Who is Frederick Douglass, the African-American anti-slavery campaigner.

Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895) African-American, anti-slavery campaigner.

Frederick Douglass was a former slave who escaped to become a powerful anti-slavery orator. Douglass wrote three autobiographies describing his experiences as a slave and gaining his freedom. His writings and speeches became powerful testimonies to support the abolition of slavery. Douglass was the most influential African-American leader of the Nineteenth Century and exemplified great moral courage in opposing slavery and injustice.

Early Life Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. His mother, Harriet Bailey was a slave; his father was probably his mother’s slave owner. He saw little of his mother when growing up, and she died when he was 10. The young Douglass was brought up by his grandmother until the age of seven when he was sent to Baltimore to serve Hugh Auld.

Although still a slave in Baltimore, the young Douglas was taught to read by the wife of his Master – Sophia Auld. Douglas had fond memories of Sophia and felt he was treated like a human being; these early steps in learning to read would prove critical for awakening in Douglass a greater aspiration for freedom. Douglass said that going to Baltimore was crucial in enabling him to eventually escape slavery.

“Going to live at Baltimore laid the foundation, and opened the gateway, to all my subsequent prosperity.”
He also said that even in his darkest hours of slavery, he always held onto an inner conviction that ‘ slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace‘. He saw the hand of Providence in guiding him to eventual freedom, writing,’ This good spirit was from God, and to Him, I offer thanksgiving and praise .’

However, when Hugh Auld discovered his wife had been teaching Douglass to read, he expressed his strong displeasure. Like many slave owners, he feared that if slaves became educated they would have an even greater desire for freedom. This made it more difficult for Douglas to be educated, but he continued to try, in secret, to read newspapers and books which gave him a broader education. He wrote:

“Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read.” ( Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass , ch.6)

In particular, he later credited the newspaper, The Colombian Orator for developing his strong ideals on human dignity and individual freedom. The attitude of his slave master, in trying to prevent him from reading, was also a cautionary lesson for Douglass and throughout his life, he emphasised the importance of education to help ameliorate the conditions of African Americans.

His ability to read was hugely influential. When he was moved away from the home of the Auld’s, Douglass made an effort to educate other slaves on how to read the New Testament at a weekly Sunday School. Douglass was able to act as a teacher for a large group of slaves for six months before the activity was broken up by slave owners – incensed by the idea of their slaves being educated.

Escape from Slavery

In 1833, Douglass was sent to work for Edward Covey a farmer and notorious slave driver. Covey regularly whipped Douglass and his other slaves. The experience left Douglass with deep mental and physical scars, but it strengthened his resolve to escape from slavery. Douglass began formulating a plan, but his plans were discovered and he was sent to prison. However, he came into contact with Anna Murray-Douglass a free black woman. The two fell in love, and she used her savings to help Douglass escape. In September 1838, Douglass, dressed in a sailor’s uniform, escaped via train and steamboat to Philadelphia and then on to New York. He stayed, temporarily, in the home of New York abolitionist David Ruggles. He later wrote of his overwhelming joy in escaping the life of a slave and finding himself a freeman on free soil.

“I lived more in one day than in a year of my slave life. It was a time of joyous excitement which words can but tamely describe. In a letter written to a friend soon after reaching New York, I said: ‘I felt as one might feel upon escape from a den of hungry lions.’ Anguish and grief, like darkness and rain, may be depicted; but gladness and joy, like the rainbow, defy the skill of pen or pencil.”
Life and Times of Frederick Douglass . p. 170.

Eleven days after arriving in New York, he married Anna, who had helped him escape from slavery. Douglass was married to Anna for 44 years until she died in 1882. They had five children.

Work as an Anti-slavery campaigner

The Douglass’ settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they became active in anti-slavery campaigns. An important influence was William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison was a fierce anti-slavery campaigner, who held uncompromising views on abolishing slavery. Listening to Garrison speak was an important moment for Douglass, and he became more committed to the movement. Garrison also mentioned Douglass in his weekly journal – The Liberator .

In 1841, aged 23, he was invited to give a speech to an anti-slavery meeting. Overcoming his nervousness, Douglass got up and gave a passionate speech about his painful life as a slave and the joy of gaining freedom. Garrison became a friend and supporter of Douglass and invited him on a lecture tour of the US.

Douglass spent six months travelling through the Midwest and East US giving lectures on the abolition of slavery. It was a courageous act because, at the time, there was great resistance to the idea of abolishing slavery. Douglass was frequently attacked physically and verbally. In Pendleton, Indiana, he suffered a broken hand, when being attacked by a mob. Many were amazed to see a black man speaking with great eloquence and intellect; his powerful speeches challenged many people’s views – prevalent at the time – that black men were racially inferior and couldn’t be properly integrated into society. Douglass was a powerful example of intellect, humanity and charisma – undermining the racist views of the day. He made a strong moral case against slavery.

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”
– Frederick Douglass, Civil Rights Mass Meeting, Washington, D.C. (22 October 1883)

In 1845, Douglass wrote his first autobiography – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave .

 It became a best seller and was reprinted several times. It was a ground-breaking work, one of the earliest first-hand accounts of slavery. Some even doubted whether a slave was capable of writing so well. It launched him as a national figure. In 1855, he followed up with a second book, My Bondage and My Freedom.

Lecture tour in the British Isles

This was still a dangerous time to be a freed slave. After naming his former slave owner in his autobiography, he feared recapture. If he was recaptured, the law wouldn’t protect him. Douglass, supported by friends, decided to go on a two-year lecture tour of Ireland and Britain. He arrived in Ireland in 1845 and was amazed at the lack of racial prejudice – which he had become so accustomed to in America. His lecture tour was a great success, with Douglass speaking to packed audiences at churches and meeting halls across the two countries. He developed friendships with many people sympathetic to the cause of abolishing slavery. Supporters raised sufficient funds to be able to buy his freedom from his slave owner. He met with Thomas Clarkson, a prominent abolitionist. Douglass was encouraged to stay in England to be safe from the threat of being put back into slavery. But, he felt a need to return to the US and work for the emancipation of the three million slaves still captive in the US.

Douglass’ campaigns for human rights in the US
His English/Irish friends gave him £500 to use for the Slaverynerry cause.

Douglass used it to fund newspapers, publishing his message. One newspaper, Douglass published was North Star – its motto was:

“Right is of no Sex – Truth is of no Color – God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren.”

In 1848, he attended the women’s rights convention in Seneca. Douglass was the only African American to attend. He spoke passionately in favour of women’s suffrage and became a lifelong supporter of the women’s rights movement, and he became acquainted with prominent women’s rights activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton . Douglass felt rights for black people should be linked with rights for women’s rights. However, after the Civil War, he felt he had to drop support for women’s’ suffrage to enable the passage of the 15th Amendment, giving black men the vote. Douglass feared if women’s’ suffrage was attached to the bill, it would mean failure for both.

Though he made of point of saying he never argued against women’s right to vote.

Split with Garrison.

Although grateful to Garrison for his support and friendship, Douglass split with Garrison over his views on the constitution. Garrison saw the US constitution as a justification for slavery and publicly burnt it – angering even liberal supporters. Douglass took another, more pragmatic, view that the US constitution could be used to support the inherent equality of men and be used to help end slavery. Douglass felt that the lofty ideals of the opening declaration should be incorporated into the abolitionist movement.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

Frederick Douglass once met with the radical abolitionist John Brown, but disproved of his plan for an armed rebellion, fearing it would inflame public opinion.

During the Civil War, Douglass actively supported the Union war effort – hoping that the war would see the end of slavery. He campaigned for African Americans to be allowed to engage in the fight for freedom, and Douglass later served as a recruiter for African Americans into the Union army.

Douglass was delighted with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, writing of the event:

“..we were watching … by the dim light of the stars for the dawn of a new day … we were longing for the answer to the agonizing prayers of centuries.”

In 1865, just after the civil war, the 14th and 15th Amendment to the US constitution was passed providing in law, equal citizenships and equal rights for all men, regardless of colour.
Douglass was not a universal admirer of Abraham Lincoln . After the 1861 Presidential address, at the start of the civil war, he criticised Lincoln’s reluctance to publicly commit himself to the Emancipation Movement. Though he later understood why Lincoln needed to keep the fracturing Union together.

However, he also appreciated that fundamentally Lincoln opposed slavery and enabled its abolition through the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, and the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Douglass warmed to Lincoln after meeting in person, he was struck by Lincoln’s good-nature and genuine friendship. In his last autobiography, he referred to Lincoln as ‘America’s greatest President’ .

“Mr. Lincoln was not only a great President, but a great man — too great to be small in anything. In his company I was never in any way reminded of my humble origin, or of my unpopular color.”
– The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1892), Part 2, Chapter 12:

Hope for the Nation

After the civil war, he was appointed to various government positions and continued his work as public speaker and writer. He supported the Presidential campaign of Ulysses S. Grant; in particular, he was grateful to Grant for sending federal troops into the south to disrupt the activities of the Klu Klux Klan, and the passage of the second and third Enforcement Acts.
Post Civil War, was still a difficult time for non-white Americans, with white supremacists making black voter registration in the South very difficult. Although constitutionally there was equality after the war; in practice overt racism continued to be a serious problem in the US, especially the south. Douglass saw his work to combat the endemic racism of society.

“So long as my voice can be heard on this or the other side of the Atlantic, I will hold up America to the lightning scorn of moral indignation. In doing this, I shall feel myself discharging the duty of a true patriot; for he is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins. It is righteousness that exalteth a nation while sin is a reproach to any people.”
– Frederick Douglass, speech Syracuse, New York (24 September 1847)

The ongoing discrimination against African Americans caused a new movement of young blacks to move to new cities, hoping to set up their own enclaves and communities. Douglass opposed this ‘isolationist’ approach and argued African Americans should seek integration and not separation. This position was sometimes unpopular with many younger African Americans and, in later years, he was booed by fellow African Americans who wanted a more radical approach.

In 1882, his first wife Anna died, leaving a great sense of personal bereavement. But, he re-married two years later to a white feminist – Helen Pitts, 20 years his younger. Inter-racial marriages were very rare and the couple was several criticised for their decision. Douglas responded that his first marriage was to someone of his mother’s colour, and his second marriage was to someone of his father’s colour.

Towards the end of his life, he visited Europe again. In American, he achieved many firsts, such as the first African American to receive a vote for President of the US. He also appeared on a ticket as Vice-President for the Equal Rights Party in 1872 (though he was not told he was to be nominated)
On February 20, 1895, Douglass died of a heart attack or stroke in Washington D.C. Thousands attended his funeral a the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal church.

The legacy of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass is remembered for his courageous opposition to slavery and his deeply held conviction in the equality of all people. He played a crucial role in changing public opinion about slavery and racial inequality. He was one of the first prominent African American leaders and was an inspiration to many.

PUBLICATION: Omotoso Ibukunoluwa Omoniyi (The General Vineyard Newspaper)

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan .

THE MESSENGER OF OLODUNMARE: A West African Folktale of the Story of Oshún's Flight to Olodumare

It has been said in the sacred stories of our West African Yoruba tradition that Oshún (sometimes written Oshun or Osun) is the only Orisa able to approach Olodumare (aka Olorun) directly, carrying prayers from the mouth of humanity to Olodumare's ears. This is the story of Oshún's flight and how she became the messenger of Olodumare.

In the early days of the world, and of Ilé Ifé, the orishas became tired of serving Olodumare. They began to resist the Lord of Heaven's edicts and to even plot the overthrow of Olodumare's kingdom in heaven and earth. They felt they didn't need Olodumare and that as the Lord of Heaven was so distant anyway, they could merely divide the aché or powers among themselves and that things would go much better that way.

When Olodumare caught wind of this attitude and their plots, the Lord of Heaven acted simply and decisively. Olodumare simply withheld the rain from the earth. Soon the world was encompassed by a staggering drought, the ground became parched and cracked, the plants withered and died without water. And it wasn't long before all on earth, orishas and their children alike began to starve.

After a short time, growling bellies and sallow faces began to speak louder than pride and rebelliousness. They unanimously decided to go to Olodumare and beg for forgiveness in hopes that this would bring rain back to the world. But they had a problem: none of them could reach the distant home of Olodumare. They sent all the birds one by one to attempt the journey but each and every one of them failed, tiring long before reaching the palace of the Lord of Heaven. It began to appear that all hope was lost.

Then one day, the peacock, who was in reality Oshún herself, came to offer her services to save the world from this drought. Once again, there was general upheaval and even more laughter as the orishas considered the idea of this vain and pampered bird undertaking such a courageous and dangerous journey. "You might break a nail," said one.

But the little peacock persisted. As they had nothing to lose, they agreed to let Oshún go on the world's behalf. So the little peacock flew off towards the sun and the palace of Olodumare. Oshún soon tired of the journey, but she kept flying ever higher, determined to reach the Lord of Heaven and to directly plea for the world.

Going yet higher, Oshún's feathers began to become scraggly and black from the withering heat of the sun, and all the feathers were burned from her head.

But she kept flying.

Finally, through sheer will and determination she arrived at the gates of Olodumare's palace. When Olodumare came upon her she was a pathetic sight. Oshún had lost much of her feathers and the ones that remained were black. In all truth, Oshún was looking quite scraggly. To get to heaven she had to fly so close to the sun and sacrifice her beautiful feathers. The Lord of Heaven took pity on Oshún and brought her to the Palace where she was fed and given water, and her wounds were treated.

He asked Oshún why she had made such a perilous journey. She explained the state of earth and went on to tell Olodumare that she had come at risk of her own life so that humanity might live.

Olodumare looked to the world. He then looked to Oshún's plaintive face. It was obvious that everything she had said was true and he was moved by Oshún's capacity to love. The Lord of Heaven turned to the peacock, who wasn't a peacock anymore. The flight for humanity turned Oshún's outer form into that of a vulture. He ordered the rains to fall from heaven.

Then Olodumare looked deeply into Oshún's eyes and into her heart, then announced that for all eternity she would be the Messenger of the House of Olodumare and that all would have to respect her as such. From that day forward, in this path, Oshún became known as Ikolé, the messenger of the House of Olodumare. Ikolé also is the name for the vulture in Lacumí. And from that day the path of Oshún known as Ibú Ikolé was revered and became associated with her bird, the vulture. The vulture then returned to earth, bringing with her the rain, where she met with great rejoicing.

As benefits a Queen or Iyalodde, Oshún graciously refrained from reminding them of their jibes and abuses as she could see the shame on their faces. This is why, whenever a person is to become initiated as a priest in the Yoruban religion, no matter which orisha they are having seated in their heads, they must first go to the river and give an account of what they are to do -- as Oshún is the Messenger of Olodumare.

THE WORLD GREATEST: Muhammad Ali - King of the world

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. January 17, 1942 – 3 June 2016) was an Olympic and World Champion boxer, who also had a unique personality, based on self-belief and strong religious and political convictions. In 1999, Ali was crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated. He won the World Heavyweight Boxing championship three times and won the North American Boxing Federation championship as well as an Olympic gold medal.

“I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round. “
– Muhammad Ali

Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., (who was named after the 19th-century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay). Ali would later change his name after joining the Nation of Islam. He subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

Early boxing career

Standing at 6’3″ (1.91 m), Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. Rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on his quick feet and ability to avoid a punch. In Louisville, October 29, 1960, Cassius Clay won his first professional fight. He won a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker, who was the police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia. From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19-0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated such boxers as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout), Doug Jones, and Henry Cooper. Among Clay’s victories were versus Sonny Banks (who knocked him down during the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and the aged Archie Moore (a boxing legend who had fought over 200 previous fights, and who had been Clay’s trainer prior to Angelo Dundee).

Ali Clay won a disputed 10 round decision over Doug Jones, who, despite being lighter than Clay, staggered Clay as soon as the fight started with a right hand, and beat Clay to the punch continually during the fight. The fight was named “Fight of the Year” for 1963. Clay’s next fight was against Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of the fourth round. The fight was stopped in the 5th round due to a deep cut on Cooper’s face.

Despite these close calls against Doug Jones and Henry Cooper, he became the top contender for Sonny Liston’s title. In spite of Clay’s impressive record, he was not expected to beat the champion. The fight was to be held on February 25, 1964, in Miami, Florida. During the weigh-in before the fight, Ali frequently taunted Liston. Ali dubbed him “the big ugly bear”, and declared that he would “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” Ali was ready to dance around the ring, as he said, “Your hands can’t hit what your eyes can’t see.”

This was a typical buildup for Ali, who increasingly enjoyed playing to the crowd and creating a buzz before a fight. It was good news for fight promoters, who saw increased interest in any fight involving the bashful Ali.

Vietnam War

In 1964, Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were inadequate.

However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified 1A. He refused to serve in the United States Army during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, because

“War is against the teachings of the Holy Koran. I’m not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don’t take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers.”
Ali also famously said,

Ali also famously said,
“I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong” and “no Vietcong ever called me nigger.”

Ali refused to respond to his name being read out as Cassius Clay, stating, as instructed by his mentors from the Nation of Islam, that Clay was the name given to his slave ancestors by the white man.

“Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name – it means beloved of God – and I insist people use it when people speak to me and of me.”

By refusing to respond to this name, Ali’s personal life was filled with controversy. Ali was essentially banned from fighting in the United States and forced to accept bouts abroad for most of 1966.

From his rematch with Liston in May 1965, to his final defence against Zora Folley in March 1967, he defended his title nine times. Few other heavyweight champions in history have fought so much in such a short period.

Ali was scheduled to fight WBA champion Ernie Terrell in a unification bout in Toronto on March 29, 1966, but Terrell backed out and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo. He then went to England and defeated Henry Cooper and Brian London by stoppage on cuts. Ali’s next defence was against German southpaw Karl Mildenberger, the first German to fight for the title since Max Schmeling. In one of the tougher fights of his life, Ali stopped his opponent in round 12.

Ali returned to the United States in November 1966 to fight Cleveland “Big Cat” Williams in the Houston Astrodome. A year and a half before the fight, Williams had been shot in the stomach at point-blank range by a Texas policeman. As a result, Williams went into the fight missing one kidney, 10 feet of his small intestine, and with a shrivelled left leg from nerve damage from the bullet. Ali beat Williams in three rounds.

On February 6, 1967, Ali returned to a Houston boxing ring to fight Terrell in what became one of the uglier fights in boxing. Terrell had angered Ali by calling him Clay, and the champion vowed to punish him for this insult.

During the fight, Ali kept shouting at his opponent, “ What’s my name, Uncle Tom … What’s my name.” Terrell suffered 15 rounds of brutal punishment, losing 13 of 15 rounds on two judges’ scorecards, but Ali did not knock him out. Analysts, including several who spoke to ESPN on the sports channel’s “Ali Rap” special, speculated that the fight only continued because Ali chose not to end it, choosing instead to further punish Terrell. After the fight, Tex Maule wrote, “It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty.”

Ali’s actions in refusing military service and aligning himself with the Nation of Islam made him a lightning rod for controversy, turning the outspoken but popular former champion into one of that era’s most recognisable and controversial figures. Appearing at rallies with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and declaring his allegiance to him at a time when mainstream America viewed them with suspicion — if not outright hostility — made Ali a target of outrage, and suspicion as well. Ali seemed at times to even provoke such reactions, with viewpoints that wavered from support for civil rights to outright support of separatism.

Near the end of 1967, Ali was stripped of his title by the professional boxing commission and would not be allowed to fight professionally for more than three years. He was also convicted for refusing induction into the army and sentenced to five years in prison. Over the course of those years in exile, Ali fought to appeal his conviction. He stayed in the public spotlight and supported himself by giving speeches primarily at rallies on college campuses that opposed the Vietnam War.

“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?”
– Muhammad Ali – explaining why he refused to fight in Vietnam

In 1970, Ali was allowed to fight again, and in late 1971 the Supreme Court reversed his conviction.

Muhammad Ali’s comeback

In 1970, Ali was finally able to get a boxing license. With the help of a State Senator, he was granted a license to box in Georgia because it was the only state in America without a boxing commission. In October 1970, he returned to stop Jerry Quarry on a cut after three rounds. Shortly after the Quarry fight, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that Ali was unjustly denied a boxing license. Once again able to fight in New York, he fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December 1970. After a tough 14 rounds, Ali stopped Bonavena in the 15th, paving the way for a title fight against Joe Frazier.

The Fight of the Century

Ali and Frazier fought each other on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. The fight, known as ‘”The Fight of the Century”, was one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all time and remains one of the most famous. It featured two skilled, undefeated fighters, both of whom had reasonable claims to the heavyweight crown. The fight lived up to the hype, and Frazier punctuated his victory by flooring Ali with a hard left hook in the 15th and final round and won on points. Frank Sinatra — unable to acquire a ringside seat — took photos of the match for Life Magazine. Legendary boxing announcer Don Dunphy and actor and boxing aficionado Burt Lancaster called the action for the broadcast, which reached millions of people.

Frazier eventually won the fight and retained the title with a unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first professional loss. Despite an impressive performance, Ali may have still been suffering from the effects of “ring rust” due to his long layoff.

In 1973, after a string of victories over the top Heavyweight opposition in a campaign to force a rematch with Frazier, Ali split two bouts with Ken Norton (in the bout that Ali lost to Norton, Ali suffered a broken jaw).

Rumble in the Jungle

In 1974, Ali gained a match with champion George Foreman. The fight took place in Zaire (the Congo) – Ali wanted the fight to be there to help give an economic boost to this part of Africa. The pre-match hype was as great as ever.

“Floats like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.”
– Muhammad Ali – before the 1974 fight against George Foreman

Against the odds, Ali won the rematch in the eighth round. Ali had adopted a strategy of wearing Foreman down though absorbing punches on the ropes – a strategy later termed – rope a dope.

This gave Ali another chance at the world title against Frazer
“It will be a killer, and a chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla in Manila.”
– Ali before Frazer fight.

The fight lasted 14 rounds, with Ali finally proving victorious in the testing African heat.

Muhammad Ali in retirement

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the early 1980s, following which his motor functions began a slow decline. Although Ali’s doctors disagreed during the 1980s and 1990s about whether his symptoms were caused by boxing and whether or not his condition was degenerative, he was ultimately diagnosed with Pugilistic Parkinson’s syndrome. By late 2005 it was reported that Ali’s condition was notably worsening. According to the documentary ‘When We Were Kings’ when Ali was asked about whether he has any regrets about boxing due to his disability, he responded that if he didn’t box he would still be a painter in Louisville, Kentucky.

Speaking of his own Parkinson’s disease, Ali remarks how it has helped him to look at life in a different perspective.

“Maybe my Parkinson’s is God’s way of reminding me what is important. It slowed me down and caused me to listen rather than talk. Actually, people pay more attention to me now because I don’t talk as much.”

“I always liked to chase the girls. Parkinson’s stops all that. Now I might have a chance to go to heaven.”
Muhammad Ali, BBC

Despite the disability, he remained a beloved and active public figure.

Recently he was voted into Forbes Celebrity 100 coming in at number 13 behind Donald Trump. In 1985, he served as a guest referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 1987 he was selected by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile activities. Ali rode on a float at the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade, launching the U.S. Constitution’s 200th birthday commemoration. He also published an oral history, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times with Thomas Hauser, in 1991. Ali received a Spirit of America Award calling him the most recognised American in the world. In 1996, he had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1999, Ali received a special one-off award from the BBC at its annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony, which was the BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award. His daughter Laila Ali also became a boxer in 1999, despite her father’s earlier comments against female boxing in 1978: “Women are not made to be hit in the breast, and face like that… the body’s not made to be punched right here [patting his chest]. Get hit in the breast… hard… and all that.”

On September 13, 1999, Ali was named “Kentucky Athlete of the Century” by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies at the Galt House East.

In 2001, a biographical film, entitled Ali, was made, with Will Smith starring as Ali. The film received mixed reviews, with the positives generally attributed to the acting, as Smith and supporting actor Jon Voight earned Academy Award nominations. Prior to making the Ali movie, Will Smith had continually rejected the role of Ali until Muhammad Ali personally requested that he accept the role. According to Smith, the first thing Ali said about the subject to Smith was: “You ain’t pretty enough to play me”.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005, and the prestigious “Otto Hahn peace medal in Gold” of the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin for his work with the US civil rights movement and the United Nations (December 17, 2005).

On November 19, 2005 (Ali’s 19th wedding anniversary), the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the centre focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth.

According to the Muhammad Ali Center website in 2012,
“Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavours around the globe. He is a devout Sunni Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per year.”

Muhammad Ali died on 3 June 2016, from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.

“Will they ever have another fighter who writes poems, predicts rounds, beats everybody, makes people laugh, makes people cry and is as tall and extra pretty as me?”
– Muhammad Ali

PUBLICATION: Omotoso Ibukunoluwa Omoniyi (The General Vineyard Newspaper)

SOURCE
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Muhammad Ali”, Oxford, UK –
www.biographyonline.net . Last updated 3rd February 2018

FAMOUS FASTEST OLYMPIC HERO: JESSE OWEN, the fastest athlete in world history

Jesse Owens was a track and field star. His most famous moment came in the 1936 Olympics when he won four gold medals – much to the annoyance of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party who hoped the Olympics would be a showcase for Aryan supremacy. In his later life, Jesse Owens became a goodwill ambassador for America and athletics.

“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself — the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us — that’s where it’s at.”
– Jesse Owens (from autobiography)

Jesse Owens was born in Alabama and, aged 9, the family moved to the Granville section of Cleveland. His early life was marked by poverty, and he was forced to take many menial jobs such as delivering goods and working in a shoe repair shops. However, he was able to develop his passion for running and athletics; from an early age, he was identified as having great potential talent. In later life, he gave much credit to Charles Riley, his high school coach who encouraged him and made allowances for his difficulty in making evening training sessions because Jesse had to work in a shoe repair shop.

Jesse Owens rose to national prominence in 1933, when he equalled the world record (9.4 seconds) for the 100 yard dash. He attended Ohio State University but, without a scholarship, he had to continue working part time.

In the 1930s, America was a highly segregated society, and when travelling with the team, Jesse had to suffer the indignities of eating at separate restaurants and staying in different hotels.

One of his great athletic feats occurred in 1935; during one particular track meet, he broke three world records.

This included the long jump (Owen’s record stood for 25 years), 220 yards and 220 yards hurdles. He also equalled the record for 100 yards.

Jesse Owens at 1936 Olympics

Jesse Owen’s finest moment came in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He won Olympic gold in the 100m, long jump, 200m and 4* 100 metres relay. (An achievement not matched until Carl Lewis in 1984). It was a convincing rebuttal to the Nazi’s hopes of displaying ‘Aryan superiority’.

Hitler gave medals to German athletes on the first day, but, after Owen’s victories, decided not to give any more medals. Albert Speer later wrote that Hitler was annoyed that the negro, Jesse Owens had won so many gold medals.

“….but he was highly annoyed by the series of triumphs by the marvelous colored American runner, Jesse Owens. People whose antecedents came from the jungle were primitive, Hitler said with a shrug; their physiques were stronger than those of civilized whites and hence should be excluded from future games.”

With great irony, Jesse Owens was treated well during his stay in Germany; he didn’t experience the segregation that he did back home in the United States and many Germans sought his autograph.

During the Games, Jesse Owens displayed the sportsmanship that he became renowned for. During the long jump final, he found time to massage his German rival, Lang. Lang later acknowledged the great spirit of sportsmanship that Jesse Owens embodied. Jesse Owens was grateful for the friendship that Lang displayed.

Later, Jesse Owens remarked:
“It took a lot of courage for him (Lang) to befriend me in front of Hitler… You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-karat friendship I felt for Lutz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace. The sad part of the story is I never saw Long again. He was killed in World War II.”

Despite achieving a remarkable athletic achievement, Jesse Owens was denied the commercial reward or praise that he might have expected. He was never given a reception by
F.D. Roosevelt or future US presidents.

In 1936, the American Olympics association rescinded his Olympic status after Owens refused to travel to Sweden because he felt the financial need to pursue some commercial enterprises back in America.

Jesse was forced to take part in various ‘athletic showcases’ such as racing against horses or racing against local runners with a 10-yard head start. As Jesse Owens wryly remarked

“After I came home from the 1936 Olympics with my four medals, it became increasingly apparent that everyone was going to slap me on the back, want to shake my hand or have me up to their suite. But no one was going to offer me a job.”

He moved into business but it was not successful, and it ended in bankruptcy in the 1960s. He was even prosecuted for tax evasion. However, in 1966, with the civil rights movement gaining impetus, Jesse Owens was given the opportunity to act as a goodwill ambassador speaking to large corporations and the Olympic movement.

PUBLICATION: Omotoso Ibukunoluwa Omoniyi

SOURCE
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Jesse Owens” , Oxford, UK –
www.biographyonline.net . Last updated 7th August 2017

A BLACK WITH DIFFERENCE: Biography - Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) was a South African political activist who spent over 20 years in prison for his opposition to the apartheid regime; he was released in 1990. In 1994, Mandela was later elected the first leader of a democratic South Africa. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (jointly with F.W. de Klerk) in 1993 for his work in helping to end racial segregation in South Africa. He is considered the father of a democratic South Africa and widely admired for his ability to bring together a nation, previously divided by apartheid. Nelson Mandela is one of the most admired political leaders of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Century for his vision to forgive and forge a new ‘rainbow’ nation.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
– Nelson Mandela

Short Bio of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. He was the son of a local tribal leader of the Tembu tribe. As a youngster, Nelson took part in the activities and initiation ceremonies of his local tribe. However, unlike his father Nelson Mandela gained a full education, studying at the University College of Fort Hare and also the University of Witwatersrand.

Nelson was a good student and qualified with a law degree in 1942.
During his time at University, Nelson Mandela became increasingly aware of the racial inequality and injustice faced by non-white people. In 1943, he decided to join the ANC and actively take part in the struggle against apartheid.

As one of the few qualified lawyers, Nelson Mandela was in great demand; also his commitment to the cause saw him promoted through the ranks of the ANC. In 1956, Nelson Mandela, along with several other members of the ANC were arrested and charged with treason. After a lengthy and protracted court case, the defendants were finally acquitted in 1961. However, with the ANC now banned, Nelson Mandela suggested an active armed resistance to the apartheid regime. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe, which would act as a guerilla resistance movement. Receiving training in other African countries, the Umkhonto we Sizwe took part in active sabotage.

In 1963, Mandela was again arrested and put on trial for treason. This time the State succeeded in convicting Mandela of plotting to overthrow the government. However, the case received considerable international attention and the apartheid regime of South Africa became under the glare of the international community. At the end of his trial, Nelson Mandela made a long speech, in which he was able to affirm his commitment to the ideals of democracy.

“We believe that South Africa belongs to all the people who live in it, and not to one group, be it black or white. We did not want an interracial war, and tried to avoid it to the last minute.”
– Nelson Mandela, Supreme court of South Africa, Pretoria, April 20, 1964

Closing remark at the 1964 trial

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
– Nelson Mandela, Supreme court of South Africa, Pretoria, April 20, 1964.

Time in Prison

Mandela’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and from 1964 –1981 he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town. In prison the conditions were sparse; however, Mandela was with many other political prisoners, and there was a strong bond of friendship which helped to make more bearable the difficult prison conditions. Also, in prison, Nelson Mandela was highly disciplined; he would try and study and take part in exercise every day. He later said these year of incarceration in jail were a period of great learning, even if painful. Mandela also created friendships with some of the guards. Mandela would later say that he felt he was fighting the apartheid system and not individual white people. It was in prison that Mandela became aware of the passion that Afrikaners had for rugby, and he developed an interest himself.

During his time in prison, Mandela became increasingly well known throughout the world. Mandela became the best known black leader and was symbolic of the struggle against the apartheid regime. Largely unbeknown to Mandela, his continued imprisonment led to a world-wide pressure for his release. Many countries implemented sanctions on apartheid South Africa. Due to international pressure, from the mid-1980s, the apartheid regime increasingly began to negotiate with the ANC and Nelson Mandela in particular. On many occasions, Mandela was offered a conditional freedom. However, he always refused to put the political ideals of the ANC above his own freedom.

Freedom and a new Rainbow Nation

Eventually, Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990. The day was a huge event for South Africa and the world. His release symbolic of the impending end of apartheid. Following his release there followed protracted negotiations to secure a lasting settlement. The negotiations were tense often against the backdrop of tribal violence. However, in April 1994, South Africa had its first full and fair elections. The ANC, with 65% of the vote, were elected and Nelson Mandela became the first President of the new South Africa.

“The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.”
– Nelson Mandela

As President, he sought to heal the rifts of the past. Despite being mistreated, he was magnanimous in his dealing with his former oppressors. His forgiving and tolerant attitude gained the respect of the whole South African nation and considerably eased the transition to a full democracy.

“If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named goodness and forgiveness.”
– Nelson Mandela

In 1995, the Rugby World Cup was held in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was instrumental in encouraging black South Africans to support the ‘Springboks’ – The Springboks were previously reviled for being a symbol of white supremacy. Mandela surprised many by meeting the Springbok captain, Francois Pienaar, before the World Cup to wish the team well. After an epic final, in which South Africa beat New Zealand, Mandela, wearing a Springbok jersey, presented the trophy to the winning South Africa team. De Klerk later stated Mandela successfully won the hearts of a million white rugby fans.

Nelson Mandela also oversaw the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in which former crimes of apartheid were investigated, but stressing individual forgiveness and helping the nation to look forward. The Committee was chaired by
Desmond Tutu , and Mandela later praised its work.

Nelson Mandela retired from the Presidency in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki. In Mandela’s later years, ill health curtailed his public life.

However, he did speak out on certain issues. He was very critical of the US-led invasion of Iraq during 2003. Speaking in a Newsweek interview in 2002, he expressed concern at American actions, he said:
“I really wanted to retire and rest and spend more time with my children, my grandchildren and of course with my wife. But the problems are such that for anybody with a conscience who can use whatever influence he may have to try to bring about peace, it’s difficult to say no.” (10 September 2002)

He has also campaigned to highlight the issue of HIV / AIDS in South Africa.
Mandela was married three times, fathered six children, and had 17 grandchildren. His first wife was Evelyn Ntoko Mase. His second wife was Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, they split after an acrimonious dispute. Winnie was alleged to have an involvement in human rights abuses. Mandela married for a third time on his 80th birthday NatioMandelaael.

Nelson Mandela was often referred to as Madiba – his Xhosa clan name.
Nelson Mandela died on 5 December 2013 after a long illness with his family at his side. He was 95.

At his memorial, Barack Obama, the President of the US said:
“We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela ever again, so it falls to us, as best we can, to carry forward the example that he set. He no longer belongs to us; he belongs to the ages.”

PUBLICATION: Omotoso Ibukunoluwa Omoniyi (The General Vineyard Newspaper)

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Nelson Mandela”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net. Published: 7th December 2013. Last updated 13th February 2018.

BLACK WITH DIFFERENCE: Martin Luther King's Biography

Martin Luther King Jr was one of America’s most influential civil rights activists. His passionate, but non-violent protests, helped to raise awareness of racial inequalities in America, leading to significant political change. Martin Luther King was also an eloquent orator who captured the imagination and hearts of people, both black and white.

Early Life of Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta on 15 January 1929. Both his father and grandfather were pastors in an African-American Baptist church. M. Luther King attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, (segregated schooling) and then went to study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University. During his time at University Martin Luther King became aware of the vast inequality and injustice faced by black Americans; in particular, he was influenced by Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent protest. The philosophy of Gandhi tied in with the teachings of his Baptist faith. At the age of 24, King married Coretta Scott, a beautiful and talented young woman. After getting married, King became a pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AlaKing.

A turning point in the life of Martin Luther King was the Montgomery Bus Boycott which he helped to promote. His boycott also became a turning point in the civil rights struggle – attracting national press for the cause.
It began in innocuous circumstances on 5 December 1955. Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist, refused to give up her seat – she was sitting in a white-only area. This broke the strict segregation of coloured and white people on the Montgomery buses. The bus company refused to back down and so Martin Luther King helped to organise a strike where coloured people refused to use any of the city buses. The boycott lasted for several months, the issue was then brought to the Supreme Court who declared the segregation was unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Movement.

After the success of the Montgomery bus boycott, King and other ministers founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This proved to be a nucleus for the growing civil rights movement. Later there would be arguments about the best approach to take. In particular, the 1960s saw the rise of the Black power movement, epitomised by
Malcolm X and other black nationalist groups. However, King always remained committed to the ideals of non-violent struggKing

Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King was an inspirational and influential speaker; he had the capacity to move and uplift his audiences. In particular, he could offer a vision of hope. He captured the injustice of the time but also felt that this injustice was like a passing cloud. King frequently made references to God, the Bible and his Christian Faith.

“And this is what Jesus means when he said: “How is it that you can see the mote in your brother’s eye and not see the beam in your own eye?” Or to put it in Moffatt’s translation: “How is it that you see the splinter in your brother’s eye and fail to see the plank in your own eye?” And this is one of the tragedies of human nature. So we begin to love our enemies and love those persons that hate us whether in collective life or individual life by looking at ourselves.”
– Martin Luther King

His speeches were largely free of revenge, instead focusing on the need to move forward. He was named as Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963, it followed his famous and iconic “ I Have a Dream Speech ” – delivered in Washington during a civil rights march.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood”
– Martin Luther King

The following year, Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work towards social justice. King announced he would turn over the prize money $54,123 to the civil rights movement. With the prestige of the Nobel Prize, King was increasingly consulted by politicians such as Lyndon Johnson .

However, King’s opposition to the Vietnam War did not endear him to the Johnson administration; King also began receiving increased scrutiny from the authorities, such as the FBI.
On April 4th, 1968, King was assassinated. It was one day after he had delivered his final speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”
In his honour, America has instigated a national Martin Luther King Day. He remains symbolic of America’s fight for justice and racial equality.

PUBLICATION: Omotoso Ibukunoluwa Omoniyi (The General Vineyard Newspaper)

SOURCE:
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “ Martin Luther King Biography” , Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net , 11th Feb 2008. Last updated 2 March 2018.

Fayose fails to meet bail condition; to spend weekend in prison

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, will spend the weekend in prison as he failed to meet his bail condition before the close of work on Friday.

Mr Fayose who is facing an 11-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering amounting to ₦2.2 billion was granted a N50 million bail on Wednesday by a judge of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, Mojisola Olatoregun.

The judge ordered that Mr Fayose should provide two sureties who must issue a ₦50 million bond in a reputable bank as well as possess three years tax clearance.

She also directed that the former governor deposits his international passport with the court.

However, Mr Fayose, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has struggled to meet the bail conditions and could not do so on Friday before close of business.

He will therefore spend the weekend at the Ikoyi Prison in Lagos, where he is currently being held.

However, Mr Fayose’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka told PREMIUM TIMES that his principal has met his bail conditions but filed the papers this afternoon after the judge had closed for work.

“There are two questions. Has he met his bail conditions? The answer is yes. All the documents were brought to the court around 2 pm by that time the judge had left,” he said during a telephone chat.

Mr Olayinka added that he was sure that Mr Fayose will be released next Monday, at the start of the new working week.

Buhari’s re-election: Yoruba youths attack Fashola

THE Yoruba Youth Council (YYC) has attacked the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, over his call on the South West States to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections to guarantee a return of power to the region in 2023.
The YYC which is the umbrella body of the Yoruba Youths, described the call for the incumbent President by Fashola as absurd saying President Buhari has not done well to warrant another shot at the presidency.

The group who stated this in a statement signed by its National President, Eric Oluwole, said President Buhari had no solution to any of the problems confronting Nigeria as a nation.

Teniola said: “Our attention has been drawn to a vague promise by a former Governor of Lagos State and current Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola during the special town hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Orientation Agency recently, advising Yorubas especially the youths to vote for the incumbent president Mr Muhammad Buhari in the 2019 election so as to enable power shift to the south west in 2023.

“We observe with consternation that Mr Fashola, who is a beneficiary of the social economic crisis which the ruling elite has plunged the Nigerian youths could start serving as an adviser at this critical period if our nation’s existence.
“Having been a beneficiary of Democratic rule since 1999, we will not forget the level of corruption perpetrated by the Minister when he was Governor of Lagos State as leaked by his predecessor, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on assumption to office.”

The statement read further: “Yoruba youths also remember with consternation, the statements credited to Mr Fashola that Nigeria’s power problems could be fixed in six months, three years of his reign has the minister in charge of power has not solved our perennial power problems.

“We want him and his likes who are feeding Nigerians with propaganda from the seat of power to know that the youths have learnt from history and will strive hard not to repeat the mistakes of the past in our resolve to revamp the economy of Nigeria.

“The same presidency Mr Fashola is promising Yoruba youth in 2023 is what the current Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige promised the South Easterners. Another attempt to perpetrate the ethnic division of the country?

“We want to say expressly that nothing can stop our collective resolve to ensure the restructuring of Nigeria in order to find solutions to myriads of problems facing our country.

The Yoruba youth noted that the forthcoming general election would go a long way to determine the continued existence of Nigeria saying restructuring remains the only way out of the nation’s myraid of problems.
“We again call on Presidential candidates who are committed to the restructuring agenda to show commitment by signing an agreement document to ensure restructuring of Nigeria within six months of their assumption to office.

“Time has come to protect our future and the youths shall do all we can to decide the fate of the 2019 election without leaving a stone,” the statement said.

Fashola on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Ibadan, Oyo state capital urged the people of the SouthWest to vote for Buhari in 2019 to return power to the zone in 2023.

Ekiti govt seals buildings allegedly owned by Fayose

TWO buildings under construction in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital allegedly linked to the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, have been sealed off by the state government.

The government, acting through the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development, claimed that its action was because the buildings lacked approved plan and necessary permits.

The government said the erection of the buildings contravened the laws guiding urban renewal regulations of the state.

The twin duplexes, located at the Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Ado Ekiti were sealed through a document from the ministry attached to the gates of the construction site, but bore no names.

The document dated October 18, 2018 also ordered the contractors to suspend work or present documents approving the construction to the ministry.

The document, signed by the Director of Urban and Regional Planning in the Ministry said: “It was discovered during inspection by the inspectorate staff of our ministry that a residential building by you at GRA has no approved plan/permit for the site or bring same to our office to get certification for the erection.”

“You are hereby ordered to suspend the use of the building premises until approved plan is submitted for clearance.”

However, in a reaction to the development, the Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Fayose, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said Fayose knew nothing about the building, saying if they had “documents linking him to the construction, they should present it.”

Adelusi said the sealing was a “vindictive action over issue that doesn’t worth government’s attention.”

Adelusi said: “The property in question does not belong to Fayose. Fayemi’s government should produce evidence linking the former government to the property.

“Fayose has said he was ready for probe and that he will appear in person before any panel set up by Fayemi. So, why the desperation?

“Our advise is that Fayemi should place high premium on payment of the workers’ salary arrears since N30bn is already in his custody released by the Federal Government and not embarking on witch hunting or disparaging his predecessor. The money should not be used to fund the election petition filed against him.

“He should hurry up to do all he could for the benefit of common Ekiti people because time is not on his side.”

PDP challenges Buhari over fresh certificate saga

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to show proof of his “vaunted integrity” by presenting his academic documents if he has any, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and put to an end his certificate saga.
The main opposition party, in a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja, also urged the President to fulfil his obligation like other Presidential candidates, “instead of bugging the commission with affidavits.”
The PDP said while its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has submitted his educational and other relevant documents to INEC, President Buhari is rather seeking ways to short-circuit the system, instead of complying with set rules.
The statement added: “Indeed, a situation where President Buhari has been dodging the certificate issue raises huge questions of integrity, which demands that he makes available his credentials, or apologize to Nigerians if he has none so that the nation can move ahead.
“President Buhari knows by now that Nigerians are no longer interested in his claims in an affidavit wherein he stated; ‘I am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit.’”
PDP maintained that integrity strictly demands that President Buhari, particularly as the commander-in-chief, writes to the military authorities directing them to forward his claimed credentials to INEC, as requisite evidence of compliance with a key requirement for election into the Office of the President, under section 131 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
It further said: “That President Buhari and the previous INEC succeeded in circumventing the law in 2015 does not make such acceptable in our current electoral process.
“Moreover, President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) must realize that even their followers, that were beguiled in 2015, are currently not prepared to accept ‘NEPA bill’ as WAEC certificate in the 2019 elections.
“This is particularly as the certificate scandal contributes to the erosion of Mr President’s rectitude to check the humongous corruption, ineptitude and recklessness among his officials which has brought the nation to its knees under his administration.
“Furthermore, President Buhari’s failure to tidy up such grey areas also contributes to his inability to cultivate and earn the productive followership of the youth and the respect of the international community, resulting in retardation in national productivity and a dearth of international development partnership in the last three and half years.
“This situation has even been worsened by the revelations that President Buhari’s ministers and aides parade forged certificates.
“No country makes meaningful progress with persons with these educational pedigrees in its leadership.”
The PDP, therefore, urged President Buhari to “do the needful so as not to cause any frictions that will put INEC under further pressure ahead of the 2019 general elections.”
When asked why, as the Commander-in-Chief, the president cannot order the military to provide INEC with his certificate, Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity. Garba Shehu said the president did not discuss the issue with him.
“The president did not discuss the issue of the certificate with me. I don’t know,” he told TribuneOnline.

How SARS officers tortured me, killed 30 people in my presence ― Evans

ALLEGED kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans on Friday gave graphic details of how members of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), tortured him and killed 30 people in his presence.
Evans who made the revelation on Friday during the continuation of a trial-within-trial at an Ikeja High Court claimed that the security agents killed the victims by suffocating them with nylon (plastic bags).
The alleged kidnap kingpin is facing trial alongside six others on a two-count charge conspiracy and kidnapping.
Evans while being led in evidence by his lawyer Olanrewaju Ajanaku, described himself as a businessman dealing in haulage and ornaments resident at No. 3, Fred Soyebode Street, Magodo Lagos.
“Insp Idowu Haruna (member of IGP Intelligence Response Team) took me to Abuja and brought me back to Lagos where I was at the Inspector General (IG) Guest House at Obalende, Lagos.
“Sunny the 2 I/C (second in command) to Abba Kyari, Mr Christian Ugu,  Mr Phillip and other police officers working with them were there.
“Idowu Haruna brought about 25 sheets of paper and asked me to sign, that day, my mind told me not to sign because it might be my death warrant.
“One of them, one Mr Phillip put his hand in his pocket and brought out a brown hospital card, he showed it to me and told me to sign it while saying that do you think that we are joking here, he said if anything happens to me here this card covers everything.
“Mr Phillip said the police will not be held responsible and before I knew what was happening, Mr Christian slapped me and that was how they started beating me,” Evans told the court.
 “Mr Christian Ugu was smoking, he quenched the cigarette on my hand, My Lord looks at my head where they beat me, My Lord looks at my hand.
“They took me to the backyard of the IG’s guesthouse, I sustained injuries on my head and body and Mr Phillip asked the policemen to walk on me and when I started bleeding, he said you think we are joking here.
“At the backyard,  I saw some people that I was paraded with, they were wearing leg chains, some of them had bullet wounds on their legs and Mr Phillip ordered Idowu Haruna to bring a big brown sellotape, handkerchief and polybags.
“Idowu Haruna forced a handkerchief into the mouth of one of them, he used the sellotape to tightly tape his mouth and face and put a polybag over his head and sellotaped it and used another poly bag and sellotaped it for the second time and they left the man on the ground.
“The man on the ground was shaking, he pissed (urinated) on his body,  he poo-pooed (defecated) on his body and after a while, he went quiet.
“Idowu Haruna went to the man and stepped on his body and he was unresponsive and he told me can you see I have travelled him.”
Evans told the court that four more persons were executed in the same manner by the police officers in his presence.
“I was brought before them and I started begging asking them what do they want me to do and they told me to co-operate with them and I said okay that I will do anything they wanted me to do.
“Phillip asked them to take me to the house and he asked if I knew the method of killing and I said no, they said that it is called ‘Saddam Hussein.’
“He said that there is no way an autopsy can predict the cause of death of the five people they had just killed and that those people have travelled.”
Evans said after witnessing the execution, the 25 sheets of paper were brought for him to sign by the police.
“After a few minutes they brought the 25 sheets of paper for me and I signed them.
“Some things were written on some of the sheets of paper while some were blank,  that was how I was forced to sign the confessional statements,” Evans said.
“I did not know Insp Haruna, Abba Kyari before my arrest in the I am the one in the video, I was cautioned in the video but after the cautionary words, I was forced to sign, Evans said, referring to a five-minute video of his confessions that was played in court.
“The story I told the court was never an afterthought, SARS killed more than 30 people in my presence, the killings took place at the IG guesthouse in Ikoyi.
“On the day I was arrested I was arrested in my house and I was taken to Ikeja SARS Station, journalists were there, they had beaten the hell out of me in my house,  I was interviewed by the journalists on Sunday a day after I was arrested on Saturday.
“The police killed one Felix Chinemeri in my presence,” he said.
Earlier during proceedings, Insp Idowu Haruna was cross-examined by Ajanaku, he told the court it took more than an hour to obtain Evans’ statement.
Haruna denied that Evans changed his clothes because of blood stains from torture before the video of Evans giving his confessional statement was made.
He denied editing the five minute and 33- second video of Evans giving his statement to the police.
“I never threatened to kill the first defendant (Evans) and I never created fear in him by killing people in his presence,” Haruna said.
Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi thereafter adjourned the case until Nov. 23 for the continuation of defence in the trial-within-trial.

Ekiti lawmaker shot on the head by unidentified gunmen

Some unidentified gunmen on Friday shot a member of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Mr . Michael Adedeji , at a close range at Ado Ekiti while driving to Akure , Ondo State .

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adedeji , who was said to have survived narrowly , was initially rushed to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital for treatment .

He was later transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti , when his condition became critical.

Confirming the incident , the Deputy Speaker of the House , Segun Adewumi, said in Ado Ekiti that Adedeji , who represents Ekiti Southwest Constituency II , was shot on the head .

He said the lawmaker was immediately rushed to the EKSUTH where he was admitted at the Accident and Emergency unit for intensive care .

The deputy Speaker, a PDP member, disclosed that the victim was accosted and shot by the gunmen while reversing his car in a bid to escape .

“ When he was accosted on the way, the lawmaker wanted to flee the scene by putting his car on reverse gear, but these evil men opened fire on his vehicle and the bullets hit him on the head .

“ He was immediately taken to a hospital in Ado Ekiti where he received emergency treatment , ” he said .

When NAN got to the Accident and Emergency Unit of EKSUTH at about 12 noon, it was learnt that the lawmaker has been referred to the federal teaching hospital in Ido Ekiti .

Adedeji narrowly escaped being suspended by the House under the former Speaker, but he was made to tender an open apology at the House plenary.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu , said he would react to the incident as soon as it is brought to the notice of the state Police Command.

Russia upholds torture convictions against senior officers

A military court has upheld murder and torture convictions against senior security and police officers from Russia ’ s North Caucasus , a rights activist said Friday, in what he described as rare ruling .

A military tribunal upheld the convictions on Thursday “ for one killing , the use of violence ( and) extortion” in the region of Ingushetia , Pavel Chikov of Agora told AFP .

The sentences , which ran to up to 10 years in prison, were against interior ministry officers and an FSB security service officer in Ingushetia , including the head of the counter-extremism centre there .

“ Six people received actual jail sentences including an officer from the FSB , ” while one police officer got a suspended sentence, said Chikov .

“ It ’ s the first such sentence concerning senior management in a counter-extremism centre in Russia . And it ’ s the first case over torture in an counter-extremism centre in Russia , ” he added .

“ Up to now , this branch of the interior ministry was considered untouchable, ” he said .

The officers were convicted of using electric shocks and other torture techniques to force confessions from detainees in the mainly- Muslim region .

One of their victims , a 50-year -old man , suffocated to death during interrogation , the RIA Novosti state news agency reported.

The officers also forced victims to hand over money and even a car by threatening to spread compromising information about them .

A military tribunal in the southern Russian city of Rostov- on - Don threw out an appeal against the sentences for the former officers , first convicted in July .

The head of Ingushetia’ s counter-extremism centre of the interior ministry received seven years in jail .
One of his subordinates ranked major received 10 years, and an FSB officer in counter-terrorism received a five - year sentence, Pravo. ru legal news agency said .

Chikov said the case was “ key for the North Caucasus ” because it was the first to involve officers from an “ counter- extremism ” branch of the police.

The force has been accused of using torture to force people to confess to affiliation or activities with Islamic extremists.

Chikov said the verdict could encourage investigators to launch further probes and Agora would help victims from Ingushetia to sue police and the security service .

An Amnesty International researcher said this month he was abducted and brutally beaten in Ingushetia by men claiming to be from the security service .

They also threatened his family, made him undress in a field and recorded him on video.

Last year reports emerged of gay men being imprisoned and beaten in the neighbouring region of Chechnya . A victim who spoke publicly has reportedly since fled Russia .

Missing General: Village Head, others surrender to police

24 hours after being declared wanted by the police over the disappearance of an Army General , Mohammed Idris Alkali ( retd ) , three suspects on Friday voluntarily surrendered themselves to the Plateau State Police Command in Jos .

A source said the other suspects were also ready to surrender themselves but were waiting to see how the persons who already surrendered to the police would be treated.

“ The three suspects voluntarily s themselves to the police. If the police detain them , it will be difficult to get the others . But if they are granted bail , be assured that they will all appear before the police by next week, ” the source stated .

The suspects who surrendered to the police were the Village Head of Dura- Du District in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State , Yakubu Rapp ( 52); Youth Leader of the community, Matthew Rwang ( aka Amesco, 27); and a tipper driver, Timothy Chuwang ( 26) .

They were said to have arrived in the Police Command Headquarters in Jos by 10 am accompanied by the lawyer representing the community , Matthew Godfree .

The suspects were declared wanted after the mysterious disappearance of the former Army Chief of Administration .

Alkali who was said to have disappeared in questionable circumstances was said to have retired a few weeks before he was declared missing on Monday , September 3, 2018, a day after gunmen swooped on Dura-Du and killed about 13 persons.

About three cars were said to have been recovered from a mining pond in the Dura–Du District during a cordon and search operation conducted by a team of soldiers led by the Garrison Commander of 3 Armour Division , Brig . Gen . Umar Mohammed.

The suspects were sighted in the office of the Officer - in-Charge ( Homicide Department) .

Godfree said the community was ready to cooperate with the police in their investigation.

The Nigerian Army on Friday claimed that it had uncovered a shallow grave where suspected hoodlums had initially buried the corpse of its former Chief of Administration, Maj . Gen . Mohammed Idris Alkali ( retd ) .

The shallow grave, the Army said , was in ‘ No Man ’ s Land , ’ and had been identified by four different suspects at different times of arrest.

The General Officer Commanding 3 Armoured Division in Rukuba Barracks , Maj . Gen . Benson Akinroluyo , at a press conference , claimed that the suspects took troops on the search- and- rescue operation to the spot where the corpse of the missing officer was allegedly exhumed and reburied in a yet -to - be-identified place .

According to him , perpetrators of the act shared the belongings of the missing officer after he was abducted .

Alkali , who was said to have disappeared in questionable circumstances, was said to have retired a few weeks before he was declared missing on Monday , September 3, 2018, a day after gunmen swooped on Dura-Du District and killed about 13 persons .

PAINFUL: How Jamal Khashoggi got missing

THE world has virtually been quaking since the drama of the disappearance and, shortly after, obvious murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2 hit the airwaves. He was said to have been murdered inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey where he had gone to obtain paperwork to enable him get married to his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz. Khashoggi, who was a columnist for the Washington Post and a US resident, went into the consulate on October 2 and has not been seen alive ever since. Initial exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Turkey related to whether or not the journalist came out from the consulate, with the Turkish authorities maintaining that he had been brutally killed and his body dismembered by Saudi authorities inside it. But after weeks of denial, the Saudi government, last Friday, admitted that Jamal Khashoggi had died within the diplomatic compound, claiming that he was accidentally killed during a brawl with an official.

Khashoggi’s murder is a throwback to the deadly connivance of international cartels and nations in eliminating vociferous and outspoken people whom they cannot stand. It is also a clear indication that censorship of journalists, the written word and outspoken irritants to governments and powerful individuals has not ceased. It is a clear assault on free speech and a swelling of intolerance in the globe.

From the trail of evidence and submissions so far made, it is obvious that Khashoggi was killed by a gang in the Saudi Arabian governmental hierarchy. The defence put up by the government after its earlier spirited denials is tepid and incapable of shielding the country from blame in the journalist’ murder.

The events leading to his death and thereafter have proven that Khashoggi’s murder was a top-level international conspiracy. For instance, according to a CNN report, immediately after he was assassinated, a senior Turkish official gave the news organisation surveillance footage which showed Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate. This footage, CNN placed side by side another footage of a Saudi top official, Mustafa Al-Madani, attired in the very clothes Khashoggi wore while entering the consulate. It was ostensibly worn after his death to fool the world that he had left the consulate. A Saudi source who spoke with CNN refrained from commenting on why the Saudi Arabian government sent its operative to act as a body double if indeed its claim that Khashoggi’s death was accidental was to be believed.

After the revelations of Saudi Arabia’s apparent implication in this murder, the narrative of where it stood on the tragedy began on an embarrassing swing. The country’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, disclosed that Khashoggi’s murder was a “tremendous mistake” and that Saudi Arabia could not say where his body was. “The individuals who did this did it outside the scope of authority. There obviously was a tremendous mistake made, and what compounded the mistake was the attempt to try to cover up. That is unacceptable in any government,” he said. The killing of Khashoggi is an international embarrassment, a backward swing for the international community in its battle of several decades for free speech and to wean the word from the hands of cabals who seek to silence both the word and its emissaries for embarrassing them.

The Saudi Arabian government must be forced to accept that it was involved in an infernal gang-up against free speech, an anathema in a world which prides itself on being anchored on free speech.

The Khashoggi saga is not only an embarrassment to the world, it recalls unpleasant memories of old about how despots proclaimed the death of journalists and the abridgement of free speech. The Saudi government must come clean on the issue. Though it has affirmed that Jamal Khashoggi died during a brawl within the embassy, it must accept that it actually connived with some other persons to kill the journalist.

While further details on the killing are being awaited, Khashoggi’s death has awakened the world to the high probability that many lesser mortals may have disappeared in similar circumstances in Saudi Arabia and other countries where the tendency towards tolerance by leaders is at the lowest ebb. The list of those responsible for this unwarranted, callous and infernal murder of a law-abiding citizen of the world must be made public. They must be held to account and dealt with in line with international law. Strict punishment must also be meted out to Saudi Arabia if its complicity is fully ascertained. If the truth of this murder is not unearthed, it will seem to show that it is acceptable for other intolerant persons and nations in the world to murder critics.

SOURCE: Tribune Editorials

10 Most Common Modes Of Transportation

10. Human-Powered Transport

Human-drawn carriages and cycle rickshaws can still be seen and are used in some countries. These are one of the human-powered means of transportation, along with the bicycle. Bikes have been used for ages and it shows that bikes are the most eco-friendly and definitely the best mode of transport that humans have ever desCarsd.

9. Animal-Powered Transport

Horse-drawn carriages, bullock carts, donkeys, and horses are the examples of animal-powered carrier or transport. Some carriages are also drawn by dogs and Huskies pull those sleds in the Arctic. Many countries use these animal-powered transports because they are much cheaper compared to other modes of transportation. Some of these carriages are present in countries for the entertainment of tourists.

8. Ships

Long ago, traveling to far away places can only be obtained by ship. Strong seamen faced the rough seas with ships made of wood and sailed to foreign lands. The entire world is traveled with the help of the ship, and still, the common way of trading is shipping. Some people preferred to travel by ship than the plane as a cheaper option.

7. Boats

While ships are for the ocean world, boats are for the world of rivers and lakes. Commonly used as personal or private transport, trading and fishing for thousands of years. They remain popularly used in lots of city ports across the globe and along canals.

6. Airplanes

Airplanes are the forerunners of the global age. They reduced the quantity of time needed to explore throughout regions. As of now, airplanes are commonly used by travelers and for deliveries. Space shuttles give us the chance to travel in space and are the next evolution of the airplane. It is now possible to explore the most visited countries in the world with the help of an airplane. Check out these 10 things to bring on every international flight to help make your travel more comfortable.

5. Motorbikes

The feeling when you ride a motorbike is exceptional. The motorbike is the form of carrier favored by the single travelers who love adventure. You can explore large distances with a motorbike or use it to have fun and thrilling ride. Around the globe, motorbikes are further used to transport goods and also as taxis for a single person.

4. Three Wheelers

The three wheeler is the symbol of a progressing nation. It is a motorized version of the cycle rickshaw, and it has different names around the globe. This three-wheeler is also called the auto rickshaw, tempo, tuk-tuk, tricycle, auto, lapa, mototaxi, and many other names in some countries. It is commonly used for private transport within towns or cities and as a mode of transport in carrying goods.

3. Buses and Trucks

Trucks and buses are essential modes of transportation all over the world. Trucks transport goods from one place to another while passengers or travelers are carried by buses. Because it’s cheaper to ride these public transport vehicles than any other means of transportation, the poorest in the society have the chance now to travel to faraway places or to go to their desired destinations.

2. Cars

The most used of today’s kind of transport for personal use. Henry Ford’s vision of everyone owning an individual car has come true. Cars have grown the reputation in several societies and the more number of cars you own, the richer you look in the eyes of others. From hatchbacks to saloons, sedans, SUVs, MUVs, coups, grand tourers, roadsters, jeeps, etc. several kinds of personal car are used around the globe for private transportation.

1. Trains

The most used kind of transportation around the globe. The train is a unqiue kind of transportation because they can go vast distances, affordably and take a much shorter time than ships. Many see the train as the perfect mode of transportation for the crowds, especially when they need to drive long distances. Metro railways are used for fast and affordable driving inside the cities. Trains are also used for carrying raw materials and goods, they are essential for cross-country supply lines.

What’s your preferred mode of transportation for your next vacation ? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Also, here is the list of 10 most futuristic transportation inventions that you should know.