GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: FOR WHO THE BELL TOLLS NEXT.

Just five people shy of Sandy Hook elementary school mass shooting incident that claimed 26 lives, the Uvalde Texas Robb elementary school mass shooting at 21 victims, now ranks among the highest grossing gun carnage in America. It is sad that such frequent blood spilling has tragically become part of our culture as a society. May the souls of the killed now rest.

25th AMENDMENT: ITS NOW ALL CRICKET.

Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi once questioned former President Donald John Trump's fitness to remain in office due to what she claimed was his declining mental capacity. Does anyone know what Madam Speaker presently thinks about the incontrovertible case which America is now saddled with? Just curious!

WHO WILL REBUILD UKRAINE?

The West should convert frozen Russian assets, both state's and oligarchs' owned, into a full seizure and set them aside for the future rebuilding of Ukraine. Like the Marshal Plan, call it the Putin Plan.

A HERO IS BORN.

I am staying put. I will not run away and abandon my people. The fight is here in Ukraine. What I need are weapons and ammunitions, not a ride out of town like former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani - President Volodymyr Zelensky.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

"There is too much hate in America because there is too much anger in America." - Trevor Noah.

WORD!

A life without challenges is not a life lived at all. A life lived is a life that has problems, confronts problems, solves problems and then learns from problems. - Tunde Fashola.

NOW, YOU KNOW.

When fishing for love, bait with your heart and not your brain, because you cannot rationalize love. - Mark Twain.

JUST THE FACT.

In our country, you can shoot and kill a nigger, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings - Dave Chappelle

DO YOU?.

“What you believe in can only be defined by what you’re willing to risk for it." - Stuart Scheller.

HEDGE YOUR CRISIS.

Never get in bed with a woman whose problems are worse than yours. - Chicago PD.

PROBLEM SOLVED.

'The best way to keep peace is to be ready to destroy evil. If you Pearl Harbor me, I Nagasaki you.' - Ted Nugent.

OUR SHARED HUMANITY.

Empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings. - Cardinal Matthew Kukah.

WORDS ON MARBLE.

"Birth is agony. Life is hard. Death is cruel." - Japanese pithy.

REPENT OR PERISH - POPE.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not ordained by God, therefore same sex marriage cannot be blessed by the church - Pope Francis.

CANCEL CULTURE IS CORROSIVE.


FOR SAKE OF COUNTRY.


MAGA LIVES ON: NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

TWITTER IS BORING WITHOUT HIS TWEETS. #RestorePresidentTrump'sTwitterHandle.


WORD.

"If you cannot speak the truth when it matters, then nothing else you says matters.” - Tucker Carlson.

#MeToo MOVEMENT: A BAD NEWS GONE CRAZY.

"To all the women who testified, we may have different truth, but I have a great remorse for all of you. I have great remorse for all of the men and women going through this crisis right now in our country. You know, the movement started basically with me, and I think what happened, you know, I was the first example, and now there are thousands of men who are being accused and a regeneration of things that I think none of us understood. I’m not going to say these aren’t great people. I had wonderful times with these people. I’m just genuinely confused. Men are confused about this issue. We are going through this #MeToo movement crisis right now in this country." - Harvey Weinstein.


RON DELLUMS: UNAPOLOGETICALLY RADICAL.

"If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” - Ron Vernie Dellums.


WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE - STEVE JOBS

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me. God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth. Memories precipitated by love is the only true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on. The most expensive bed in the world is the sick bed. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life. Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.” - SJ

EVIL CANNOT BE TRULY DESTROYED.

"The threat of evil is ever present. We can contain it as long as we stay vigilant, but it can never truly be destroyed. - Lorraine Warren (Annabelle, the movie)


ONLY THE POOR WISH THEY HAD STUFF?

“I’m not that interested in material things. As long as I find a good bed that I can sleep in, that’s enough.” - Nicolas Berggruem, the homeless billionaire.

Friday, January 15, 2010

HAITI APOCALYPSE, AFRICA YET TO SHOW SUPPORT TO A BROTHER IN DISTRESS!

Three long days after the catastrophic 7.3 magnitude earthquake incapacitated Haiti, no African country or the African Union has yet expressed or shown real support for the ongoing global effort at finding answers to those questions posed by the disaster. Practically every continent in the world from Asia to Europe to North America and South America, is already participating in the Haiti's effort except for motherland Africa!
Africa, whose sons and daughters populate the Hispaniola Island nation of Haiti, is still a no show in Haiti, despite the able leadership so far provided in managing the crisis by President Barack Obama of America. Continental Africa that should be the first to report to duty in a ravaged Haiti is still dragging its feet behind, yoked down by rudderless leaders and rulers who do not really understand what leadership means and fail or could not provide one. From Nigeria to South Africa to Egypt to Ghana, each is waiting for the other to decide if their assistance is needed in Haiti or whether they should leave the effort for the more well positioned bigger powers or to some extent, lacking the sense of direction as to what should be done in the circumstance? At least, there is something known as a widow's mite, and in as much as the world is not expecting Africa to bleed more than their blood content; at least they should do something in acknowledgment of the disaster effort. No matter how little, it did not bring itself and that is the only thing expected of a poor and afflicted Africa, yet they are not showing any understanding?
Haitians that were sold into slavery and dumped in the strange Island of Hispaniola by the French in 1667? Haitians who were subjugated, dehumanized and used as common slave laborers until they stood up to the French in 1791 and said, 'enough of the servitude!' The once proud and mighty Haitians, who humiliated the then fearsome Napoleon Bonaparte's army into a crest-fallen retreat back to Paris; securing their independence as the first black slaves emancipated country in 1805? Proud Africans of the Caribbean, who could no long stomach the arrogance of the French who took them away from their kindred in Africa, conscripted them into slavery as indentured farmers and tillers of plantations which supplied their excesses?The first black African slave colony to declare their independence, shortly following after America? A humiliated French with a superior navy, who in order to save face, conspired with other "white-men" Americans to levy a suffocating economic blockade on the nation of Haiti and extorted reparation from them for their lost slavery estates and holdings, and for 100 long years? Icheoku says, may be the land of Napoleon should be called upon now to reciprocate in kind, and bear the cost of fixing the today's broken Haiti in a reverse reparation of some sort? Imagine a 100 year king's ransom, converted to today's money with added interest, will be more than sufficient to rebuild Haiti from grounds up?
It will be recalled that Haiti was once the pride of the western hemisphere and the Caribbean and was also then prosperous? It is also instructive that when they forced the French out of the Hispaniola Island; the French fearful of also losing their then Louisiana territory to another revolution, hurriedly sold it off to America for $15million dollars at 3cents per acre? Just the facts, ma'am! It will also be recalled that the French had then sort and received America's support and help in blockading Haiti between 1820 to 1940; and that it was just in 1960 that America finally recognised Haiti as an independent neighboring country? So it is understandable when America says to Haiti, in its greatest hour of need that "you will not be forsaken or forgotten again"! Icheoku says, what a well thought-out and made, good statement, geared towards redressing the ills of the past in order to make things whole and straigthen the crooked roads? Now that we have had a little relation back excursion, journeying back into history's memory lane to trace the origin of present day Haiti, we must pivot back to the referenced subject, - 'Haiti's earthquake and attendant world help', without the Africans? Africans, whose Caribbean African brothers were just hammered by an unforgiving mother nature.
There is one country in black Africa which claims to be the giant of Africa; this country is notorious for its 419 operatives, drug-trafficking, kidnapping, corruption and most recently was branded a 'terrorist country of interest?" Nigeria, Icheoku asks you, where is your African brotherly support for fellow Africans in the Caribbean, trapped in the ruins of Haiti, three long days after the earth underneath them shook, trembled and quaked like a yo-yo? The rest of the world are already on the ground in Port-au-Prince trying to salvage all they can salvage and assisting Haiti pick up their pieces and also bury their dead? Africans are a no-show! Of all the countries already sweltering their butts out in Haiti, no black country is among them; and we are talking about a fellow black-country, going through one of the worst disaster in recorded history?
Icheoku calls on Nigeria to lead the African-charge and proceed immediately to contribute their own quota to the effort - a necessary step towards becoming a world-citizen country! It does not just lie in the mouth to proclaim oneself a giant, but shies away whenever some heavy-lifting or tasks needing a giant's strength comes up. Moreover Nigeria was recently rumoured to be interested in a United Nations security council seat, a step which sounds ok; and her contributions to a Haiti-paralysed, will go a long way in smooching itself back into the hearts of the voting members of the United Nations who will consider such move in a positive light. Moreso, after the ugly incident of December 25 involving Northern Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a strong presence and participation in the Haiti search and rescue/recover operation will definitely be a good step towards rehabilitating its forever damaged image. So where is Abuja in this Haiti hour of great need; and where are the Abuja henchmen or are they still occupied with succession fight for the office of the previously missing President Umaru Yar'Adua who recently appeared and spoke to a foreign media from his foreign hospital bed, a few days ago?
In conclusion, Icheoku says if African Union does not know what is expected of them regarding the tragedy of Haiti, that is very unfortunate; but their somewhat strong representation will go a long way in bridging the waters of the Atlantic? Also the quest by Libya's strongman 'King' Moummar Ghaddafi to unite Caribbean Africans with their motherland Africans will find merit in halls of Port-au-Prince as well as other prospective unifying countries? A brother in need is a brother indeed, so Haiti shall never forget those who helped it recover from its worst natural disaster. If however African Union is saddled with so much responsibility already within the continent in turmoil that they have nothing to spare in aid of Haiti, Nigeria should as matter of urgency and self-esteem, break free of the union and render some assistant to Haiti. Our recommendation, Nigeria should ship some 500 soldiers over to Port-au-Prince to join a one-world effort at rendering a brotherly help to a nation that could use all the help it could get under the circumstance.
If Icheoku recalls correctly, Nigeria gave Myanmar (Burma) $500 million dollars the last time they were in a financial ditch; so a check this time, made out to Haiti in the amount of at least $500 million dollars to assist a brother country, will be a fair-sized widow's mite? Considering the short and long term needs of this devastated Island country of just 9million people, 50,000 of who have now perished in the earthquake, that amount might as well be just an instalment down payment. Nigeria, do it on behalf of all black people all over the world, the motherland and as a thing of pride for continental African! Icheoku calls on the acting Nigerian president and vice president, Jonathan Goodluck to summon the Federal Executive Council and table the need for Nigeria to send immediate assistance to suffering Haiti. Let that Rush Limbaugh or Pat Robertson of Nigeria stand up to oppose such a fine idea in international diplomacy and let the world laugh him or her off the cliff. It is our firm belief that only a parochial, dumb and short-sighted member, if any, will object to or oppose this move, which is capable of erasing the 'sins of Nigeria' or at least some of them; especially the latest dishonor of becoming "a terrorist country of interest"? Icheoku says, sending assistance to Haiti is a good cause, Nigeria; so do it and now!

4 comments:

  1. Nigeria to help quake-hit Haiti
    Latest news
    Written by AbdulMutallib A. Abubakar & Tina A. Hassan
    Friday, 15 January 2010 03:13
    Vice President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed condolences to President René Préval and the people of Haiti over the devastating earthquake in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

    In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ima Niboro, Jonathan expressed Nigeria’s sympathy with Haiti, noting that Nigerians shared in the grief of their Haitian brothers and sisters.

    He said the international community can count on Nigeria’s support on the rebuilding of Haiti.

    Also Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Alhaji Jibril Maigari yesterday said Nigeria will donate food items and other relief materials to the people of Haiti who were hit by earthquake.

    Maigari told the BBC Hausa service that no Nigerian died in the disaster, adding that the country has been assured by the United Nations that all the 120 Nigerian Police officers serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti are safe.

    Also in a statement issued in Abuja, he said the ministry has been in touch with Nigeria High Commissioner to Jamaica Mr Peter Oyedele who was in Haiti to monitor the situation and confirmed that no Nigerian died in the unfortunate incident.

    The minister said Nigeria commiserates with the people of Haiti over the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that claimed over a thousand lives and rendered thousands homeless.

    "The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria expresses its condolences to the President and People of Haiti on the devastating earthquake," the minister said in a statement issued in Abuja.

    Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP) and other United Nations bodies are monitoring the distribution of food and other relief materials to Haitians after the country was devastated earthquake on Tuesday.

    FAO said it is "closely monitoring the situation on ground to get a clearer picture on the immediate impacts of food security and food production" as they deal with emergency food aid and nutrition.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SORRY, NIGERIAN LEADERS ARE TOO BUSY.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nigeria donates $1m to Haiti as fresh quake hits
    From Laolu Akande (New York), Azimazi Momoh) and John-Abba Ogbodo (Abuja)

    SENATE President, David Mark, announced yesterday that Nigeria had donated $1million to the people and government of Haiti to ameliorate the pains of the massive earthquake that ravaged the country.

    Mark's announcement was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw (Cross River State) and was accorded serious attention on the floor of the Senate.

    Mark told senators that Nigeria did not do much publicity about the donation like other countries were doing.

    The motion had asked for such donations but Mark quickly informed his colleagues that it was now belated because he had been informed by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan that the sum of $1million had been donated by Nigeria.

    Senators also agreed that each of them would voluntarily contribute money to be sent to Haiti for further assistance.

    Also through a motion moved by John Halims Agoda representing Ethiope federal constituency in Delta State to the effect that the House of Representatives should assist the people of Haiti affected by a recent earthquake, the chamber resolved that each of the 360 members should contribute N20, 000 each amounting to about N7.2 million.

    Nigeria Police officers are among United Nations international troops and police officers helping out in the devastated Haiti search, rescue and relief efforts, the secretariat of the world body has said, disclosing however that the actual death toll from the earthquake may never be known.

    Besides, at the UN Security Council where Nigeria is still few weeks old, the nation's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof. U. Joy Ogwu, was prominent among sponsors of a new UN Security Council resolution on Tuesday morning calling for more UN troops and police contributions to Haiti.

    Asked about the involvement of Nigerians in the UN Mission in Haiti, the UN Chief of Public Information in Haiti, David Wilmhurst, confirmed that "we have Nigeria Police who are actively engaging in Port-au-Prince."

    According to him, Nigerian Police officers are part of the patrolling in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince alongside other UN police force in the town.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AU Wants Strong African Solidarity for Haiti
    From Juliana Taiwo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 01.27.2010

    Add To Favorites
    Print This Article
    Post Comment

    Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mr. Jean Ping, has called for strong African solidarity with the people of Haiti.He reminded Member States that the country was ravaged by earthquake, an extraordinary disaster which affected the people of Haiti drastically, appealing to them to contribute in support of victims He informed member states at the official opening of the 19th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) at the headquarters of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that a Note Verbal to that effect was addressed to all the Heads of State of the African Union and that a similar letter was jointly published by the League of Arab States and himself, calling on African communities on the continent and the Diaspora to rally support behind the victims of the Haiti earthquake.


    He also disclosed that, a special account to collect funds from the African countries and free donors has been opened at the African Development Bank (AfDB) in order to ensure transparency in the channeling of the funds to the victims.
    “Many African countries have already sent their contributions”, he said, adding that a more detailed report of what has been done so far will be presented to the Heads of State during their 14th AU Assembly scheduled to take place from January 31 to February 2, 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he said.”

    Meanwhile, the Third Pre-Summit of African Union (AU) on Gender has recommended that AU offices on Gender be opened in areas of conflict to be more involved in creating awareness on the role of gender in the peace keeping processes.
    It has also emphasised the need to increase and strengthen the participation of civilian and military women in peace processes and decision-making on the continent. FEC's Actions are Illegal, Say

    ReplyDelete