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.