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.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Nigeria - the way forward!


The agitation of Islamist Buhari and other presidential candidates as well as international and local bodies over the shoddiness of the last 2007 election in Nigeria cannot and must not be continuously ignored by the powers at Aso Rock. Instability or appearance of it is a bad omen for any government and this suspended state of inertia cannot go on ad infinitum but must be checked conclusively in order to move Nigeria forward. To treat the simmering conundrum as a non starter or none issue is like sweeping lighted dynamite under the carpet without first immobilizing the fuse.

“President” Yaradua should be a statesman and address the Nigerian nation accordingly; as he cannot continue to ignore the current mumblings and rumblings following the sham election that brought him to office! To do so will be foolhardy and will smack of a conniving accomplice in the evil conspiracy that foist him on Nigeria. Yaradua cannot continue to wish the agitations will simply go away or that the smoldering embers will never ignite into an inferno. No, this uneasiness is the albatross astriding his government and no matter how long it takes, without a conclusive and comprehensive resolution, might lead to undesirable consequences. Several people were wronged and for this, there is a need for atonement, which an apology portends.

It is in the best interest of Yaradua and Nigeria in general, that her “president” made this overture and accordingly address the nation as follows:-

“Fellow country men and women, I Alhaji Musa Yaradua, “president” of Nigeria hereby, unequivocally and in order to move Nigeria forward, apologize for the shoddiness of the last 2007 elections in Nigeria. Admitted that I did not bring it about, but being a product of that election, I take full responsibility thereto.
Be that as it may, Nigeria must move forward and I intend to steer the ship of state, which good fortune has trusted under my care, with every marksmanship possibly and safely too. To this end therefore, I wish to call upon my fellow compatriots, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar, Mohammed Buhari, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Patrick Utomi as well as other presidential candidates in the last 2007 election to make needed sacrifices in the interest of Nigeria continued corporate existence. It is not too much to ask for, and I urge them to accept albeit “conditionally”, the outcome of the last 2007 election without further agitations whatsoever. This “condition” is that there SHALL be a drastic reform in INEC to forever checkmate such shoddiness in our future elections. Also, if it is convenient for them, I will like to see them participate fully in the anticipated reformation of INEC and in any suitable capacity whatsoever. I implore them to see this as a noble sacrifice made for the love of Nigeria and nothing more. Further, they should understand that there is no other more meaningful rational alternative; the need to avoid a total breakdown of law and order being adequately assessed.”

“Thank you, fellow country men and women.”

Commentary/Addendum

That “President Yaradua’s populist policies are ingratiating him in the hearts of Nigerians is not the shot in the arm for his “illegitimacy” and should not be a banner justifying the manner of his ascendancy to the seat of power. There was an apparent wrong done to other contestants by the machinery and for this, Yaradua should apologize. To do otherwise will be to add impetus to the cliché which says that the end justifies the means. Were this to be the case, then the whole world would be celebrating the likes of Robin Hood as well as Monday Osunbor Aninih (the infamously-fabled dare devil bandit of Bendel State of yore) for giving back their loot to the poorest of the poor of the society. “President” Yaradua seemingly is on track but the end should not be allowed to justify the means which brought him to power. President Yaradua should take a step further from his mere acknowledgment of the deficient election process to tendering a full fledged unreserved apology to his fellow presidential candidates and Nigerians in general. His apology is not necessarily for what he did but for what was done on his behalf to which he is a beneficiary.

Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar should show some magnanimity and accept Yaradua’s apology; taking pride in the fact that his activism helped to force the “gorilla of Otta” out of his third term perversion. That he saved Nigerians from four more horrendous years of torture, state mayhem and state of hopelessness is enough material to compose an eloquent epitaph at his final hour. Atiku should do it also for the memory his friendship with the late elder brother of the “president”, Shehu Musa Yaradua’s. Finally Atiku should accept the apology in the overall interest of Nigeria knowing fully well that there is no other meaningful alternative way forward.

The Islamist Muhammed Buhari, whom I really do not care about because of his antecedents – he executed Bartholomew Owo and co based on a retroactive military decree; and also his unexplained involvement in the unsolved mystery surrounding the fifty three (53) suitcases that were ferreted out of Murtala Muhammad airport during the currency exchange of 1983 without necessary custom check and inspection; should also accept the apology. Buhari should do this for his “love” for Nigeria and to prove to the whole world that his fight for real-election is not about personal ego or selfishness but to protect and save the infantile democracy in Nigeria. He should be a statesman too!

Baring this concession apology from Yaradua, the agitation should go on. Apology is magical and has a way of placating the hurt – President Bill Clinton apologized to the American people to save himself during the Monica-gate scandal. It is about time someone is held accountable in Nigeria; - all these often “lets move on” parody does not solve anything. People must be made to realize that certain fundamental rights are sacred and should not be trampled upon. That people of Nigeria are not fools and cannot be led by the nose all the time. “President” Yaradua should apologize and Atiku and Buhari should accept same on behalf of other presidential candidates and by extension Nigeria.

Our own darling maverick, the phenomenal Orji Uzor Kalu, another presidential candidate of immense clout has already recognized Yaradua’s presidency; hence he does not necessarily need an apology.


NB:- this writer discussed only the serious presidential candidates comprising those who has nationwide name recognition as well as those who won some respectable offices for their parties in the last “selection” aka election 2007. So speaketh MENIRU!

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