WE MUST RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW

Francis Akenami

Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "the Juice", is a retired American football player, broadcaster and actor. Simpson’s trial in 1995 was heralded as the trial of the century. Popularly known as OJ Simpson, he was then a black American celebrity who beat double homicide after being accused of murdering ex-wife (a white lady) and her boyfriend. OJ assembled the best defense team in history money could buy led by the brilliant and flamboyant lawyer Johnny Cochran. There was a lot of evidence and the case was treated as a celebrity case with all the glitterati you can imagine.

In their desperation to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, one of the prosecutor witnesses a CIA officer planted some evidence by wiping the hand-gloves found at the murder scene on OJ’s car just to get even more fingerprint and biological specimen evidence. The case became really tense and also became a ‘we versus them’ case (that is, white versus black).

After almost two months of evidence review and television entertainment of the most widely televised court trial in human history; it took the jury only about 4 hours to reach a unanimous verdict. What was the killer punch? During the trial, both the prosecution team and the defense team had agreed to allow OJ try on the gloves found at the double homicide scene. The gloves could not fit into the hands of OJ Simpson. An excited Johnny Cochran, the lead defense attorney declared “if it doesn’t fit, you must acquit."

The Jury unanimously declared OJ Simpson not guilty. Blacks were celebrating victory, while whites cried openly at the travesty of justice. However, the rule of law was respected.

FAST FORWARD TWELVE YEARS LATER

The popular OJ Simpson had collected a lot of valuable items many of which bore his signature. Someone stole some of those items and took them to a hotel for sale in 2007. A friend of OJ saw the items and called OJ informing him that his items that were stolen were in a hotel and were on offer for sale.

OJ was very angry. He went there with a friend and he took his gun with him. He went into the hotel, accosted the guy who stole his items and forcefully recovered the items at gun point. The POLICE was called in.

In September 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with numerous felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping. In 2008, he was found guilty and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment. The man who beat double homicide was tried for attempting to recover his valuables that were stolen and was sentenced to 33 years jail term as I write this piece. OJ is likely to spend the rest of his life in jail at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. Yet again, the people respected the rule of law.

God’s time is the best!!

Gamaliel Onosode: The exit of Mister Integrity

ON Friday October 16, 2015, leading members of corporate Nigeria, family members and well-wishers gathered in Lagos to bid farewell to a man who had variously been described as Mr Clean, Mr Integrity, Mr Straight and Mr Honesty.
These descriptions underlined the fact that the late Mr Gamaliel Offoritsenere Onosode was indeed a rare breed who through his life time exhibited an upright disposition, a quality which is not common among many Nigerians of his generation.

Onosode

Only few Nigerians have ventured as he did into the seemingly murky business and political terrains in Nigeria as active players and emerged untainted.
So his death on September 29, 2015, at the age of 82 years was the loss of an inspirational leader. Onosode epitomised those qualities that Nigerians often desire to see in their leaders but which have remained ever so elusive. He was a man of strong character and deep convictions governed by decency; a man who proudly espoused an ennobling vision of life. He believed that morality is central in business and politics.
This had nothing to do with the fact that he was a devout Christian and founder of Good News Baptist Church.
Born on May 22, 1933 in Sapele, Delta State, his journey through life was to become an interesting tale of enviable accomplishments in varying fields of human endeavour. He attended the Government College, Ughelli and the University of Ibadan. Soon after, he ventured into the corporate environment where he emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading chief executives and highly successful boardroom players.
He chaired several private and public sector businesses and initiatives. For instance he served as Chairman, Dunlop Nigeria Plc (1984–2007); Cadbury Nigeria Plc (1977–93); Zain Nigeria (a GSM telecommunications company now known as Airtel); the Presidential Commission on Parastatals (1981), the Nigeria LNG Working Committee and Nigeria LNG Limited (1985–90) and the Niger Delta Environmental Survey.
Onosode was the Presidential Adviser on Budget Affairs and Director of Budget (1983); the inaugural President of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Uyo and President and Chairman of Council of the Association of Pension Funds of Nigeria. He was also a fellow of several local and international professional bodies and institutes.
Onosode became particularly famous as chairman of a Nigerian Commission on Public Parastatals whose work became known as the Onosode Report. He was also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), and his foray into politics was meant as an avenue to demonstrate the fact that good Christians should go into politics to practicalise what they preach.
We wish him eternal rest.
Source: Vanguard

The Largest Aircraft of The World

The title of the largest aircraft in the world belongs the Soviet Union, since the Antonov An-225 Mriya was designed and built during the Cold War, it’s still the largest aircraft of the world.

The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a strategic airlift cargo aircraft, designed by the Soviet Union’s Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980s. The An-225’s name, Mriya means “Dream” (Inspiration) in Ukrainian. It is powered by six turbofan engines and is the longest and heaviest aircraft ever made with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. It also has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. The single example built bears the civil registration UR-82060 of its Ukrainian operator. A second airframe was partially built; its completion has been halted due to lack of funding and interest. The Antonov An-225, originally developed specifically to transport the Buran spaceplane, was an enlargement of the successful Antonov An-124. The first An-225 was completed in 1988 and remains in commercial operation with Antonov Airlines carrying oversized payloads. The airlifter holds the absolute world records for an airlifted single item payload of 189,980 kilograms (418,834 pounds), and an airlifted total payload of 253,820 kilograms (559,577 pounds). It has also transported a payload of 247,000 kilograms (545,000 pounds) on a commercial flight.

General characteristics

• Crew: 6
• Length: 84 m (275 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 0 in)
• Height: 18.1 m (59 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 905 m2 (9,740 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 8.6
• Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,317 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,410,958 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 300000 kg
• Cargo hold – volume 1,300m3, length 43.35m, width 6.4m, height 4.4m
• Powerplant: 6 × ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 850 km/h (528 mph; 459 kn)
• Cruising speed: 800 km/h (497 mph; 432 kn)
• Range: 15,400 km (9,569 mi; 8,315 nmi) with maximum fuel; range with maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)
• Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,089 ft)
• Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m2 (135.8 lb/sq ft)
• Thrust/weight: 0.234

BreakingNews: Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepriye Alamieyeseigha is dead

According to a  family source , ” the former Governor had been ill, leading to the failure of his two kidneys.”
“After several hours in coma, Alamieyeseigha passed on on Saturday afternoon” the source added.

Ministerial screening: Senate has power to set conditions – Presidency

With just four days to the Tuesday date for the screening and possible confirmation of the ministerial nominees, the Presidency has said the Senate is empowered by the constitution to set its criteria and conditions for the screening of prospective ministers.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, stated this on Friday while speaking with reporters in Abuja.


The Senate has set October 13, 14 and 15 as the dates for screening of 21 ministerial nominees submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Enang, who was answering question on the demand of the Senate that ministerial nominees must submit certified true copy of their assets declaration forms, said the Senate is free to set its criteria for the screening of ministerial nominees appearing before it.

He noted that the nominees are expected to comply with whatever standard, principles, measures, norms or conditions set by the Senate in the course of their screening.


He said, “The Senate is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is free to set its criteria for the screening of the nominees appearing before it. Our job is to make sure that we work with the respective senators and the nominees to make sure that the senators are satisfied and agree with the nomination.

“We will not dispute with the Senate what they want because it absolutely lies in the heart and mind of the respective and distinguished senators to determine what questions to ask.

“The senators are free to ask questions just like the nominees are equally free to answer them.

“The senators are within their rights to request for what they want.

On the gains of the recent meeting between President Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly, he said the meeting had further cemented the mutual relationship between the two arms of government.

Ranking Every U.S. President By Net Worth

There’s no doubt about it: being the U.S. president is a hard and often thankless job. Richard Nixon famously said, “Scrubbing floors and emptying bedpans has as much dignity as the Presidency.”
But being president also has amazing perks (Air Force One!), and most presidents have been financially well-off. In fact, the average net worth of a U.S. president ($62 million) is more than 200 times the average net worth of a U.S. adult ($301,000). It pays to be president.
Using the most recent data from 24/7 Wall St., InsideGov ranked every U.S. president by net worth, from lowest to highest. 24/7 Wall St. relied primarily on historical records to value each president’s assets and adjusted all numbers for inflation. They included factors such as land and property, income, inheritance, and book royalties in their calculation.
Overall, presidential wealth has gone through several notable trends. Many of the earlier presidents made their fortunes before entering the White House, largely through land speculation. In contrast, many of the modern presidents came into office modestly wealthy, but significantly boosted their finances through subsequent book deals and public speaking.
*Note: the rankings are 1-43 because Grover Cleveland was president twice. All values are expressed in 2010 dollars and adjusted for inflation.

The Poorest Presidents: #43-35

Net Worth: <$1 million

• James Buchanan
• Abraham Lincoln
• Andrew Johnson
• Ulysses S. Grant
• James Garfield
• Chester A. Arthur
• Woodrow Wilson
• Calvin Coolidge
• Harry S. Truman

This group of nine won the presidency but never found significant wealth. Interestingly, six of these poorest presidents served in the period between 1857-1881. Clearly, the years before and after the Civil War were a tough time to be Commander-in-Chief.

Warren G. Harding #34

Net Worth: $1 million
Harding’s tenure as president ended abruptly when he died from heart failure during his second year of office. Before that, he had earned income primarily from a local newspaper he owned.

William McKinley #33

Net Worth: $1 million
With the exception of his presidential salary, McKinley had no other significant sources of income. McKinley’s presidency took a tragic turn on September 14th, 1901 when he was assassinated–he served in office for 4.5 years.

Franklin Pierce #32

Net Worth: $2 million
Outside his presidency, Pierce had success as an attorney and owned land in New Hampshire. Compared to others on this list, though, Pierce’s net worth and political record are rather unexceptional.

William Howard Taft #31

Net Worth: $3 million
Taft might have been the heaviest U.S. president–he allegedly got stuck in the bathtub–but his net worth was one of the lightest. “Big Bill” gained most his wealth from a long career in law.

Rutherford B. Hayes #30

Net Worth: $3 million
President Hayes doesn’t have a particularly impressive legacy, but he did own a majestic estate in Ohio. Like many other U.S. presidents of his time, Hayes also had success as an attorney.

Millard Fillmore #29

Net Worth: $4 million
Fillmore has the distinction of being the last president from the Whig Party. His main financial asset was his estate in New York.

Benjamin Harrison #28

Net Worth: $5 million
Outside his presidency, Harrison was an esteemed lawyer, who owned valuable property in Indiana. Some of his wealth was also passed down from his grandfather, President William Henry Harrison.

William Henry Harrison #27

Net Worth: $5 million
The older Harrison may have the same net worth as his grandson, but his presidency was far more abrupt. After delivering his inaugural speech in freezing rain, Harrison succumbed to pneumonia. His 23-day presidency is the shortest in U.S. history. Harrison’s fortune primarily comes from the estate of his wife’s family.

Zachary Taylor #26

Net Worth: $6 million
Before Taylor could make much of an impact as president, he died suddenly of gastroenteritis. He served in office for just over a year. Despite his untimely end, Taylor had amassed a small fortune from land speculation.

Jimmy Carter #25

Net Worth: $7 million
Before his presidency, Carter was a respected peanut farmer. But his real wealth came after his presidency in the form of lucrative book deals.

Gerald Ford #24

Net Worth: $7 million
Ford had the challenging task of taking over the White House after President Nixon resigned. Like Carter, Ford made most of his fortune from book deals after his presidency.

Barack Obama #23

Net Worth: $7 million
The leader of the free world currently makes $400,000 a year–about as much as a high-level banker. While he can enjoy his salary until 2016, Obama has made most of his money from his two best-selling books.

Dwight Eisenhower #22

Net Worth: $8 million
In addition to his eight years as president, Eisenhower was a celebrated military commander and president of Columbia University. His largest financial asset was his large estate in Pennsylvania.

James K. Polk #21

Net Worth: $10 million
Polk’s accomplishments as president are often overlooked, but the one-term wonder successfully led the nation to victory in the Mexican-American War, restored the Treasury, and reduced tariffs. His landholdings were similarly impressive.

Ronald Reagan #20

Net Worth: $13 million
A successful Hollywood actor, Reagan starred in over fifty movies before his presidency and served as spokesman for GE. Post-presidency, Reagan found further success with a lucrative book deal.

Richard Nixon #19

Net Worth: $15 million
Though the Watergate scandal tarnished Nixon’s legacy, it also led to some high-paying book deals and interviews. In fact, British talk-show host David Frost paid $600,000 for a series of interviews with “Tricky Dick.”

John Adams #18

Net Worth: $19 million
The second Commander-in-Chief had a rocky presidency. Losing his reelection to rival Thomas Jefferson was a major defeat for Adams. Nevertheless, Adams was a renowned attorney and married into a wealthy family.

George W. Bush #17

Net Worth: $20 million
Before entering politics, Bush had success in the oil industry and as a co-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team. Bush currently makes revenue from his books and public speaking engagements.

John Quincy Adams #16

Net Worth: $21 million
As the son of John Adams, Quincy Adams had big shoes to fill. Like his father, Quincy Adams was a controversial president and lost reelection. He inherited most of his fortune, but also had success as a lawyer.

George H. W. Bush #15

Net Worth: $23 million
Like his son, Bush Sr. worked in the oil industry before entering the White House. He also owns significant property in Maine.

Grover Cleveland #14

Net Worth: $25 million
Grover Cleveland has the distinction of being the only U.S. president to serve two terms out of sequence. Known as the “Veto President,” Cleveland vetoed 414 bills, more than any other president at the time. Unsurprisingly, Cleveland had a formidable career in law and also had successful real estate investments.

Martin Van Buren #13

Net Worth: $26 million
Van Buren’s legendary sideburns were complemented by a similarly impressive career in law. He also owned substantial property in New York.

James Monroe #12

Net Worth: $27 million
Monroe presided over the “Era of Good Feelings” in the U.S. and was the last Founding Father to serve as president. Before his presidency, Monroe amassed wealth as a lawyer, farmer, and planter.

John Tyler #11

Net Worth: $51 million
Sometimes referred to as “His Accidency,” Tyler abruptly assumed office when President William Henry Harrison died 23 days into his term. In addition to inheriting the White House, Tyler also inherited a massive tobacco plantation and married into a rich family.

Bill Clinton #10

Net Worth: $55 million
Although Clinton had a successful law career before entering politics, his real wealth came after he left the White House. Clinton’s autobiography, My Life, has sold over 2.2 million copies. Additionally, Clinton has made a sizeable fortune from public speaking alone.

Franklin D. Roosevelt #9

Net Worth: $60 million
FDR was the longest-serving president in U.S. history, with over 12 years in the White House. He inherited significant wealth from his family and his marriage to Eleanor, but was never able to match the fortune of his older cousin Teddy.

Herbert Hoover #8

Net Worth: $75 million
Unlike many of the presidents on this list, Hoover did not inherit any wealth. In fact, Hoover was an orphan who made his fortune in the mining industry. Unfortunately, his business savvy couldn’t stop the onset of the Great Depression.

Lyndon B. Johnson #7

Net Worth: $98 million
Following JFK’s assassination, Johnson assumed office under tragic circumstances, but quickly reinvigorated the nation with his War on Poverty. Johnson’s fortune primarily came from his large landholdings in Texas.

James Madison #6

Net Worth: $101 million
Known as the “Father of the Constitution,” Madison earned substantial income as both president and secretary of state. However, his real wealth came from his 4,000+ acre plantation in Virginia, named Montpelier.

Andrew Jackson #5

Net Worth: $119 million
For a self-proclaimed populist who dismantled the Federal Bank, Jackson had a surprisingly high net worth. His fortune primarily came from substantial landholdings and his military career.

Theodore Roosevelt #4

Net Worth: $125 million
Although the Roosevelts were a wealthy New York family, Theodore struggled financially in his earlier years. However, he gained wealth as a prolific author, writing over 40 books throughout his life. His most valuable asset was his Sagamore Hill estate on Long Island.

Thomas Jefferson #3

Net Worth: $212 million
A true Renaissance man, Jefferson had several successful business endeavors. But like many of the Founding Fathers, Jefferson’s real fortune came from property. Jefferson’s large Virginia estate Monticello remains an architectural wonder today.

George Washington #2

Net Worth: $525 million
Washington’s massive net worth can be summarized in one word: land. The Washington family was one of the most successful land speculators in Virginia, and their Mount Vernon estate consisted of more than 8,000 acres.

John F. Kennedy #1

Net Worth: $1 billion
JFK’s father Joe Kennedy built his fortune through several successful business endeavors, including banking, stock trading, selling liquor (not always legally), and producing movies. Technically, Kennedy was never a billionaire himself–he was assassinated before he could inherit his family’s wealth. But while he held office, he had access to his family’s large trust fund and numerous real estate holdings.