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.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

TAIWAN'S FORMER PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN, IMPRISONED FOR LIFE!

Call it obsession if you like, but the only reason corruption have eaten so deep into the body-fabric of the Nigerian polity and still metastasizing, is Nigerians lack of determined deterrence! There is a lack of consequence for criminality which is the reason Olusegun Obasanjo is still walking the landscape of Nigeria, a free man!
In a civilized society where corruption is frowned at like Taiwan, Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo would have long been put away for life in prison for his atrocities in office. And were Nigeria to be Taiwan's mighty neighbour and big brother across the strait, Olusegun Obasanjo would have since been tied at a stake and shot to death for what he did wrong while in office. But no, he is a Nigerian and one of the henchmen-marauders therein; who are holding Nigeria hostage since Independence in 1960?
That his inept, highly corrupt and mischievous eight years in office is being celebrated as if it was just yet another eight years of picnic in the park and not being held to account is another example of Nigerians behaving badly and condoning looting by another section of the country! Icheoku says, until Nigeria starts getting tough with her corrupt officials just like the Taiwan example, the world can only look on and lament the appetite for corruption and the level of corruption bedevilling Nigeria; and then bemoan the lack of will to eradicate it, even to an acceptable barest minimum.
Icheoku asks, is there any lesson learned by Nigeria from what happened in Taipei with the life sentence handed over yesterday to a former president for his corrupt practices? Taiwan Ex-President Chen Shui-bian was sentenced alongside his wife, who would qualify were it in Nigeria, as the first lady! The learned court in Taiwan has figured out that first ladies are always welding too much powers in their husband's administration - the example of Turai Yar'Adua of Nigeria; and decided to similarly hold her accountable for the sins of office of her husband. Their children were not spared the rod by the courst either, as evidence abound of the excesses of such first children as then Segun Obasanjo?
In addition to his life imprisonment, the former President Chen Shui-bian was ordered to pay fine to the Taiwan state, the sum of $200 million Taiwanese-dollars as a restitution to the nation for corruption and money laundering he engaged in while serving in office as president. The court also yanked all his civil rights including right to stand for an election or vote for or be voted for! Far reaching and the Nigerian courts need to brace this stare decisis! There was also a standing threat to confiscate his assets in event he fails to pay his fines. Gladly enough his wife, the former first lady was equally yoked with her husband in his punishment, until death do them apart. Not even the former president's closest advisers were spared as they too received heavy sentences including his very close adviser Ma Yung-cheng, who received 20 years in prison and lost his civil rights for ten years. Another aide was sentenced to 16 years.
Icheoku says, kudos to the Taipei District Court, the prosecutors and the people of Taiwan for holding your former president accountable. The proposition now is 'if the former president could be made to account for his corruption, who else in Taiwan is above reproach? The answer is none, hence every other lesser Taiwanese mortal will strive to be upright; knowing fully well that he or she is such a small fly for the laws of Taiwan having seen the hand that was dealt their former president. The way to go Taiwan as no person should be allowed to be above the law of the land; - the example of the Untied States of America. But unlike Nigeria, where corruption has grown into an 800-pounds gorilla and still fattening! Icheoku is particularly happy with what went down at Taipei because of the example it showed, and pray the former president received a fair trial.
The Taiwanese verdict is very reflective of a country that is serious with fighting corruption and not Nigeria, which hamstrings its own anti-corruption agency, EFCC; and frustrates it from going after well known highly corrupt officials who are well connected? Also it shows that it is usually not only the president that is corrupt; but a retinue of hangers-on who disappear as soon as his curtain of power falls; and turn around to blame the president for all the ills of society as if he acted alone! Like Judas Iscariot, they always and easily betray the person who lost out in the power struggle and hurriedly form new alliances with the new man of power; which shames the word, loyalty.
Once again the Taipei court's sweeping decision, holding the president, his wife, children, friends and advisers accountable, shows a court well grounded in the realities of a president's life. No president acts alone or by himself in isolation, engages in corruption; no they are usually goaded, aided and assisted by numerous hangers-on and egomaniac family members, who try to cash in on their God-given access to the president, and bilk people seeking contracts and contacts in the government mercilessly. Icheoku salutes the courage of the Taiwanese judiciary for taking on such a political elephant and also the political establishment, for allowing the rule of the law to take its place! At this sage it does not matter if the planned appeal succeeds, as the Taiwanese state proves that the law is no respecter of person. The Taiwanese society is better off today with the judgment. Way to go Taiwan!

1 comment:

  1. Well, there are some issues as to whether or not the current Taiwanese President is pro-China and thus supporting their retaliation against Shui-Bian. But regardless, the fact that Taiwan could send a former President to jail for corruption definitely forces us Nigerians to take a closer look at our own country and failures at anti-corruption.

    I enjoyed your post and also wrote about Shui-Bian with regard to Nigeria.

    Take care.

    ReplyDelete