitted that NYSC was recently threatened to its foundational existence by the madness in Northeastern Nigeria, when those animals decided to kill Nigerian youths sent to their land to help them out, Icheoku is of the school of thought that says no matter the provocation, the program is highly valuable and should be maintained. Instead of dismantling it like they did to Nigerian Law School, the authorities should find a way to guard against what happened in the past and ensure it grows in reaps and bounds.

And speaking of the Nigerian Law School, Icheoku regretted the day that decision was made to cannibalize an Ibironke institution that helped harmonize law training in Nigeria and also brought lawyers in the making from every parts of Nigeria into one academic auditorium to interact and assimilate one another's legal point of view. The decentralisation is one huge mistake; yet they would not decentralize SANship and let every region or state award SANS to whoever plays the politics well instead of just the Lagos axis controlled body? If Nigeria is truly one, common percolating points such as the former Nigerian Law School Victoria Island should have been sustained to serve as a unifying institution for all would be Nigerian lawyers and by extension help various Nigerians meet and interact with one another towards understanding our differences and figuring a way out of the woods of prevalent suspicion and distrust that give rise to such idiocy as the ongoing Boko Haram siege of Nigeria. They have so far massacred hundreds of innocent Nigerians and counting; with the security agencies at best helpless or collaborating with them and giving them?

Then enters OFN, Operation Feed the Nation, another brilliant idea of Olusegun Obasanjo which makes Icheoku wonder whether if Obasanjo was simply smarter during his first time in government or he just lost his compass on his second coming? The demise of this wonderful and revolutionary program makes Icheoku wonder out loud what is it that is wrong with Nigerian leadership or does it take rocket science to understand that a country being able to feed her citizens is highly laudable and a program to die for to sustain? But there were some interests, both foreign and domestic, who saw it as a threat to both their farmers in their respective home countries and their ten percent kickback from imported agricultural and food products and they ganged up and sabotaged OFN to death. President Shehu Shagari attempted re-branding it to Green Revolution and Icheoku wonders what he found faulty with an operation which is feeding the nation; needless to point out that his then Transport Minister, Umaru Dikko, was making millionaires out of his acolytes and party faithfuls with rice import licenses and rice imported from Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, India as well as other Asian countries.

But on a hindsight, Icheoku figured out that the Green in the then 'Green Revolution' stood for greenbacks and that it was meant to pile up some "Benjamines" in coded secret accounts of then National Party of Nigeria faithfuls in Switzerland as well as other offshore account heavens. Icheoku emphasis that there was nothing wrong in OFN as a name or in Shagari continuing with Obasanjo's OFN program as begun, except that Shagari's minions and town-criers saw OFN as an Obasanjo legacy and wanted Shagari to have his own. At the same time, they forgot that Obasanjo established OFN for Nigeria and did not take it along with him when he retired to his farms in Otta. Nigerians also forget that truth can sometimes also come from imbeciles and that it does not matter whose idea a great idea is, a great idea always remains a great idea and such was Operation Feed the Nation. Icheoku hereby emphasis that OFN was one heck of a missed opportunity for Nigeria to feed herself and the rest of the world and reiterates that those who killed the OFN are responsible for any hungry stomach in Nigeria today. Why should Nigeria be importing billions worth of food and agricultural products with such a blessed climate and fertile lands that are plentiful in various places in Nigeria; and the government of Jonathan is talking about petroleum products subsidy removal when they can put the scalpel on agricultural imports?

With the arrival of Imam Muhammadu Buhari, a man who Icheoku loves to detest because he murdered three innocent Nigerians based on a retroactive drug offenses death-penalty decree, came WAI - War Against Indiscipline. Icheoku have always maintained that but for the killing of these three innocent Nigerians, the Buhari/Idiagbon government would have still maintained its place in the annals of Nigeria history as the best government for correctly identifying and honing in on Nigeria's cardinal problem, INDISCIPLINE. But unfortunately however, the stubborn as an ass Buhari has refused till date to apologize for that his khaki-days rather youthful exuberant indiscretion, which still hounds him till today and would always stop him cold in his tracks on the way back to Aso Rock. Icheoku says not under our watch and not while Nigerians who lived through his gulag-like regime still have some air in their lungs. Icheoku says until Muhammadu Buhari makes a full mea culpa for the murder of Bartholomew Owo, Bernard Ogendengbe and Lawal Ojulope, apologizes and asks for forgiveness, that illegal killing would remain indelible in our memories and with it our vengeance through the ballot.

WAI was effective as every Nigerian alive then would attest that the solution to all Nigeria's problem is the re-institution or reintroduction of the war against indiscipline. It was Buhari's war and a good war worth waging once more and forever; and for which Buhari/Idiagbo regime won so many of us over as fans to just that extent only. An undisciplined soul is susceptible to all manners of criminalities including the hydra-headed monster corruption, the 800 pound gorilla in the midst of Nigeria. Nigeria as a society is weighed down by millions of marauders for who anything goes and let the government worry about it; but who fail to realize that they are part of a whole and their indiscretion takes a heavy toll on the society. A report just realized has it that civil servants in Nigeria collected about three billion dollars in bribe within just one year and you tell Icheoku all is well with such a society? Who doesn't recall how people queued up for their turns in Nigeria during the WAI days of Buhari/Idiagbon regime? How police men arrested people who tried to offer them bribes? How NEPA and Water Board maintained a steady supply and flow of their utilities? How every Omo'EKo as well as other visitors in Lagos and other cities in Nigeria maintained a line to enter a molue?

Those were the good old days of WAI and you wonder why the program died and why not recreate those times once again to help fight all the indiscretion Nigeria is saddled with? Even the EFCC would be put out of business with an effective reintroduction of WAI; likewise would money be left by politicians to deliver democratic dividends to their electorates instead of ferreting them away? Bad none motorable roads would become motorable as contractors would do the job for which they were mobilized and not abandon same after collecting their cost upfront? Would the plague of ghost-workers still inundate government treasury, Icheoku does not think so as Bar Beach Sunday show could be re-instituted to dispatch criminals to the world beyond. It is just too painful that problems with readily available solutions are still bogging down Nigeria just because no one have decided to tame the rats and the man given the assignment is simply too scared of some Goliaths to effectively discharge his duties. Icheoku says, lets bring back WAI and assuage Buhari's restiveness; it is a right thing to do as it will help tackle so many currently intractable vices impeding Nigeria's forward match into a future that is both bright and promising. It is a legacy to have and Icheoku commends Buhari for going to the heart of Nigeria's problems and trying to extricate it.

But somebody discarded the program and in its place introduced his own version of mobilization called MAMSER. However Babangida failed to understand that you cannot mobilize a dis-shovelled society bogged down by indiscipline and that was the mistake that forced him out of power and which still hounds him till today. For instance, Dele Giwa's parcel bomb murder was uncalled for as Nigerians found out that one can kill the messenger without killing the message. The substance of the story he was pursuing and which his killers wanted to suppress still reached Nigerians and you wonder on hindsight, whether Babangida and crew are wondering why? But all things considered, Jerry Gana did a good job selling MAMSER as their sloganeering campaign "if you are a teacher, teach well; a truck driver, drive well; if you are a lawyer, lawyer well; if you are a politician, politic well" and so on; that every Nigerian felt valued in whatever trade or professional calling he was engaged in. Unlike the today's madhouse where every Nigerian including the clergy now wants to be a politician as politics has become the only guarantee to ensure stupendous livelihood, absent bank robbery? Those were the days of MAMSER and you wonder why the subsequent government did not adopt the program and pass it on to their successor?

There was also the Road Safety campaign slogan of "Dead men have no right of way, why throw your life away, drive with care for life is dear;" which have also gone moribund and you wonder the persistent carnage on Nigeria roads? Then factor in the harried fact that motor-parks have drinking parlors in them where drivers take alcoholic beverages minutes before embarking on their journey, then you have a perfect storm akin to pouring gasoline on a an inferno. Somebody is running the Federal Road Safety Corp and Icheoku wonders how many unlicensed drivers drive in Nigeria; how many drivers ed programs are available in Nigeria; how many times his department have revoked some bad driver's license deemed unfit to make use of the privilege of driving since it is not a right; how many defensive driving classes commercial drivers are made to undergo each now and then. Reading through the various reported accidents cases on Nigeria roads tend to reveal that majority of those accidents were avoidable human carelessness as when a drunken or sleepy driver fails to make a sound judgment and is overtaking a vehicle on a steep hill or in a hair-pin turn without a clear vision of what lies ahead. Some readers may accuse Icheoku of over sanctifying the issue and that accidents happen everywhere; but why not help stop those that can be stopped instead of busy picking up Nigerian dead on our roads all the time? All Icheoku is saying is that some driver education and PSA commercials could help lessen instances of road mishaps in Nigeria and should be encouraged by this government.

As far as Icheoku is concerned, Olusegun Obasanjo second coming to power left two most important footprints in Nigeria - the liberalization of telephones which makes it now easy for Nigerians anywhere to speak with their aged grandmas/pas in some remote villages in Nigeria and then his institution of the EFCC. Icheoku says but for the tragedy of desiring a third term, which caused the deviation of then Nuhu Ribadu led EFCC from its cardinal goal of fighting corruption into becoming an agent of Obasanjo, hounding vociferous perceived opponents, and thereby rubbishing a blooming legacy, the EFCC would have turned out to be another laudable legacy of Olusegun Obasanjo. But the shadow of a tragic hero which constantly foreshadows him cost him that feather in his cap. As it stands today, the EFCC is but a shadow of its old fiery self, a toothless bulldog which barks all it can but without daring enough to sink its fangs on any of the readily identifiable corrupt public official. Icheoku wonders why it is difficult for Nigerian public officials to just resign if they cannot do the job for which they were hired or are prevented from doing same by undue pressure of the state or its officials? The present EFCC is now a scarecrow hanging lifeless in a corn field in middle of Kansas or rather Nassarawa State compared to what Nigerians knew of the good old days when Nuhu Ribadu was manning the tiller as a corruption watchdog czar.

Late President Umaru Yar'Adua was only a blimp on the radar and his terminal sickness did not help matters at all nor allowed him to bequeath a legacy for which he could be remembered. Even his seven-point agenda have been devolved into a no point agenda; and his successor, the man who wears his tribal Ijaw native outfit so often that Icheoku wonders if the Ijaws of the Niger Delta Nigeria are the only one he is their president, is to put it mildly, have LOST himself in the labyrinth and maze of a Nigeria complex political landscape. Icheoku says except President Goodluck wakes up immediately, his government might go down in history as the government with neither an agenda nor any meaningful accomplishment and would not be remembered for anything talkless of a lasting legacy. All his electioneering campaign promises are still unfulfilled and supposedly being held hostage by some Goliaths, which have forced the president into a frightening tunnel-vision governance without really appreciating Nigerians numerous and diverse problems hollering for his urgent attention in the peripheral vision. If only the president is brave enough to send his sling shot into these Goliaths' foreheads and free himself of his mortal fear of their mortal threat. But he could not dare and is even afraid of mentioning that the principal Goliaths facing him down are Obasanjo and Babangida for crying out loud.

All said and done, were Icheoku a president, we shall resuscitate back all or most of these laudable programs of past administrations and bring them back to live and with it vault Nigeria into a place of reckoning. All that is required is the will to face-down enemies of progress and even those proverbial Goliaths who the current president is afraid of, not even to look into their faces and call them out for who they are. Icheoku had once advised that these Goliaths be named and shamed for the president and Nigerians to free themselves of their stranglehold. At least the biblical Israelites identified their nemesis Goliath, so David had a face before he swung his slingshot or catapult. So how would Nigerians supplicate to God to help President Jonathan overrun his Goliaths when they have neither a name of face to take to God in their prayers? Icheoku says the first order of business for the president is to name those Goliaths and then see Nigerians charge after them; but a weakling who sees shadows or former military head of states and/or an ex-president and calls them Goliaths, might not be the proper person to follow into battle.

Icheoku says nostalgically many Nigerians who were alive and could bear testimony to some of these laudable programs would attest that were these programs still alive today, the country would have been a different place, totally transformed, reformed and for good. But often good men are interred with their bones and so were these programs; hence a Nigeria in perpetual journey to lalaland is still going in circles round and round to nowhere just because successive governments choose to throw the baby away with the bath water and some good policies and programs got incinerated in the peculiar Nigeria politics of we and them and the lack of continuity coupled to the complexity of egotistic self-effacing new occupant of seat of power. Icheoku says this is very unfortunate, retarded and not progressive; it is the reason Nigeria is stalled and going nowhere meaningful soon and should be done away with!

UNABLE TO SACK RINGIM, A LAME PRESIDENT MAKES LAME EXCUSES?

2012-01-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says the current frustrations caused Nigerians by their linguine-spine President Good(BAD)luck Jonathan is likely to boil-over if not checked. Imagine the latest inexcusable-excuses on why the none performing Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim cannot be fired. How could an executive president with all the presidential powers he has be so circumspect and hamstrung about reliving an official of his government of his job, when such official's job performance at best could pass for mediocre. Nigerians are dying in their hundreds, being killed by Northern Nigerian Islamist Boko Haram terrorists and all the president is doing is considering mundane and petty factors for not firing an incompetent police chief who could not or has failed or even deliberately refused to arrest the security situation in the land?

Please tell Icheoku this is not actually the reason why IGP Ringim has retained his job despite all odds and his glaring case of woeful none performance and shall go down in history as the wprst IG of police NIgeria ever had and under whose watch Nigerians were blown away the most by Boko Haram Northern Nigeria Islamic terrorists' bombs. According to one insider source, the president cannot or is afraid to fire the IGP because firing him "could create problems for him with the North?" Icheoku queries how about firing the IGP and replacing him with another Northerner; afterall there are several DIGs and AIGs of Northern Nigeria Islamic extraction to douse whatever feeling of exclusion the IGP Ringim's firing might foster? Further, whatever happened to the Nigerian state as one unified indivisible entity or was there not a time when all the security heads usually came from just the North; so what is wrong if all of them, provided they are competent and very professional, came from the south now? The only conclusion deducible from this misguided calculation is that the president is not getting any good advise from his advisers or at best is being told what he would only like to hear, but which definitely is not in the best interest of his administration or Nigeria at large. Icheoku asks, would those Boko Haram killed Northerners have preferred to have an IGP who shares their last name and Islamic faith or one who would have kept them alive by protecting them against those killer Islamic Boko Haram terrorists, irrespective of the geography that produced the IGP?

It is, simply put, very mind-boggling indeed the type of mundane considerations which usually precede this particular Nigerian president's decisions. Icheoku states that such morbid fear of a section of the country or its people to the extent that it jeopardizes government action or decision making is very grave indeed and forebodes no Nigerian any good. Moreso such consideration or fear of a people or section of the country was however not extended to the South-East when the same President Jonathan unceremoniously relieved the former IGP Ogbonna Onovo of his duties. It is noteworthy to recall that due to the recurring kidnapping cases in Nigeria and just barely six months into office and before the program he had put in place to checkmate and tackle such criminality ever germinated nor took root, IGP Ogbonna Onovo was sacked without blinking the eyelids about the feeling of the people of his section of the country. But suddenly, the fear of very violent and irrational Northern mullahs have forced President Jonathan hands to put up with a none performing IGP, who has successfully dragged his incompetent government down into the cesspool of gross insecurity of lives and properties of millions of Nigerians?

Also the alleged President Jonathan's decision to extend to IGP Ringim a "dignified exit" is unmerited and undeserving, the circumstance of his abysmal job performance considered. It is also pointy that such "dignified exit" consideration was never factored in when the previous IGP Onovo and Balogun were summarily removed from office? Atypical Nigerian double standard operating procedure, simply because those lunatics sharing Nigeria with the rest of other more sane human-beings s are more prone to irrational violence, Icheoku may ask? So the imperative or narrative seems to be the fear of Northern Nigerians is the beginning of governance in Aso Rock which shows that irrationality and violence pays; but what example is being set by this standards or are they the only one that can generate mayhem or they telegraphing to other more rational sections of the country on what gets result?

Finally the most laughable of all the argument made for the retention or allowing the incompetent mallam IGP Ringim to finish his term in March, while Boko Haram holds sway, killing and maiming hundreds of innocent hapless Nigerians as well as their properties, is that “you cannot just fire top officers of the IGP status when you are not very convinced and you don’t have hard facts to support your action; you must investigate such issues to arrive at decision?" Icheoku asks but what about Ogbonna Onovo or even Balogun; since both men were summarily fired without full investigation and conclusive evidence of their culpability established first through similar investigative panel? Icheoku berates this as one heck of a lame argument that flies in the face of history of previous hiring and firings of Nigerian IGPs as well as other top government officials. The then finance minister and now reappointed Finance Minister and alter ego minister Okonjo-Iwealla, was once fired while in a meeting on behalf of the country in New York and even the last Army Chief Dambazzu was summarily fired while on an official visit to New York? So whosoever brains this crap of an excuse is coming from deserves a brain-scan for early signs of amnesia as he or she seems to have forgotten the inglorious exits of past Nigerian top government officials including those of IGP status.

Such a "fool and bait them" excuse make many decent Nigerians want to lose their minds and Icheoku hereby calls on the incompetent President Good(BAD)luck Jonathan to wake up and smell the coffee before he falls victim to the same conspirators bent on denying his government necessary wings or winds to soar. It is indeed very unfortunate, the circumstance of Nigeria; which have hounded its growth and still hounds it till today - different people wanting and desiring different things in life and varied means to get there. On a hindsight, Icheoku laments If only Dr Nnamdi Azikwe had obliged the Sarduana and let the North wait for their own independence whenever they were ready, may be Nigeria as epileptic as it is today would not have been sired. But going forward, any articulations on how to move Nigeria forward, must decisively deal with its present configuration question, as what is now, seems not to be working and at best struggling for oxygen like an emphysema patient. President Jonathan, just fire the damn IGP Ringim and NOW!

HEIDI AND SEAL HEAD TO SPLITSVILLE, SEVEN YEARS AFTER?

2012-01-21T22:01:00.000-08:00

Icheoku asks, how is that your marriage especially working out for you as no sooner has the ink on Kobe Bryant and ex-wife's Vanessa's divorce settlement has dried out, news is out that Heidi Klum and "Scarface" husband Seal are no longer an item. What a ruse or should Icheoku say scam that ancient institution is that makes people dependent, afraid, fearful and always on edge. Anyway whatever society may say against being single and free, juxtaposed with the hiccups of married today divorced tomorrow, the certainty of being alone and single appear more palatable option. Anyway, do not see this commentator as anti-marriage or anything like that; but suffice it to say that the headache is simply too much it is not fun. But Heidi and Seal are not saying what it is that finally did it for them; but who cares as the bottom line is that their marriage has also fallen victim to that virus which eats away the institution called marriage. Any solution fellas?

MICHAEL BAXTON, A POLICE CHIEF BUSTED FOR THEFT?

2012-01-20T19:28:00.001-08:00

It would appear that the saying 'it takes a thief to catch a thief' is really a truism as the police chief of East St Louis, hired to protect and serve, turned out to be the one society needed to protect itself and property from? The now awaiting trial former chief, Michael Baxton, was busted in a sting operation for stealing game-boxes(four Xbox360 consoles) and now faces about 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.

Icheoku says this is what is inherently wrong in some police department hiring a supposedly repentant criminal as a cop thinking that having done his time in a previous crime that he has learnt his lessons. But unbeknownst to them, a leopard does not change its spots as this criminal former police chief who had two prior felony convictions including theft has once again turned to his old ways. Several decades later, he was now using his high office as a police chief to continue his nefarious activities or what Icheoku would term his undercover job as a thief; but good enough he will be going away for a very very long time and being a thieving cop will not help his case?

Unfortunately, who knows how many innocent victims this bad cop had done in in the past - people who were wrongly framed for crimes they did not commit or pursued by him because they wouldn't play ball by cutting him a piece of their criminal booty pie? Anyway it serves bad cops better to know that once they cross-over to the other side of the law from their "protect and serve" side, the tendency of their being caught is as clear as day and night. They must and should therefore rise above board by avoiding such thieving temptations that come with their job, where they have to daily deal with all manners of criminals and their loot. Icheoku says, it is good to periodically make an example of any bad public servant; moreso a cop who turned out to be a criminal.

MAGNET BOMB, A KILLER PACE-MAKER?

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

A device so little, the size of an average pace-maker or a tin of shoe polish, yet so lethal that its explosion instantly kills the targeted victim. Such is the awesome power of a Magnetic bomb that once nicely placed near the victim and remotely detonated, its consequences is so devastatingly effective in eliminating the victim instantly. It is a well-rounded tool in the arsenal of modern covert operations; dispensing the need of silencer guns or poisoned darts or such other manner of eliminating a target requiring closer proximity that risks exposure and being caught. Who would suspect two innocuous motorcycle riders, riding by without much than a closed fist, of being agent of death? Such is the beauty of this exploding pace-maker and secret agents cannot ask for a better weapon for their dirty-work.

The latest victim of this lethal pace-maker, Iranian Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan (pictured), a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was murdered when two secret agents on a motorcycle drove near his moving vehicle and affixed the device by his car door. The rest as they say is now history as the fabled scientist now rests permanently in peace or should Icheoku say, in pieces and can no longer continue to be a threat to world peace as an asset to the Iranian nuclear weapons pursuit program. Although to the Iranian State, he might be a hero having lost his life in service of their nation, but to his family and friends, his death was avoidable and should have been avoided if only Iran was reasonable enough not to continue on the current trajectory where their action is infuriating the entire world. Icheoku asks what is the rationale of Iran developing or trying to develop a weapon that they can never deploy or use, since its deterrent is tantamount to the cessation of Iranian existence as a civilization? Which leader wishes his people a near complete annihilation, one may ask; being the consequence of Iran ever dropping the bomb anywhere including Israel or wherever, should they acquire it.

Icheoku's interest in magnetic bomb stems from the fact of its very miniaturized size and its devastating efficacy and efficiency; such that the several times it were deployed by successfully attaching it within the parameters of intended targets, that several times have the result been so devastating that such victims literally did not know what hit them or the vehicle that transported them outside this planet. It is the stuff science fictions are made of as made popular by James Bond 007 and Star wars; admitted that the world have seen cigar-bombs that explode upon lighting it, lipstick poison, etc but this magnetic bomb makes it very unsafe for any wanted or known enemy of any powerful government as his/her elimination is a matter of gathering a concise habitual data with a view to assessing the best way to get the bomb attached close enough for it to do its damage. Who knows what other gizmo is out there in the arsenal of these world powers and waiting to be revealed just like the other terrorist-nightmare, drones, which have turned every terrorist the world-over into restless nomads, just to avoid being incinerated and vaporized from the sky within milliseconds of their target acquisition.

The latest Iranian victim of magnetic bomb, the fifth so far, will definitely not be the last as the country's nuclear quest is still ongoing and many countries of the world want it stopped and will continue to do whatever is within their powers short of outright declaration of war, to in the interim sabotage or frustrate it. As usual in clandestine covert operations, the suspect countries or countries that has reason to kill the scientist have categorically denied their involvement with the murder. The other question rearing its head now is whether it is still cool to be a nuclear scientist in Iran or in any way trying to assist the government of Iran with its program when you know that you will be definitely targeted for elimination by agents acting under the cover and cloak of invisibility. According to one analyst, "the ongoing series of assassinations in Tehran traffic strips key brainpower from Iran’s nuclear program, spreads fear among scientists, and undermines the security services, which seem unable to prevent the attacks;" and Icheoku adds palpable fear is one heck of a cloud to hang over a country or community of persons and bodes Iran no good. The only meaningful solution for Tehran, before the crisis escalates to shooting conflict, is to come to terms with the reality facing it - that on no account would the world stand by and watch it acquire nuclear weapons and so should do the realistic thing by verifiably abandoning the program. Anything short of this will only hurt the Iranian people either by procedural elimination of their best brains in their nuclear industry and the eventual collateral damage that will be caused its infrastructure and population when a retaliatory strikes take place following a declaration of war, likely coming very soon and may be before summer. However the dog the gods want to kill, they first make deaf, dumb and then mad so that they are not amenable to reason or thinking; otherwise Iran at this juncture should make a b-line retreat from a cause that can only spell disaster for the country.

Finally, Icheoku says, realistically speaking, Iran can never win a shooting war against vested countries who would be coming with vengeance dating way back to the Embassy hostage taking as well as Iranian interference in the Hezbollah and Hamas nuisance in the Middle East to the bombing of the Marines Kobah Tower in Saudi Arabia as well as their most recent meddlesome interference in Iraq. Icheoku says a clever Iran should know when to beat a retreat and NOW is the time because once the first cannon of real war is fired, there will be no more discussions short of total surrender and on terms to be spelled out by the invading forces including regime change and eventual trial of the principals of the Tehran government and their forgone guilty verdicts and executions by hanging. A smart Iran should and MUST beat a retreat now before they cross the final rubbicon into fireball hostilities which one does not need a soothsayer to know that the hour is drawing near very closely. If Iran could not decisively defeat Iraq during their only known warfare in recent history, what makes Tehran think that when faced with the most fearsome awesome military and its allies known to the world, that it stands a chance? Worst still Russia and China will cleverly avoid direct confrontation and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is too cunning to place a cross-hair on his forehead by openly declaring support for Tehran. So what are the aces not known to Icheoku; so could Tehran or someone more informed with Iranian game-plan please throw more lights.

IMAM ABUBAKAR SHEKAU, THE FACE OF NIGERIAN BOKO HARAM?

2012-01-12T20:22:00.001-08:00

At last, the notorious Northern Nigerian Islamic Terrorist sect, Boko Haram has unmasked their leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau? Now the Nigerian security agencies have a face to track down and Icheoku hopes they will saturate the media in Nigeria with this terrorist image to help track him down and bring him to justice. What a sorry commentary that a group of mass murderers are killing innocent Nigerians and in Nigeria for so long without being brought to justice. President Good(BAD)luck Jonathan, please do something or at least shake up your security apparatus that more competent hands can come in and take care of business. This BOKO HARAM debacle is a national disgrace; especially lasting this long without any solution in the offing.

OUR FREEDOM-THEMED HOLIDAY MESSAGE, BE THAT ONE !

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our Lord Jesus Christ self-exampled that you are guaranteed as much freedom as you are prepared to pay for, hence he sacrificed himself to purchase mankind's eternal salvation. So as you continue to cower in fear of your fellow human-being, who peradventure, happens to be in a temporal authority over you today; and like a cry-baby, looking for someone to bell the cat for you, just remember that the slave-master thrives on intimidation; and until you rise up and say ENOUGH, he will continue to hound you down with his cudgel into slavish submission.

Remember the saying that you get what you pay for and there is no free lunch anywhere in the world. If you want something so badly, then go get it, freedom included. If in doubt ask Nelson Mandela of South Africa what the price for freedom is all about. Martin Luther King Jr also bargained hard for minority freedom in America likewise so many world famous freedom fighters of this world. Myammar's Aung Sui Kyuu is also one such heroine who took it severally and in all forms including years of isolated house arrest in order to get it; and surely the country formerly known as Burma has progressed enough in allowing freedom for the people as to earn a recent visit by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Icheoku says such would not have been possible but for the selfless sacrifice of Aung, who by her unwavering resolve has earned freedom for her Burmese people.

Mohamed Bouazizi purchased freedom for Tunisians by a selfless sacrifice of self-immolation, which led hundreds of thousands of Tunisians to claim it. Who could have previously imagined in their widest dream that an ordinary street vendor or hawker of wares named Bouaziz, was capable of bringing down the government of dictator Ben Ali of Tunisia? So as you ponder quiveringly about what difference you could make to effect change in the society, always look unto the Mr Bouazizi of Tunisia of this world to see what it takes to bring about a desired and desirable change - simply a will to make a difference. Following Mr Bouazizi's inspired Tunisian peoples lead, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians bought their freedom from Hosni Murbarak; which was copied in Libya and Yemen while the struggle continues today in Syria. Icheoku knows and believes that someday very soon, the Syrian people shall be free of Bashir Assad's shackles and so would all other freedom loving peoples of the world, currently living in tepid fear of a Lord of the Manor in their land. Even the Russians are now no longer intimidated by their petite spy-chief Vladimir Putin as they took to the streets to tell Putin that Russia is not his ordinary third world country where the dictates of just one man holds sway.

Hopefully those two men, Medvedev and Putin, trading offices or places in Kremlin and toying with the people of mother Russia shall read the handwriting on the wall before a tornado of the peoples revolution sweeps them both into the abys of history. It has happened before in Russia with the Bolskevik revolution so the chances of it happening again is not too remote. Icheoku calls on Vladimir Putin to respect the top-ranking status of Russia among the comity of nations and just do the right thing for and by the people of Russia. Putin, a recycled leader of Russia, is not such a flattering name for him to possess; and should therefore avoid it at whatever cost to his ego. Better still, what did Vladimir Putin forgot inside of Kremlin president's office that he wants to now go get. Icheoku just finds it too hard to understand that Vladimir Putin thinks he is the it in Russia and the only thing good for mother Russia. Before Putin were so many leaders and long after old age or even death shall conscript him and force him out, there will still be several leaders to guide and pilot the affairs in Russia.

It is usually not going to be easy but broken bones mend. As is usually the case, most always, you will survive to become a greater being, more than you were when they took you captive. And assuming the worse comes to worst, everyone dies and only once; so what if you pay the ultimate sacrifice for what you believe? As you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the expectant arrival of the new year 2012, please ask yourself how can you help tame or stop the oppressor holding you down today and stop waiting for another Jesus Christ to do it for you. One more thing, Times Magazine was coy in naming a faceless protester as its person of the year 2011 since Tunisia's Mohamed Bouazizi aptly qualified as such person of the year; the fact that his selfless act which triggered the Arab Spring revolution took place in late 2010, nothwithstanding. Therefore by the powers conferred upon Icheoku by our many visitors and admirers, as well as critics for good measure, Icheoku hereby names Arab Spring revolutionary, Mohamed Bouazizi of Tunisia, as Icheoku's person of the year 2011. He deserves a statute erected in his honor in Tunis's city center as well as have a national holiday declared and observed in his honor. Mohamed Bouazizi was made of a sterner stuff and by his selfless act, have triggered the transformation of the political landscape of the Arab world and have thus transmuted into a legend.

It is being an awesome ride so far, especially this year 2011 and we hope to continue to strive to earn your visits to Icheoku.com. in the new year and many years to come. We appreciate you dearly, inclusive our critics who sometimes are so damn brutal with their acerbic comments. But hey, out of the furnace comes the steel, so keep the darts coming. Happy Holidays and see you in the new year. Off to vacation!

Sincerely,

Facilitator, Icheoku.com

KIM JONG-IL OF NORTH KOREA IS DEAD!

2011-12-18T00:12:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says 2011 will go down in history as the year which dealt many dictators world over, most fatal blows. Ben Ali of Tunisia, Moummar Gaddafi of Libya, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and now Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, a member of the infamous Axis of Evil; alongside Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Ahmanejadi of Iran.

Icheoku says the six blocs of US, Russia, China, South Korea, Japan and the European Union should use the window provided by the death of the former reclusive leader to try and resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis; and in as much as no one's death is joyous, Kim Jong-Il departure may be what North Korea needs at this time to free itself of the shackles of so many decades. North Korea's neighbor to the south of the demilitarized zone, South Korea, will also breathe a sigh of relief that the ever present threat of a nuclear nightmare is now over, at least for the moment.

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, died on December 17, 2011 of "physical and mental exhaustion. He was 69years old. Hopefully there will not be a succession showdown between his heir apparent and the old generals who constitute the old guard of the late leader. Icheoku says may his communist soul rest in peace. Before Icheoku forgets, that brings to two, comrades of Russia's Vladimir Putin who had died this year, the other one being Moummar Gaddafi of Libya.

CHILE EBOE-OSUJI WINS ICC JUDGESHIP, CONGRATULATIONS.

2011-12-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

Icheoku congratulates Nigerian Chile Eboe-Osuji on his election victory to a nine-year term as justice of the International Criminal Court. What a prideful moment for all well-intentioned Nigerians, who believe in the infallibility of merit and urge that same yardstick should be the controlling indicia for affairs in motherland; and in order to truly move the country forward. Once again congratulations Justice Eboe-Osuji and Icheoku prays the latest judge-entrant to the ICC shall approach his adjudication with fervor and fairness, irrespective of the transgressor appearing before his panel.

Also Icheoku cannot wait for the day to come when a leader of another part of the world, not Africa, is brought before The Hague's office of the ICC to face accountability. Admitted that some African leaders deserve the shackles in which they are marched to The Hague, but some other Western, Latin American as well as Asian leaders deserve being ferried to the ICC for such crimes as running their economies aground, pseudo-despotism and for other acts of aggression towards members of their populace and/or external aggression of other weaker countries. What is good for the goose should also be good for the gander and despotic Africans alone, should not be the only scapegoats justifying the existence of the ICC.

BRITAIN NOW A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY - DAVID CAMERON?

2011-12-16T23:47:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says if the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had his way, the country formerly known as Britain or Great Britain will become known as "Christian Republic of Britain." A man desperately trying too hard to reassert himself both in Britain and Euro, following the blunder that was his British attempted veto of European Union fiscal rescue plan for the struggling Euro currency. In search of something big to do or say in order to get himself back up and running, David Cameron, declared "We are a Christian country. And we should not be afraid to say so." So make way Islamic Republic of Iran, as Britain has now emerged as the latest theology based government country in the world.

Politicians, what would they not say or do when trapped in a corner by either policy or politics of the moment. Icheoku says it is a denial of fact for the British Prime Minister to so assert, not taking into cognizance that Britain is now a mixed-religious country and the days of Great Britain Christianity dominance is long since gone. Icheoku would bet the Prime Minister, Mitt Romney's $10,000, that Christianity might not be the predominant or majority religion in Britain today. Moreso majority of younger generation White people all over the world do not go to church any longer, whereas other religions have and continues to advance their follower-ship upwardly. It is also an absurdity of phraseology and/or errant play with words for someone to declare himself "a committed Christian" and at the same time inform that he is only a "vaguely practicing Christian?"

What an oxymoron irony of active and passive interplay of ideology. If this add and remove equivocated positions of the British Prime Minister on his Christian faith, makes sense to anyone, that one is certainly not Icheoku; as it is simply illogical for a matter to be both hot and cold at the same time as Prime Minister David Cameron implied by his assertion. However Icheoku agrees with the Prime Minister that virtually all Christians the world over have lingering doubts about certain highly improbable biblical accounts as well as stifling theological issues. So to state it another way, the Prime Minister is not alone in his doubting Thomas state.

Icheoku adds, since according to the Prime Minister, "moral neutrality or passive tolerance just isn't going to cut it any more," may be it is about time for Britain to emulate those Islamic countries of the Middle East and Asia and formally declare Britain, The Christian Republic of Great Britain and replace their constitution with the Bible? Or better still make it Her Majesty's Christian country? How about that Mr Christian Country, Prime Minister David Cameron for your thoughts? Also it is equally noteworthy that the Prime Minister now equates the Bible with William Shakespeare's works that one wonders if this Prime Minister truly have faith which is the rudimentary requirement for Christianity.

NEWT GINGRICH, PALESTINE EXISTED WHEN IT WAS CONVENIENT?

2011-12-15T23:45:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says pictures don't lie as Mr Blow-hot, verbal bomb-thrower, Newt Gingrich, once cavorted with the "enemy" - the now, according to him, fictitious Palestine people? According to Professor Wole Soyinka of Nigeria, a Nobel Laureate, "History matters, records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory, but to operate as guides to the future." So America, especially the fanatical right wing Christian fundamentalists Republicans propelling the current surge of Newt Gingrich, please think twice about your irrational support for the philanderer. Icheoku says if Palestine is a figment of Newt's imagination, who did PLO Leader Yasser Arafat, pictured with then Speaker Newt Gingrich, represent and why did Newt embrace him so warmly if not as a representative of his now none existent Palestinian people? What a phony, wife-cheating, obese and too old to be president, this son of Georgia is; and who would just lie about everything simply to cover up his past and attempt to fool everyone that there is a difference between six and half a dozen - yet he is a historian who is not guided by his own lengthy and shameless history? Icheoku says what a shameless Pharisee, this NEWT is; he sure needs to be neutered, politically that is.

NEWT OR MITT, REPUBLICAN PARTY'S HOUSE OF CARDS?

2011-12-14T23:13:00.000-08:00

The current crop of Republican Party's presidential candidate wanna-bes fortifies a popular Igbo people of Nigeria's aphorism about two knives found in the household of a wretched person - the one sharp knife has no handle while the other one that has handle is not sharp. And so it is that among the current jostling candidates of the Republican party, have emerged two front runners - one that is possibly electable but cannot and would not be nominated by the party fanatics and the other one, the most likely to be nominated who is conversely not electable.

Now the dilemma, a Catch 22 scenario; that shows either way, the Republican Party loses the presidential election come 2012. Icheoku says, salute and welcome, President Barack Hussein Obama 2012 second term! But isn't it hypocritical that the Republican Party, supposedly a party of family values, is even gravitating towards a man who trades in his old wives as would used cars? Thrice married and twice divorced, with numerous adulterous relationships in between; yet those Republican Christians seem not to have qualms with that or is it a case of George Orwellian Animal Farm or a "special" Republican whose sins are forgiven? icheoku says, it appears the Lord Jesus Christ had the Republicans in mind when he preached about the Pharisees. What a huge joke, Mr Gingrich's soaring lead is; but hopefully it is going to peter-off soon. Or does Republicans need a Divine intervention to help them stop NEWT's insurgence?

CHINESE NAVY PREPARE FOR WAR - PRESIDENT HU JINTAO

2011-12-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says finally what a welcome relief to learn that the Chinese is now ready to stall their economic progress and possibly depopulate their over-crowded cities. China had ridden undisturbed for too long, thus finding time to grow their economy and feed their stupendous 1.6 billion population.

The threatened war, a third world war may be, will be a nice welcome relief to the sputtering world economies that will greatly benefit replacing what will be depleted and rebuilding what will be destroyed. China has more enemies than the West, especially within Asia, so the alignment of forces will stack heavily against them leading to their eventual defeat and final partition into several manageable countries. Therefore, Icheoku says may the Chinese government fast-track their war effort and let the showdown begin NOW.

It may be a harbinger of the end of the world in 2012 according to the Mayan calender. What a bombast by Chinese President Hu Jintao as if anybody really cares what the Chinese thinks about dominating the Asia Pacific. Fortunately, wars are now won by smart bombs and technological prowess and not necessarily the size of the army. If war breaks out, that will be the end of China as it is presently configured, as it will certainly go the way of the old Soviet Union following its routing. May be the billions of trapped people will finally breathe air of freedom especially the Tibetans and the Uighurs.

DRONE IN IRANIAN CUSTODY, FORCEFUL ACTION NEEDED.

2011-12-12T23:11:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says atimes like the present calls for a cowboy's shoot first and ask questions later kind of reaction to the increasing taunting by Tehran of the United States of America.

A President Ronald Reagan or Bush would have issued an ultimatum to the Iranian regime to return the plane within 48hours or face damaging air-strikes as the mullahs in Tehran only understands such show and use of force. Whatever Iran thinks they can do and which they did not do during their eight year war with Iraq, they should do now.

Icheoku calls on the United States to take all steps necessary to either have the drone returned or have it remotely destroyed or even target it in a massive bombardment of Iran. Enough of the Iranian brazen sticking of their fingers in our face, dating back to the seventies hostage taking. If China could return a US plane and Pakistan too, who then is Iran not to follow suit. Icheoku says the reason many of us are not in politics is that we do not have the patience for lengthy negotiations, especially when we are convinced we are on the right path.

As far as Icheoku is concerned, this drone incident is enough to send in the First Airborne and Marines to go clean house in Iran and let the world implode if that is what it will take to forever cut the Iranians to size. ENOUGH of this their unearned and unmerited sense of importance; afterall which war have they won lately or better still, what have Tehran done lately that they should be running their mouth in this way. Icheoku says to Washington, just get back the damn drone from those mullahs NOW and at any cost.

IRAN MUST RETURN THE DRONE NOW OR RISK WAR!

2011-12-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says the Iranians should have no option but to return their illegally acquired United States of America drone plane forthwith and they should be made to understand the ramifications of holding out on this. It is called the Chinese example and this is the only meaningful option available to Tehran; which Icheoku expects the State Department, through its Iranian liaison, to drum it into their mullahs' ears. In April 2, 2001, the Chinese navy pilot brushed into the wing of a United States reconnaissance navy plane forcing it to land in China. The American government then under President George Walker Bush demanded forcefully that China return that plane. After an initial blustering bluff, the Chinese, weighing the implication of a United States face-off, returned the plane piggy-backed by a Russian Tupolav cargo plane to America. That is what Icheoku expects of the latest Iranian hold-over of the RQ-170 Sentinel drone operated by the CIA and nothing more.

Also it does not matter how the Iranians got possession of the plane - whether they shot it down, jammed its communications which forced it down or even found it as a treasure trove lying somewhere in the vast Iranian desert following a malfunction; it is incumbent on them to return it forthwith and any contrary position taken by Tehran should be considered an act of war. Icheoku says enough of this recurring Iranian petulant nuisance; if they want to martyr themselves so be it; but the United States must respond forcefully this time around to yet another one of their many provocations. In response to the Iranian position that "No one returns the symbol of aggression to the party that sought secret and vital intelligence related to the national security of a country," Icheoku says that the Chinese had previously returned a downed US plane and so did Pakistan similarly return a damaged US helicopter used during operation kill Osama Bin Laden in Abotabad, Pakistan. Now if Iran is looking to save face, they can reference China and Pakistan as precedent and return our drone before they pay a heavy price for it. Except of course and as some school of thought posits, the found drone is a Greek gift Trojan horse made available to Iran as part payment on the gathering storm of an almost now inevitable confrontation between it and the United States? But what does anyone really know about the ways of the intelligence service, especially the United States Central Intelligence Agency; otherwise, why was the drone not rigged to self-destruct upon malfunction?

NEWT GINGRICH IS A FAT OLD WHITE MAN - MICHAEL SAVAGE

2011-12-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says thankfully it took a white guy to call out another white guy to remind him that he is simply too old for present day America. While offering Newt Gingrich a bribe money of one million dollars to drop out of the Republican Party presidential race, talk-radio shock jock, Michael Savage, said that Newt Gingrich is just an ordinary old white guy who brings nothing new to offer Americans as a real alternative to President Barack Obama. It is his opinion that a Newt Gingrich candidacy will offer President Barack Obama an easy second term victory on a platter of gold. Icheoku says in the event Newt does not bite the bait and take the one million dollars, it will be a race between a grandpa and his son and in America, appearance is everything as America would see a flabby old white guy trading tackles with a sporty lanky man young enough to be his son or even grandson.

LAURIE ANN MARTINEZ, THE SHRINK WHO NEEDS A SHRINK.

2011-12-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says once again, another daughter of Eve has concocted a make-belief crime just to get her wish and have her way. What this crime shows is not necessarily the length some pieces of humanity will go to get what they want; but that some, if not most, alleged crimes by women, especially against their spouses, most always is a hoax or self-inflicted just to get even or have him removed and confined. Imagine a woman who had to self split her own lip with a pin, scraped her knuckles with sandpaper and had her friend punch her in the face all in an attempt to blackmail an unwilling and ill-prepared husband to relocate? Not only that, the fake-victim tore her blouse, peed on herself just to make her tale that she was mugged and raped by a stranger seem and sound believable?

The helluva story here is not that a woman faked a story, but that this woman is a psychologist who supposedly helps prisoners get a handle over their mental issues; and Icheoku wonders whether it is not this woman herself who actually needs all the help a shrink can render and not the other way round. As always, she had some outside help from her "best friend forever;" another unthinking woman who helped her perpetrate the hoax that she was beaten, robbed and raped by some fictional stranger? Icheoku says this goes to confirm the childish nature of some woman, who like kids, sometimes tells their husbands tales of how "your brother was seductively eyeing me when you went out?" Anyway, the blame goes to a society skewered against certain gender and always defer to the other gender in situations as domestic disputes etc.

According to her "Hollywood scripted story," she came back home to find a stranger in her kitchen and tried to run away. But the suspect grabbed her and struck her on the face, following which she lost consciousness; only to wake up to discover that she has been raped with her pants and underwear pulled down to her ankles?" She reported missing from their home were some electronics, computers and credit cards; which according to her were stolen by the invading stranger, but which to the chagrin of the investigating officers were cleverly stowed away in her conspiratory friend's house. Get the drift - the length some of these lecherous daughters of bovine could go to implicate things? It is quite interesting to note that this woman, upon sighting the responding emergency police officers, started crying profusely to further dramatize her agony.

This leads Icheoku to recall a popular Igbo aphorism of the hysterical crying woman who usually kills her husband and then blames him for bringing it on himself. Icheoku recalls of a woman who called 911 and upon sighting the strobe lights of the responding police officers, intentionally fell on their glass coffee table, broke it and received lacerations and accused her husband of inflicting her with the injury. Anyway like one man of wisdom says, women are the strangest wild animals walking the face of the earth, love her or hate her you always needs her; but you must master the art of cajoling and playing possum very well to survive their fury which erupts more times than the sun rises and falls. In Sacramento California, a mental health-giver professional woman just proved that she too can use some help and Icheoku says get her some counselling!

PALESTINE IS A FICTION - NEWT GINGRICH

2011-12-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says never in the history of US politicking has pandering to the Jewish nation been this blatantly lowly that a Republican presidential candidate wanna-be mouthed off that a bona-fide people, the Palestine people, whose history squarely placed them in the same geographical location as the Israelis, are invented fictional people? The man whose middle name could pass for marital infidelity and the current front runner in the race to secure the Republican presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich, dismissed the Palestine as ghoulish and phantom terrorists who have no nexus or business contending a claim of right in the area around and near Israel. Icheoku says this blabber-mouth is either ignorant of history or is a shameless panderer trying just too hard to fool the Jewish people into thinking he gets their back; but not knowing that he had just poured gasoline into the smouldering Israeli/Palestine conflict with his unfortunate comment.

Some responses coming out of the Palestinian Authority to Newt Gingrich's guffaw says it all:- "These are extremely trivial, demeaning and ridiculous remarks, even the most extremist settlers of Israel wouldn't talk in such a ridiculous way" - Palestine Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. "Ignorant" and "despicable" said another official. "This is the lowest point of thinking anyone can reach, the comment only increases the cycle of violence" - Palestine Negotiator Saeb Erekat. "This proves that in the hysterical atmosphere of American elections, people lose all touch with reality and make not just irresponsible and dangerous statements, but also very racist comments that betray not just their own ignorance but an unforgivable bias" - Palestinian Liberation Organization official Hanan Ashrawi.

Icheoku says even Tel Aviv would be astonished at the vomit of Newt Gingrich as their relative peace might now unravel and give way to conflict since the Palestine might not be willing to wait to find out what a Newt Gingrich's White House will make of a none existent people. It is indeed unfortunate that this is the type of human-being the Republicans are clamoring and routing for as their presidential candidate to be. Imagine calling the Middle East peace process for which an Israeli Prime Minister Rabin was killed and for which many have died on both sides and for which many American presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, have spent countless man-hours a delusion; and then labeling an entire people terrorists? Icheoku says we don't know about you, but this Newt Gingrich will put America into real trouble if elected and therefore the Republican Party should deny him a platform to propagate his parochial agenda. What a nut this Newt is

PUTIN PUSHING RUSSIANS, STOKING ARAB SPRING IN RUSSIA?

2011-12-07T00:12:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says the signs are ominous and Vladimir Putin seems not to get it. He easily forgets that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. How a man thinks he is the best thing to happen to Russia since the Bolshevik revolution defies every logic. He has been president and prime minister before and now wants to yet again recycle himself back as president.

Icheoku says this emerging petty-dictatorship smacks of third world political shenanigans; but Russians are simply too smart and wise to allow such a one man take over of their motherland. Put in another way, Icheoku says that secret agent Vladimir Putin is by necessary implication, gradually but steadily courting Russian's Arab-Spring to envelope Russia and the picture of a dead Gaddafi in the street of Sirte should give anyone jitters. But hey, it is Putin and like every other dictator, it will not happen to him? Gaddafi once entertained such thoughts, once stating that "my people loves me?"

DONALD TRUMP THUMPED, DEBATE REJECTED!

2011-12-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says it serves him well, the Donald, that is. A showboy blabber-mouth who thinks raising the birth-question was going to sustain a wind underneath his infantile political-sail, has again been shunned by Republican presidential nominees wanna-bes. They (all but just two) declined to honor Donald Trumps debate invitation and told him to stuff it. According to one of them, Texas Congressman, Ron Paul, he didn't know that Donald Trump had the ability to lay on hands and anoint people. Icheoku says what a sarcastic dumping on the Donald who mistakes his straggling hair for pedigree of importance. Now that he has been routed and rejected by Republican presidential candidates wanna-bes, who refused to indulge his ego any further by shunning the proposed debate with the Donald, let see how many friends the Donald still have left. What a loud mouth showboy who has no place in politics and should not be anywhere near and/or around it. Good for him.

NIGERIA ANTI-GAY BILL, PRESIDENT JONATHAN MUST NOT SIGN IT.

2011-12-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

Once again Icheoku calls on President Jonathan of Nigeria not to follow Senator David Mark in propagating his anti-humanity inclinations and therefore should not sign the anti-gay/anti-humanity discriminatory bill. Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans-genders are endangered species, although very vocal and powerful, with extensive reach into very high places, they should be protected in Nigeria and not suffered or outlawed. To do the latter will put Nigeria in a bad light world-wide and these people can make life tough for Nigeria if they choose to. Like the Jews, they must be protected at all cost and by all powers that be including the Nigerian government except for David Mark. Icheoku says a word is enough for the wise, believing that a PhD holder gets it.

The world's most prominent gayman Sir Elton John, was knighted by the Queen of England and he has access to so many corridors of power world-wide; and so does many other homosexual human-beings around the world such that taking them on, will spell disaster for the Nigerian government. A fact made worst because so many prominent men and women of power world over including in Nigeria, are gays and lesbians or sympathizers of their way of life, admitted they may still be in the closet; so antagonizing them is self-destructive and should be avoided at all cost. Icheoku hopes all those David Marks of Nigeria pushing this agenda to outlaw homosexualism in Nigeria have the best interest of President Goodluck Jonathan at heart; except it would appear they are corralling him into a very tight corner to discredit his government. A smart politician will see such bill recently passed by David Mark's senate as a booby trap and skirt around it with every nimbleness and dexterity he can summon.

Gaydom is not yet a Nigerian most pressing problem and at best, the David Marks of Nigeria can just look the other way by ignoring them; that way these special breed of humanity can enjoy their fundamental human rights including to marry or partner with whomever they choose without unneeded additional inhibition. of a legislation declaring them less human to freely chose who to tango with. Legislation are made to protect a threatened group and not to further complicate their plight in a society that sees and treats them as an aberration or taboo. Like every other minority group, LGBT is a disparate group that needs the protection of the Nigerian state but not their added scolding. Nigeria's problem is corruption and that is what the world expect David Mark to be outlawing and making illegal and not a God's created human-being right to love whoever or whatever is the object of his or her affection. What the world needs is love and not a David Mark sitting in judgment over who is or is not a correct human-being and deciding by fiat who they should fall in love with.

Gaydom is as old as humanity and is long entrenched in Nigeria; so the David Marks of Nigeria should just get over it as some of their friends might equally be gay and even to their knowledge; admitted they would not owe up to it. These people are born this way and it is not a choice but a function of genetic code which makes them go that way - not straight. As if the message that discrimination against LGBT people would not be tolerated is not yet loud enough already for Nigerian government to hear, the United States of America has now attached conditional acceptance of any country's gay population to its foreign aids and Icheoku hopes that Nigeria's President Jonathan is listening. As contained in the United States government latest memo, "The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States' commitment to promoting human rights." Henceforth any foreign aids shall be disbursed with this as a guiding philosophy.'

Icheoku says the cost benefit analysis is skewered against Nigeria which benefits enormously from such foreign aids and must not act not-smart in order to not disturb the cart. Moreso, since presidents in Nigeria are not elected as in other countries where they must pass some eligibility and electability test by marketing themselves to the electorates, the Nigerian president have nothing to worry about in not signing this bill. He can just ignore it or let it accumulate dust until he serves out his term and let subsequent president worry about it; afterall former president Obasanjo kicked the signing of the FOI bill down the road and waited it out. Moreover, President Jonathan said he is going to be a one-term president and so has nothing to be afraid of such as not being elected to a second term because he did not sign a law to discriminate against a section of his country men and women who just go different direction. Therefore Icheoku calls on President Goodluck Jonathan not to sign David Mark's anti gay/anti-humanity bill that seeks to punish and discriminate against people born that way.

IRAN IS DANGEROUSLY RACING TO THE PRECIPICE.

2011-12-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

A popular aphorism has it that those the gods want to kill, he first make them mad; and so it seems with Tehran which apparently does not get it that their cup is almost full. As if they have not provoked the world enough already, their President Ahmadinejad just told the entire mankind to go to hell for all that he cares and that Iran can tough it out alone?

Instead of apologizing and atoning for its undiplomatic misbehavior, either tacitly or overtly, of invading yet again another country's embassy in Tehran, it is mouthing off its braggadocio. According to Ahmadinejad, Iran will stick to their revolution's ideology at all cost and it does not matter if the entire universe rose up against them? In his exact own words, Ahmadinejad said, "We will stick to our revolution's principles and values with all our power even if the entire world rise up against us." Icheoku says the entire world rising up against any country should be a very frightening situation which no sane country should ever brag of not caring about. With Iran's current unwise stand, it now seems more likely than not that the lighted fuse would certainly make contact with the mother-load.

Unfortunately though, Iran seems oblivious of this freight-train headed their way and will be made to pay a stiff price in the event a military confrontation results. Iran will be made to answer for all their intransigence over the many years including the hostage taking of the seventies; and they failed to realize that the West hardly forgets or forgives such thumbing of the nose. But it is not yet too late for an about turn mea culpa to starve off an impending payback; but the decision is Tehran's to make.

OJUKWU, GONE WITH THE WAR MEMOIRS

2011-12-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says procrastination has once again cost Nigerians and the world an authentic rare insight into the Biafran war courtesy of the man who lead the three year Biafran effort. He promised the world a true account and memoir of the Biafran war, detailing its causes, prosecution, successes and failures as well as the final suspension of hostilities following his forced exile to the then Ivory Coast. Like William Shakespeare said, the good are often interred with their bones and so has this great forensic expose` into the soul of Biafra, unfortunately, died with the man who was Biafra alter-ego and its chief protagonist. Regrettably many Nigerians alive then and now, as well as future generations, have been robbed of a first hand percipient account of what truly happened during Biafra. According to his former ADC, “there’s virtually nothing that happened during the war period that he didn’t know about. He was determined to get justice for the people of the Eastern region. He laid his life down for our people, but unfortunately, many people did not get to know more about him. He never went to war for personal aggrandisement. At all times during the war, he was concerned about his people.”

Icheoku says this is what has been missing since the cessation of firearms hostility over thrity nine years ago - an account of the Biafran war by someone who actually knew something about the Biafran war. Unfortunately, the world may never know as death has permanently deprived humanity of such golden opportunity at history. Ikemba Nnewi and DIkedioranma of Igboland, the Peoples General Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu has died with his memories of the Biafra war which he prosecuted without getting the opportunity to chronicle same. He said he was going to write a memoir of the war but never got to doing it; except a manuscript exists somewhere to be published post-humus? Icheoku have noted and is writing an article on the lack of or not readily available chronicled history and/or biography of some very important Nigerians who changed or helped change the course of history in Nigeria while they lived. Sometimes Icheoku wonders what history professors at various Nigerian universities history departments are doing amidst such unexplored wild Alaskan history of Nigerian greats needing exploration? Good professors worthy of their pay and tenure would have produced several books on these subjects courtesy of handed assignments to their students and scholars. Term papers, projects and dissertations on these prominent Nigerians would have been enough with little proof-reading to make up so many books on the lives and history of these great men and women of Nigeria.

Take a look at the Nigerian landscape and you could hardly find historical books on Gani Fawehinmi, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Rotimi Williams, Tunde Igiadgon, MKO Abiola, CC Onoh, Balarabe Musa, Maitama Sule, Wole Soyinka, Tai Solarin, Beko Ransome Kuti, Sam Mbakwe, Ken Saro Wiwa, Sani Abacha, Muritala Mohammed, Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, Tony Anenih, Theophilius Danjuma, Ibrahim Dangote, Muhammadu Buhari, Shehu Shagari, Alex Ekwueme, Ojukwu, the brains behind Ojukwu Bunker, Ojukwu bucket, Uli airport lantern-illuminated landing strip and such other numerous life-changing events that took place in Nigeria. Such mimeographs would provide insight into these men, their challenges and how they overcame and resolved them and in turn provide a reference point for future generations. Icheoku asks where is the future in Nigeria when the past always dies with their actors without anything ever being transferred to posterity via books of how things were done, who did what, and why? It is called recorded history and biographies; and Nigerians are not doing well upholding this department of their society.

So as Icheoku and the rest of the reasonable and rational humanity in Nigeria particularly mourn the loss of the great one, in as much as we shall miss his colossal presence, the thing that will be sorely missed more is that promised excursion into the experience called Biafra which he never realized before he transited. Chief Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu would have done a terrific job educating Nigerians and the rest of the world about the futuristic Biafra as only he could have done; having led that heroic effort. Icheoku says Ojukwu was a man above men who was born before long before his time. He saw in 1967 what is happening in 2011 Nigeria as the wanton killing of Nigerians by their fellow Nigerians has not abated but is still taking place in Jos Plateau State Nigeria. What a man with audacity who called the bluff of the Northern bloody marauders, committing ethnic cleansing of the Igbos in Northern Nigeria and defended his manhood to protect his people. Icheoku states, without being immodest, that every Igbo man and woman, including the minorities of present day South-south, owe their freedom which they enjoy today to the bravery of the man who stood up to be counted when it mattered most. Chief Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu looked into the eyes of genocidal Yakubu Gowon and told him, the SLAUGHTER OF THE IGBOS MUST STOP and went to war to stop it. But for his bravado, Igbos would have either become extinct or conscript Allah-worshippers in Nigeria today. However all his war exploits are, but for few excerpts, forever lost due to his inability to get to the promised war memoir before death denied him the opportunity to truly and correctly state the case of Biafra. What a best seller this book of the Biafran War, a true account; from the man who should know, having led the effort would have been.

Anyway, the Ikemba is gone and with him, his Biafra War memoirs; but his spirit lives on in the hearts of millions of his admirers. The consolatory news is that the cloud of his death shall someday lift to reveal the way forward for Igbos of Nigeria without their beloved Ojukwu. After rain comes sunshine, dawn follows dusk and the Igbos shall survive the death of their beloved Ojukwu and emerge stronger. They are now made aware of their place in the entity called Nigeria as Ojukwu revealed to them what it means to be an Igbo man in Nigeria. The apostles survived the death of the risen Christ; the Yorubas survived the death of their Papa Awolowo and history is replete with such historical larger than life personalities that shaped and molded opinions, whose death to their beloved people, sounded like the end of the world. But from their death-ashes, rose a phoenix of a more dogged and determined people, championing the course which was imbibed in them by such their departed heroes. Igbos of Nigeria shall survive and have survived; and it does not matter what the genocidal Yakubu Gowon thinks or that the Otta deity shall wait for eternity for an apology for Biafra which shall never come or that the Theophilus Danjumas of Nigeria are mad that Ojukwu died a natural death and not a violent one as they would rather he did. Icheoku says it simply does not matter what any of these munchkins think, as Nigeria has become a joint project for all, with Igbos fully participating and going no where soon any longer. Nigeria is now Igbos own country and they will do better for am. So long, Dikedioranma of Igboland.

PUTIN AND MEDVEDEV, HOLDING RUSSIA HOSTAGE?

2011-12-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

Icheoku once again reiterates that mother Russia is simply too big and too advanced to be held captive by these two men. It does not matter how good they are or how well intentioned they might be; but for them to subject the Great Russia to their whims is indeed regrettable.

How dare Vladimir Putin and Dimitry Medvedev think rather arrogantly that without them there would be no Russia or that they are the best thing to happen to Russia after Vodka? Icheoku says it does not make sense for these two men to be playing ping-pong with Russia as there are millions of capable hands in Russia to pilot the affairs of the motherland. It is called democracy and it has no place for recycling or switching seats. Such joke is reserved for third world countries; except they are telling us that Russia has fallen so low?

HILLARY CLINTON'S NEW LOOK, TRIM AND RESPLENDENT.

2011-12-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

Icheoku says we don't know about you but the United States Secretary of State is sure spotting a new fresh look. During her recent visit to Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, Hillary Clinton looked a million dollars in her pulled back hair and well tailored blue suit as she met the democratic symbol of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi. Icheoku commends the terrific job Madam Secretary of States is doing globally and readily votes her the most successful Secretary in President Barack Obama team. Admitted other Secretaries are pulling their respective levers well too, but so many happenings in the world including the Arab Spring made Hillary a permanent fixture on our minds as we prayed for her to successfully navigate through the maze of those cascading challenges.

Madam Secretary, Icheoku likes the new look - younger, smarter and more appealing or should Icheoku confess, more appetizing. Hillary Clinton actually looked royal and queenly. Keep it up Madam Secretary as "HILLARY 2015" is almost around the corner to usher in the first United States of America female president. How about that HC? Before Icheoku forgets, her host did not look bad either and Icheoku commends her for being prepared to pay the price for her unabridged freedom. Well done Aung; your courage inspires millions world-wide.