IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

Am going to be very direct, blunt, and realistic in this piece. The views i expressed here will definitely be controversial as it is against majority of public opinion. However, flowing with public opinion is not what i intend to achieve with this article. The state of Israel is surrounded by neighbors hostile to her and committed to her destruction. In the words of former Iranian president Mahmoud ahmedinejad Israel should be "wiped off the map" Israel is bordered by Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon. Of all this countries only 2 can be said to be friendly with Israel. The two are Egypt and Jordan, Israel has a peace treaty with Egypt after the Israeli- Arab war of 1967. As a nation surrounded by enemies Israel places premium on its security. 15% of its GDP is spent on security and every adult in Israel is mandated by law to undergo military training upon the attainment of 18 years. Being a Jewish state in the midst of Arab nations Israel has always been involved in wars and conflicts with her neighbors and most recently terrorists groups. The current standoff between Israel and Hamas-the terrorist group controlling the Gaza strip has provoked outraged, criticisms, and demonstrations directed mostly at Israel. Israel is blamed for the death of women, children, and innocent civilians. A United Nations report stated that 70% of the 208 casualties(as at the time of my writing) are civilians including children under the age of 16. As gory and horrible as the situation in Gaza looks it is totally unfair to place the blame solely at Israel's feet without having a complete picture of the situation. First I ask the question how did we get to this point? Israel and the Palestines have a long history of hatred and bitterness towards one another. They have been sworn enemies since Israel declared her independence in 1948. This deep animosity and mutual suspicion has made mockery of virtually every peace deal proposed to bring about a two state solution in which both parties recognise their right to exist. The current standoff started when Hamas kidnapped 3 Israeli teens between the ages of 16-19 and killed them about 2 weeks ago. In retaliation some far right extremist group in Israel killed a Palestine boy and burnt his body. Tensions flared on both sides and Hamas a terrorist organisation so designated by the US, Canada the EU, and the UN launched rocket attacks into Israel. Israel responded with air strikes as any sovereign state under attack should respond. The criticism directed at Israel centres mainly on the death of women, children and innocent civilians whose houses has been a target for Israeli air strikes. Israel has been accused of crimes against humanity for targeting civilians. While the death of innocent civilians cannot be denied if juxtaposed with the reality on ground israel is not to be blamed. This is because Hamas hides behind civilians to fire rockets at Israel, civilian homes are used for storing and launching rockets into Israel. A house full of civilians if used to launch attack on enemies becomes a legitimate target under international law. It is Hamas that should be blamed for endangering innocent civilians by using them as human shields. Public opinion is against Israel because media houses like al Jazeera with anti Semitic inclinations have painted this as a war of David Vs Goliath. Since the beginning of this conflict Hamas has fired more than 1,300 rockets into Israel. Rockets are being fired from Syria, Lebanon and the West Bank. A rocket hits Israel every 10 mins. 70% of israel's population is within the range of Hamas rockets. Even cities far away from the border are not spared as Hamas now possesses rockets than travel 132km into the heart of Israel. If not for the Iron dome system that shoots down Hamas rockets before they hit populated areas like Jerusalem and tel Aviv casualties on the Israeli side would have exceeded that of Palestine. It is not Israel's fault that they have developed better technology to protect their people. The Israeli defence forces have done their part by warning civilians with recorded phone calls and leaflets urging them to leave areas targeted for air strikes. I agree that the warnings are sometimes too late and civilians sometimes get caught but Israel has demonstrated that it is not interested in killing innocent civilians. Social media is awash with gory pictures of dead children and women but some of this pictures originates from Syria where Assad has killed about 200,000 of his own people. They are the works of propagandists bent on potraying Israel as a rogue state that kills women and children Gaza. If Israel is interested in killing women and children it won't allow foodstuffs, gas, litres of fuel and medical aid to leave for Gaza as they do despite rocket attacks. On Sunday, a Hamas rocket downed a high-power line that supplies electricity to Gaza, plunging 70,000 Gazans into darkness • Despite ongoing rocket fire, Israeli technicians wore bulletproof vests and special helmets to repair the damage. These are incontrovertible facts. Israel cannot watch while its citizens are sitting ducks for Hamas rockets. On Tuesday Israel agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Egypt and for 6 hours all attacks on Gaza were halted. But during those 6 hours Hamas fired over 50 rockets into Israel, it is evident from this that Hamas truly wants war with Israel. What the international community should do is prevail on both sides to exercise caution. There is no denying that #GazaIsUnderAttack but let us not forget that #IsraelIsUnderFire too. @mofeakegbejo

Boko haram resurgence and the state of emergency

Whether we admit it or not it is now indisputable and indubitable that the joint task force[JTF] in its current formation cannot guarantee the security of life and property of nigerians from the grave and existential threat posed by boko haram. Boko haram have so flexed their muscles they dont seem to go after civilians in churches and mosques anymore but after the security agents that are supposed to secure lives. They have been emboldened by the sophistication of their weaponry that they now take the battle to the doorsteps of the army, airforce and anybody who stands in their way. On the 2nd of december boko haram terrorists numbering over 300 attacked an airforce base in maiduguri with heavy artilleries which included rocket propelled grenade launchers[such is the level of their sophistication] The defence headquarters issued a statement in which they said boko haram only managed to destroy some de-commissioned aircratfs but you and i know that is a face- saving lie. To show that the airforce base attack wasnt a fluke or a one-off scenario boko haram again attacked the military barracks in bama,maiduguri in the early hours of friday the 20th of december, as usual the defence headquarters in its reposte said the attack was "repelled" If boko haram can attack an airforce base and a military barracks with impunity then how secured is the average nigerian?where will their help come from? One factor that has made mockery of our fight against terrorism is the failure to gather sufficient intelligence about these terrorists intelligence gathering is central and key to fighting terrorism and our security agencies have failed in this regard. If they had been more proficient in intelligence gathering we wouldnt have been in the morass we are today. In 2009 boko haram was a 'local' terrorist group with crude, incendiary bombs and locally made rifles. We had the opportunity to continue the onslaught on this group after the death of their founder yusuf muhammed but the security agencies thought it was uhuru and gave them ample time to regroup only to come back stronger. A yoruba adage says "kekere la ti pa eka iroko tori to ba dagba apa oni ka" meaning it is better to trim the branch of an iroko tree when small because when it grows it would be impossible to do so. When president jonathan declared the state of emergency in borno, yobe and adamawa states it was applauded although long overdue. Few weeks after the declaration reports indicated that the terrorists were fleeing across the border because of the increased firepower of the JTF. At that point intelligence gathering should have been stepped up to gather enough information about the modus operandi of this group but this wasnt done and now 7months after we are back to square one, the terrorists are back with a bang! The fight against terrorism is one that shouldnt be done intermittently, whenever the security agencies have these vicious monsters on their heels everything should be done to keep that advantage. If one thing is clear in all these it is the fact that the state of emergency or whatever tactic the jonathan administration has employed is futile and counter productive. Albert einstein defined madness as "doing the same thing and expecting a different result",now is the time for president jonathan as commander-in-chief to summon the security chiefs and re-examine strategy to devise better ways of countering boko haram's menace. Relieving the service chiefs of their duties shouldnt be out of the question Let us continue this conversation on twitter @mofesola_

Nigeria, mandela and apartheid south africa

When nelson mandela gave up the ghost at 8.50pm south african time on thursday the 5th of december it was the end of an era. A light that shone through the darkness of this world went out. The exemplary life madiba lived is a challenge to us all to live a life worthy of emulation. A man who spent 27years in prison came out withour bitterness extending the olive branch to his oppressors. He became the first democratically elected president of south africa and he didnt purge his oppressors. He spent a term in office and left when the ovasion was loudest. This singular act has earned him world wide recognition around the world with awards to numerous to mention. In a continent filled with power drunk politicians like robert mugabe of zimbabwe who has been in power since 1980, paul biya of cameroon since 1982 and a host of other sit tight politicians it is no coincidence that madiba is widely regarded as the greatest african of all time. But in the background of mandela's struggle against apartheid lies the spirited effort nigeria played in bringing down that evil regime even though we seem to get little credit for it. Because of nigeria's vociferous criticism of the apartheid regime the country became a founding member of the african liberation committee and served as chairman of the UN's anti-apartheid committee. Nigeria went further to establish the national committee against apartheid[NACAP]and the southern africa relief fund[SARF] in 1976 to provide relief materials to south african refugees and also scholarships to black south african students. Obasanjo's decision to nationalize the british owned barclays bank in 1978 was to punish britain for supporting the brutal, repressive apartheid regime. Nigeria equally led the boycott of the 1978 and 1986 commonwealth games over britain's support of the apartheid. Nelson Mandela was in prison, but nigeria was relentless in her struggle to bring down apartheid and free south africa. It breaks my heart that nobody seems to remember all of these,the south african government is not giving us due credit for standing with mandela during their darkest hour. It is equally pitiable that when mandela is buried nigeria and indeed africa will take a backstage leaving apartheid apologists at the centre stage. Forget the speeches from the obama's and cameron's of this world. America and britain supported the apartheid regime the former doing so tacitly while britain's support was open. margaret thatcher and other conservatives branded nelson mandela a terrorist . They never identified with mandela but when his greatness couldnt be denied they sought to be identified with the "mandela brand". As early as 1974 there was a motion passed to eject South Africa from the united nations but this was discarded by France, Britain and the United States of America, all of them key trade associates of South Africa. If they had supported the move apartheid would have ended earlier and maybe mandela wouldnt have spent up to 27 years in prison. So when our white friends tell us how much they love and respect mandela i hope south africans ask the white hypocrites where they were during mandela's struggle for freedom and why mandela up until 2008 was on the terrorist list of the united states. Akegbejo mofesola @mofesola_

RONALDO RETURNS TO MANCHESTER

A strange feeling must have greeted cristiano ronaldo as he set foot on manchester,the feeling of being here before...The only difference now being a real madrid player. Manchester used to be ronaldo's city,he left there 3years ago and what a different player he has developed into. He was a manchester united player for 7years(2003-2009)developing into one of the finest player in the game under the tutelage of sir alex ferguson. However,this night he is up against a familiar foe against the club he scored his 50th united goal against. Things have changed since he left,the once "noisy neighbours"have won the epl and even defeated ronaldo's former club 6-1 at their home ground. In what promises to be a classic as champion league knockout stages and exit spot are up for grabs,i expect the city boo-boys to vent their anger at a player who that has done so much damage to them.

The man kayode eso(1925-2012)

Justice Bobakayode Eso was born on September 18, 1925 at Ilesa, in Osun State, Nigeria. He proceeded to Trinity College, Dublin where he graduated with a Bachelor of Law with Hons Degree in Legal Science in 1953 and a Masters in 1956. Justice kayode eso was a man of indefatigable character,unblemished personality,a judge per-excellence,and a legal luminary with an unrivalled profundity of the law. He was described as the lord denning of nigeria because of his stand on legal issues,he was an advocate of fairness,impartiality,and the rule of law. The crescendo of his career came during the Awolowo vs shagari legal battle over the 1979 general elections,despite being outnumbered 6-1 in judgment justice kayode eso refused to be intimidated,cowed,and subjugated into acting the script of a military junta who had a stake in the case due to its preference for a candidate over another,his judgment over that case will forever be a point of reference in the history of the nigerian judiciary"giving the minority judgment,justice kayode eso opined and rightly so that at least two-third of 19 states could only be 13 and not 12 2/3,also worth mentioning is the mystery gunman case, which is the trial of Wole Soyinka over his role in a broadcast which the government of the defunct western region of Nigeria termed offensive. Justice Eso returned a verdict of not guilty on Soyinka, and shortly after the judgment he was transferred from Ibadan to Akure then regarded as a rural station. In spite of all this,he remained undaunted discharging his duties with enthusiastic candour and messianic zeal throughout his tenure in the judiciary. All these acts of patriotism and heroism did not go un-noticed and that is why he has received several Awards and University honours too numerous to mention.  He is Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON): 1979; and has been awarded by several universities. Throughout his time in the judiciary justice kayode eso was a beacon of hope and an illuminator of justice little wonder why justice Pius Aderemi tendered Justice Kayode Eso as a “permanent exhibit”. He also added and I quote “Eso’s decisions as a Judge is legendary and a delight to study”,Full of erudite scholarship, well reasoned and replete with legal authorities, there are fine statements of law and veritable guides for all in the legal profession or concerned with law”. Justice Aderemi concluded. However,it is pitiable that the values and principles that the late kayode eso stood for is fast dying,the judiciary is no longer the hope of the common man but the boast of the rich,I hope this present generation of judges will tow his footstep and bring sanity into that vital arm of government. May the soul of justice kayode eso rest in perfect peace.

justice kayode esho is dead

 The renowned legal practitioner justice kayode esho has been announced dead by his family...more details soon. May his soul rest in peace Source-vanguard.

Lagos traffic law:Restriction or prosecution

Lagos state being the economic capital and the commercial nerve centre of nigeria has many benefits,it is only in lagos that nigerians from the 774 local governments are represented going about their daily businesses. However,the achilles heel of subsequent governments has been the way out of the state's congested roads and how to ease transportation within the state,The previous administration had the willingness but lacked the idea to tackle this problem but the state under the incumbent governor fashola has eased the traffic situation although much remains to be done gov fashola in his first term was the man of the people,the saviour lagosians had been waiting for,he embarked on and commissioned many projects surpassing what his predecessor did for eight good years in his first term. He improved health care services,constructed and renovated schools,and he brought sanity to lagos state in general,little wonder the people of the state threatened to vote out the"ACN"when rumour was going round that his godfather might deny him a second term in office.In the 2011 general elections we all knew it was a no contest because the achievements of governor babatunde raji fashola was there for all to see,having won the election with ease lagosians expected him to continue to with his actions that endeared him to many.However,in the course of his zeal and passion the governor may have gotten it wrong,once a hero he is fast becoming villian as lagosians are getting tired of his anti-people policies,The lagos traffic law and specifically the sections prohibiting okada riders as they are popularly known from plying 475 major roads and restricting their working hours between (6am-8pm)has caused untold hardship on many.The governor did not consider families that would suffer because of this,a large percentage of okada riders are also educated and are only in the okada business because job opportunities have long dried up thanks to a clueless,corrupt,and inept federal government,he did not provide job opportunities for this teeming youths that will remain unemployed because the okada business is no longer lucrative and attractive. The governor's argument is that okada riders are responsible for accidents and that most cases of armed robbery are usually carried out with okada's,not denying the all this atrocities i think the failure of the system should not be passed on to innocent civilians,if the the security agencies cannot do their jobs then that is their problem because it is their duty to do so regardless of the means of transportation used because they have power bikes that they use in patrolling the state,commercial buses also cause accident on lagos roads will the gov proceed to restrict them too?the penalty for the offences are even too grave for example in section 3(1)(3)(4)the penalty is a prison term of 3years,this is too harsh and has no moral justification whatsoever, As the saying goes "the idle hand is the devils workshop"lagos is safer with unemployed youths riding okada's because jobless youths might go into acts of criminality to make ends meet.Lagos state since its creation on may27th 1967 has never fallen into the hands of the ruling party under any democratic dispensation,but if the governor continue with this anti-masses policy and the PDP puts its house in order then they might just capture that which has so far eluded them"lagos state"the centre of excellence. God bless lagos state,God bless nigeria.