Top Stories
Fake
crash helmets flood Nigeria
By
OUR REPORTERS
COMMUTERS are in for more hectic times as the seeming genuine drive by the
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to check-mate carnage on Nigerian roads
through its order for the compulsory use of crash helmet for motor-cycle riders
has opened a can of worms. As the order issued about three months took effect
on January 1, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) quickly placed an
advertorial on specifications for the crash helmets the cyclists, popularly
known as okada riders, and their passengers ...
Balarabe Musa explodes!
THE epoch
presidential election ruling is a testimony that Nigerian opposition parties
are weak and opportunistic. If not so, the Supreme Court ruling which he said
was a legal exercise that lacked the peoples legitimacy could not have been...
N40m
Scholarship scam rocks Borno
From SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
MIRACULOUS disappearance of N40 million from the vaults of Borno State Scholarship
Board of the State Ministry of Education has been blamed for the inability
of West African Examination Council (WAEC/NECO) to release 2007 Statement
or results of all the indigenous students thereby robbing them of admission...
Unspent
Funds: Contract scams rock ministries
From CHUKS EHIRIM; Abuja
BIDDING to conceal their inadequacies and avert punishment, federal ministries
which under utilised their votes have flouted the directive of President Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua, that all unspent funds from last year's budget be returned
to the...
NEWS
• Oyakhilome charges Nigerians
to be patriotic, shun violence
• NNDC changes focus
• Man of the Year 2008: Kudos
for National Daily on Oshiomhole
• Baby Victoria leaves for
corrective heart surgery in India
• Senate gets request for four
new states
• Ekaette, N/Delta Minister
a spent force –Urhobo leader
• Tanker driver stabs motorist
to death
• Oil melt-down, good omen
for Nigeria –Businessman
• Kogi
goes tough on crime
• Operations of Ijebu North
LG Council suspended
• 1999 Constitution Review:
Rep slams NASS leadership over N1bn allocation
• Resilience, unity will
see Nigeria through 2009 – Gov Daniel
• Lawmakers query commissioners
on 2008 budget allocation
• Police have reduced crime
rate, says commissioner
• NGO to curb pipeline vandalism
• Speaker urges Nigerians
to live in peace, harmony
• Gov Oshiomhole dares lawmakers
over sacked workers
•Gov Jang held hostage at
Budget presentation
• Jos riot is poverty-motivated
–Gov Yuguda
• Beneficiaries of Harmony
Estate laud Gov Saraki
• House Minority Leader distributes
N100 million poverty alleviation materials
• Mother of five commends
Ohakim for free Xmas ride
When will Bush be arraigned
By RAHMAN RAHEEM
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension but the presence
of justice”
–Martin Luther King Jrn (1929-1968)
IF there is one burden the whole world has had to live with and endure since
the close of the Second World War (1939-1945), it is the aggressive foreign
policies and murderous tendencies of successive administrations of the United
States (US) , the self-acclaimed prefects of the world. Many foreign Heads
of State have been murdered by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), some
like former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro (who even went into the record books
for escaping about a hundred assassination attempts all masterminded by the
US and succeeding many American presidents all of whom planned to kill him)
had escaped, many countries had been unjustly invaded, military support had
been given to warring parties to bring down their neighbours or rivals. Based
on this, the fact that the country has a history of claiming to be the world's
Biggest Brother remains a puzzle.
May be that is why some Nigerians were reported to have widely celebrated
the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon. Even though
I don't subscribe to that because we don't have to condemn evil only when
it happens to us, this shows the resentment any mention of the US generates
among the people of the world especially the Muslims. And may be the reason
the country has been consistent over the decades in executing evil around
the world is the fact that unnecessary and senseless war is only (and has
been so far) a crime for non- US citizens. This is because many nationals
of other countries have been tried (while some have been jailed) for causing
the death of others in needless wars…
There was Fonday Saybana Sankoh (1937-2003), the founder of RUF (Revolutionary
United Front) in the 11-year Sierra-Leone war (1991-2001) where over 50,000
people died and about 500,000 displaced. He was a Corporal in the country's
Army before he alongside Abu Kanu and Rashid Mansaray formed the rebel group
(both of whom he ordered their execution for criticizing his “Operation
Pay Yourself” where troops were encouraged to loot anything they could
find) and masterminded rape, arson, amputations and mass murder during the
war. When the UK and ECOMOG forces waded in and got Sankoh, he was handed
to the British and under jurisdiction of a UN-backed court, he was indicted
on 17 counts for various war crimes, including crimes against humanity, rape,
sexual slavery and Genocide. He later died of complications arising from a
stroke whilst awaiting trial. I can remember vividly a statement by the then
chief prosecutor, David Crane of the UN backed war crimes court, that Sankoh's
death granted him "a peaceful end that he denied to so many others”.
This is a good example of someone who was made to pay for his sins against
mankind even though he didn't wait for conviction.
There was also Slobodan Milosevic (1941-2006), former President of Serbia
(1989-1997) and later President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1997-2000)
who died in the War Crimes prison in The Hague after five years of standing
trial for 'crimes against humanity, violating the laws or customs of laws,
grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and genocide for his role during the
wars in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo'. He died of blood pressure and heart
attack after he accused the court of refusing his request to make a medical
trip to a cardiology clinic in Moscow , though, the court responded that he
himself refused to take prescribed medicines but instead, chose to medicate
himself. This is another example of a man who was made to suffer for his 'crimes'.
Back to Africa, there is the veteran Liberian warlord and former President
(1997-2003), Charles McAthur Ghankay Taylor who is currently standing trial
at a UN-backed court on a 650- count charge of war crimes and is presently
detained at the United Nations Detention Unit on the premises of the Penitentiary
Institution in The Hague . This is a good case of someone who is being made
to pay for his marvellous contribution to the misfortune of the world.
And recently, former Army Colonel, Theoneste Bagosora was sentenced to life
in prison for his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide that wiped out more than
500,000 lives.
He was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by United Nations
judge, Erik Moses. The former Director of Rwanda's Ministry of Defence, organized
and armed the Interahamwe militia and directed Hutu soldiers to kill Tutsis
and moderate Hutus.
The court also found Bagosora responsible for the deaths of former Rwandan
Prime Minister, Agathe Uwilingiyimana and 10 Belgian peacekeepers.His co-defendants,
former Military Commanders, Anatole Nsegiyumva and Alloys Ntabakuze were also
found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced
to life in prisons. Protais Zigiranyirazo had earlier been sentenced to 20
years in prison for organizing a massacre of hundreds of Tutsis. Again, a
case of people whose dirty past has sent to modern day Golgotha .
Now, George Walker Bush, former Texas Governor (1995-2000) and outgoing US
president has succeeded in causing the death of millions of people in Afghanistan,
Iraq, Lebanon and others and no one is talking yet about how to arraign him
before a UN- backed Criminal Court after his tenure elapses at 16A Pennsylvania
Avenue (White House) by noon on January 20th.
Among his countless atrocities against God and humanity, the invasion of Iraq
on 20th of March, 2003 was most questionable. He against the wise counsel
of everyone including Nelson Mandela (who even called him a Bushman for the
invasion) and karol Jozef wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) proceeded to bomb Baghdad
and started what has led to the death of millions of people in avoidable circumstances.
His inordinate ambition in the country was obvious when UN atomic agency went
to the country many times and did not see anything like Weapons of Mass Destruction
(WMD), yet, he insisted that his own (false) intelligence could see the destructive
weapons. Now that his so-called intelligence has turned to foolishness by
his own admission, what is the United Nations waiting for or is there any
difference between him and others who have been tried for war crimes?
But now that the world most distinguished terrorist has had his way -Saddam
now out and US lackey in charge and satisfied his devilish taste for human
blood, he is now retreating by saying it was a mistake since his CIA intelligence
was incorrect.
•Raheem wrote from Kogi
