New Montgomery County Councilmember (Democrat, At-Large) Laurie-Anne Sayles has an interesting Chief of Staff.
Mr. Ikheloa has his own Wikipedia page / entry and claims he is a prominent “literary critic” who has worked in the “American civil service since 1984.”
Indeed, Mr. Ikheloa has worked for many years in the “civil service”, mainly with the MCPS Board of Education. An article from 2018 is excerpted below:
Is Nancy Navarro one of the “more admirable leaders in Maryland”? That is to be debated. Navarro claimed a lot “success” but left Montgomery County with more debt and more economic stagnation, and less security / public safety after her multiple terms on the County Council.
After being chief of staff for Navarro, who was thankfully and finally term-limited last year, it appears Mr. Ikheloa then stuck around some more, and is now the chief of staff for councilmember Sayles. Do we need term limits on county “chiefs of staff” too?
Anyways, Mr. Ikheloa also writes a blog, and is pretty outspoken on Nigeria, race, former President Donald Trump, politics and more. Here are some of the more fascinating “hot takes” from the writer and councilmember’s chief of staff, writing “loudly”:
“Mr. Trump’s racist rants provide an opportunity for Western liberals and indeed all thought leaders to deploy a new mindset that forces African leaders and intellectuals to accept some responsibility for their horrid actions in Africa. Trump is a racist but, sadly, there is some truth to his bluster.” – Beyond Mr. Trump’s Africa: An opportunity to truly engage Africa, Posted on April 6, 2018 by Ikhide R. Ikheloa
“It is hard not to reflect on how in the 21st century, precious little has changed, how much of black Africa reels still under black-on-black oppression. Are today’s Nigerian intellectuals and writers not the new interpreters, stuffing their mouths with loot even as they say all the right things? The more things change, the more things stay the same.” – Okey Ndibe’s America: Joyous tales, mistaken identities, crumbling walls and new worlds, Posted on April 17, 2017 by Ikhide R. Ikheloa
In Sweet Stolen Waters, every sentence is a deliberate work of art communicating something – with flair and attitude. There are all these sentences writhing with energy, turgid from sexual suggestiveness. This book is horny. When Aribisala riffs on plantains, the reader’s loins stir with longing and wonder…” Nigeria is not a country: Of ogbono, snails, sex, eccles, and hell’s longing, Posted on February 5, 2017 by Ikhide R. Ikheloa
“Hurricane Trump is racing through America’s catacombs and wreaking major havoc on her anxieties and hypocrisy. This one is for the history books. The Lord is good, the (white) women of America may have finally stopped Hurricane Trump, yes, Trump the bully, Trump the bigot, and Trump the racist. Make no mistake, America reveres her (white) goddesses. Trump found out the following last week: You can make monkey noises at black men and women, you can body shame Mexicans and call their men rapists and America will look you in the eyes and make polite noises, you can call all Muslims terrorists and berate their women. Just don’t defile (white) women, for if you do, you will hear from (white) America. Yup. Trump found out last week.” Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Trump, Hurricane Aso Rock, and the silence of lambs, Posted on October 9, 2016 by Ikhide R. Ikheloa
