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Friday, November 17, 2017

STATEMENT BY CHIEF AWOLOWO WHILE BEFORE THE HIGH COURT BEFORE SENTENCING FOR TREASONABLE FELONY SEPTEMBER 11, 1963

Show moreI must say, and this may have to be taken up with a higher tribunal, that I do not agree with your Lordship's verdict, and the premises on which it is based. 

For upwards of 30 years, I have been in politics in Nigeria; during this period I have operated in various important theatres in the life of this great Federation.  I have, with others, fought against British imperialism with all my might, and with all the talents that it pleased God to give me. 

Together with other nationalists, some of whom are with me and many of whom are not with me here, we have successfully thrown out British imperialism and enthroned Africans in positions which, 20 or more years ago, they never dreamt of occupying. 

I have been an unyielding advocate of a Federal Constitution for Nigeria.  I have all along, with other leaders of this country, been a very active and constructive participant in all the constitutional conferences which have taken place since 1953, and which have culminated not only in the attainment of independence but in the production of a Constitution of which Nigerians are very proud. 

This Constitution is now being gradually violated. 

I have also fought against anything which savours of injustice.  It is thus an irony of history that, as one of the architects of Nigeria's independence, I have spent almost half of Nigeria's three years of independence under one form of confinement or another. 

Since 1957 I have fought, as your Lordship remarked, with vigour against the feudal system in the Northern Region and for its eradication.  I have also fought to prevent the spread of this evil political system to other parts of Nigeria. 

During the same period I have strongly advocated the breaking up of Northern Region into more states in order to have true federation in Nigeria, to preclude the permanent subservience of the people of Nigeria to the autocratic ruling caste in the North, and to preserve peace and unity in the country. 

In short, I have always fought for what I believe, without relenting and regardless of consequences to myself.  I have no doubt, and I say this without any spirit of immodesty, that in the course of my political career, I have rendered services to this country which historians and the coming generations will certainly regard as imperishable. 

Naturally, Sir, in the course of my long, turbulent and active political life, I have attracted to myself a sizeable crop of detractors and political adversaries.  Similarly, I have in the course of this long career seen both triumphs and set-backs; and I have met them with equal mind. 

Peter, not Peter the Apostle, but Peter the hero of Hugh Walpole's novel entitled "Fortitude" said: "It isn't life that matters but the courage you bring to it." 

After life had done terrible things to Peter he heard a voice that said to him, among other things, "Blessed be all sorrow, hardships and endurance that demand courage.  Blessed be these things: for of these things cometh the making of a man." 

In the words of Peter, therefore, my Lord, I declare (not that I have heard a voice): Blessed be your verdict; and I say in advance, blessed be the sentence which your Lordship may pass on me. 

I personally welcome any sentence you may impose upon me.  At this moment my only concern is not for myself, but that my imprisonment might do harm to Nigeria for three reasons. 

First, the invaluable services which I have hitherto rendered and which I can still render will be lost to the country – at least for a season. 

Second, there might be a heightening of the present tension which has lasted 15 months, and has done incalculable injuries to the economy of the country. 

Thirdly, for some time to come, the present twilight of democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law, will change or might change into utter darkness.  But after darkness – and this is a commonplace – comes a glorious dawn. 

It is, therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope, and with faith in my unalterable destiny, that I go from this twilight into the darkness, unshaken in my trust in the Providence of God that a glorious dawn will come on the morrow. 

My adversaries might say who am I to think that if I am imprisoned the country might suffer?  What if I died? 

The point, of course, is that I am still alive and will not die in prison.  Furthermore, the spirit of man knows no barrier, never dies, and can be projected to any part of the world. 

This being so I am confident that the ideals of social justice and individual liberty which I hold dear will continue to be projected beyond the prison walls and bars until they are realized in our lifetime. 

In this connection, I must stress that in this very court room, indeed in this dock and in the entire Federation of Nigeria, the spirit of an new Nigeria is already active and at work.  This spirit, working through constitutional means which I have spent the whole of my lifetime to advocate, is sure to prevail, before very long, to the delight, freedom and prosperity of all and sundry. 

Before I close, I must say that in spite of the delay of the past few weeks on the part of your Lordship in giving judgement in this case, and in spite of my disagreement with your verdict which I have just given expression to, I must acknowledge your Lordship's patience throughout the trial of this case. 

Particularly, I want to thank your Lordship for the due and especial consideration which you have always accorded me and the other accused persons. 

I thank your Lordship; and I am prepared to abide by your sentence. 

THE SENTENCE

The Trial Judge Mr. Sowemimo speaks:

"….Whatever others may say, this is my personal view.  I am not speaking as a judge but as a Nigerian.  Here we have one of the first Premiers of the autonomous region standing trial.  If you were the only one before me, I would have felt that it was enough for you to have undergone the strain of the trial.  I would have asked you to go.  But I am sorry, I cannot do so now because my hands are tied. 

Having sentenced those young chaps whatever happens I have to pass some sort of sentence.  If I made up my mind to sentence the other accused persons who I find were tools in the hands of others, and if my conclusion is right, it is for me to see that a punishment by me in my court is such that others would see that there is no preferential treatment. 

I do not see what useful purpose a sentence of imprisonment will do to you, but I have come to the conclusion that these things emanate from you.  To get yourself involved in this thing is enough shame. 

But this is a political crime.  There are things which one may never know.  All I know is what is before me and I am bound by the evidence.  You mentioned about the delay in giving judgement, but I wish you were in my position and had to read some of these things – the evidence which was about 800 pages and the notes of submissions also about 600 pages.  I was never hoping or thinking that I would be called upon to try a former Head of Government and Leader of Opposition.  I am only happy that this is a court of first instance. " 

At the conclusion of the speech by Justice Sowemimo, Chief Awolowo was sentenced as follows:

Thursday, November 9, 2017

WHAT TRIGGERED THE MARTIN LUTHER REFORMATION?  AND WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST? 

Here is the story, and why I think the Church is back to where it was before the Martin Luther Reformation exactly 500 years ago. 

1.  Before 1517, everyone belonged to the Roman Catholic Church which was the official religion, with the Pope as the head.  The Pope had the final say on all issues concerning religion. 

2.  Pope Leo X wanted to build a fanciful Church building called St. Peters Basilica in Rome.  The building was going to cost him so much.  Hence, he decided to raise money from the sale of purgatory. 

3.  Purgatory was invented by the Catholic Pope during the Crusades in order to get more men into the army.  The pope claimed he could buy souls back from hell.  His soldiers believed him and the practice continued. 

4.The manipulation of the people through the sale of purgatory(Offering God money in order to get God's favor) infuriated Martin Luther.  The same idea of purgatory was why mandatory tithes and offerings got established in the early Church. ' God gets excited at the sound of coins in the offering plate'. 

5.  On Oct. 31st, 1517, a Roman Catholic Monk named Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of the Church claiming salvation was by faith alone, among others.  He claimed the Pope had no power to forgive sins or collect purgatory. 

6.  The posting of the theses happened at the early beginnings of the invention of the print media, just like today's internet.  Within weeks, Luther's theses was widespread all over Germany, and all over Europe within months. 

7.  Before that, nobody had challenged the authority of the Church or Pope and lived.  The Church had killed all scientists, historians or anyone who had a contrary view to the Pope.  Often burning them publicly or beheading them. 

8.  Hence, the posting of the Theses was like Martin Luther posting his own death notice. 
Ever heard the story of David and Goliath?  The Pope was Goliath, Martin Luther was not even a David, he was a worm.  The Pope could crush him easily.  Somehow, the Pope was not able to.  He referred to Luther as a wild boar.  Luther often referred to the Pope as a 'lustful dog'. 

9.  Martin Luther was summoned by the council of Church and State to recant his writings.  He declared he wouldn't as he was prepared to die for what his conscience believed. 

10.  Meanwhile, he remained in the Roman Catholic Church as starting another form of Christianity was not his goal.  Luther's mission was to reform the Roman Catholic Church. 

11.  The Pope declared Luther a non-grata, meaning whoever killed him was doing God a favor.  His life was put at risk. 

12.  Martin Luther was then kidnapped by close friends and hidden in a castle.  His physical form was disguised for fear that he would be killed.  He had already become so popular in Europe through his writings. 

13.  While hidden away and in Isolation, he translated the entire Bible for the first time into German from Latin, giving everyone access to the Bible for the first time.  From German, it was then translated into other languages. 

14.  Before Luther's Bible, the Bible had only existed in Greek and Latin which only Priests had access to.  You could be killed if found with a copy of the Bible.  This gave the Priests so much power, similar to today's Priests and Pastors. 

15.  As more people read the Bible for themselves, revolts broke out all over Europe as people saw how the Church had taken advantage of them over many years.  The Pope lost so much power and the Roman Catholic Church became irrelevant.  Luther called out the Popes, Bishops, and princes without mincing words, often challenging them to public debates. 

16.  Because everyone now had the Bible, different sections began to break out of the Catholic Church every man claiming his own revelation.  There were the Lutherans, Calvinists, Puritans, Unitarians, Anglicans, and many more.  The differences between them are so slight and insignificant. 

17.  Each of these grew so much in power, became capitalists and began to practice in new forms and with new languages, exactly what the Catholic Church was doing that led to the break out of the reformation in the first place. 

18.  Denominationalism then became Capitalism.  Churches became more about big and beautiful buildings, selling cajoles to people in exchange for money in order to fund the lavish lifestyles. 

19.  500 years after, we are back to where it all began.  We are practicing that old form of Catholicism.  The church now is about money and buildings, tithes and offerings. 

20.  Who shall write for us another 95 theses? 

500 years of the Reformation.  We are still bleeding...

Read and let others know and understand the importance of the Bible and the truth. 

Alhassan Dantata, an Agalawa merchant of Kano, victim of the Fulani tyranny and great grandfather of Aliko Dangote - By Gbonka Ebiri

Prior to their arrival in the Fulani people from Futa Jallon in Northern Nigeria, the Hausa kingdoms were a confederate of very prosperous nation states.  They were the best traders in the whole continent for leather products and textiles and held large merchant bases in Katsina, Gobir, Kano and Zazzou.  Trade in these regions were so vast that caravans came all the way from the ottoman empire and North Africa. .  The agalawa merchants of Kano were the middle men who traded with the Arabs and traders from Sudan.  One of the very important commodities traded at the time was Kola nuts, which was introduced by a legendary Hausa female ruler known as Queen Amina. 

After the Jihad, the fulani leadership destroyed the prosperous Hausa kingdoms and turned it into a region of mass poverty and hub of slavery.  It destroyed the merchants bases and persecuted the Agalawa merchants.  One of the persecuted merchants at the time was the Dantata family.  The famous Alhassan Dantata at some point was a slave of the fulani overlords and his family had to part with vast fortunes to buy his freedom.  They fled to Ghana and the Fulani destroyed the agalawa merchant base at Kano.  They took the fertile lands of the North for the fulani herdsmen who were being wooed at the time to stop the seasonal migrations and settle in the Hausa lands permanently.  They forced the natives into a life of slavery so much that half of the native Hausas were stripped of their freedom.  Over 50% of the hausa natives were slaves in their ancestral home.  The largest concentrations were in Sokoto, Yola Kano, Zaria, katsina and Ilorin emirates

A German explorer called Heinrich Barth who travelled to many parts of the North in the 1850’s observed ‘slavery exists on an immense scale in the Hausa lands.  There are many private individuals who have more than a thousand slaves….. Yola had so many slaves that the emir Mohammed Lowel built a slave village in Rumde to contain slaves.  These slaves where used for farm labor.  Every year Mohammed Lowel enforced a yearly tribute of five thousand slaves from his subjects. (  Barths Travels in Nigeria)

The hausa people were at the verge of fighting back when the British arrived and further favored the presence of the Futa Jallon emirs, so much that after independence, they not only ensured that the North had a bigger region and more advantage over the south in voting blocs, but also restricted the champion of the hausa masses ( Aminu Kano) who was ready to retake the North through the ballot boxes and totally destroy the emirates of the Hausa kingdoms under Fulani immigrant invaders. 

The fulani leaders who eventually cause collateral damages come as humble friends, endear themselves to the people, give them false promise of a better future and bargain with the powerbrokers who think they would have a better stake in a fulani government but hold regrets when it is much too late.  Such heavy weights to suffer such fates include Afonja, Zik, Abiola, Ekweme and currently Tinubu. 

As they further gain grips on the country, they are determined to disenfanshise the south like they did the Hausa people.  they hate western education and most especially history.  After they have ensured that all histories of the hausa kingdoms is lost to them, so much that they are alienated from their past great leaders like queen Amina of Zaria and King Rumfa of Kano.  They have ensured that history is striped out of school syllabus in the south and ensure certain records that expose future generations to their cold-hearted tendencies like their role in the civil war remains unspoken

.  In the 60’s when Ahmadu Bello became the premier of the North and Middle belt region.  He structured the region very much like his great grandfather ( Dan Fodio) and tried to use religion as a weapon to subdue the North into conformity.  He turned down Awolowo’s offer to help in ensuring free education in the North through migration of kids to the primary schools of the west.  In 1962, he founded the Jamaatu Nasril Islam ( Society for the victory of Islam) and sent muslim teachers (mallams) throughout the region using the same blue print of his great grandfather who secretly tried to recruit natives through an organized koranic school structure and was restricted by Sultan Nafata from sending disciples out to teach and recruit in disguise thereby frustrating Dan Fodio’s effort to share his dream of the prophet. ( in the dream, he was granted a green mantle, special turban and a command to raise the sword against his enemies and lead his followers to a new era of prosperity in the Hausa kingdoms).  Not until after the saultan’s son (Yumfa) ascended the throne was he able to fully consolidate his army to launch the jiahad.  Ahmadu Bello used this organized system to lead many conversion campaigns focused in the middle belt.  The movement was called Ahmadu Bello’s Jihad by politicians in the west who held great reservations for the system.  this organized structure remains in the North today and ensures that the hausa remain perpetual slaves carrying slates and taking koranic classes while the Fulani elites enroll in western schools.  A second attempt under Jonathan to ensure mas education in the North was quickly proscribed in the early stages of Buhari presidency. 

what they did to the Hausa kingdoms, they are determined to do in the south.  They would not stop until they destroy its education system, enforce the Fulani minority as head of all ministries, take important lands for their cattle to graze, take wealth of the south as spoils of war as they spread poverty, ensure destruction of history and frustrate all attempts of the natives to reconnect with their past and maintain their ancestral pride.  They do not belong here and hold no loyalty to anywere in Nigeria as their ancestral home.  Nigeria would never prosper under a Fulani leader.  We should never allow a fulani politician appeal to us, regardless of his tricks and gimmicks.  Buhari should be the very last to ever fool a southern electorate.  They will forever remain immigrants from Futa Jallon that came to take spoils of war regardless of how the sell any candidate from their stock. 

Successive administrations in Nigeria, including the current one claim to promote transparency and accountability by following due process in financial dealings and public procurements.  Nevertheless, governments at all levels avoid strict compliance with standard norms and regulations when actions are taken for both economic and political exigencies. 

The confusion and power struggle between the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar, though political, were fuelled on allegations of non-compliance to due process over activities of agencies under the purview of Atiku, including PTDF.  Court cases afterwards merely favoured the former Vice President. 

Every tier of government engages in financial dealing outside the legal requirement using different nomenclatures and suspicious regulations to justify the indiscretions.  For instance, a security vote is one of the conduit pipes used by various top public officers to avoid being accountable to anyone.  Even the Public Procurement law provides exceptions to disclosures on sensitive security issues and requirements. 

During the previous administration, not only President Goodluck Jonathan, but most governors used security votes extensively for security and other various activities including funding of political campaigns. 

In the recently published book “An Encounter with the Spymaster,” this writer disclosed categorically that “the movement of large cash in local and foreign currencies by the two major political parties, APC and PDP, to win primaries and general elections in 2015 were discovered by security and anti-corruption agencies but tactically suppressed to avoid embarrassing outcries that could tarnish the electoral processes and rubbish the image of the country.  Few senior journalists, especially some members of Faculty of Bureau Chiefs and Editors where a highly respected investigative Editor, Yusuf Alli is the Dean, are aware of some of the details and culpability of the parties.” 

Therefore, at the national level, one of the major institutions that have been indirectly involved in funding sensitive and classified operations whether for security or other exigencies is the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).  The media trial and court cases against the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke on allegations levelled against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are clear examples. 

The fear of past incident recently reared its ugly head as the current Petroleum Minister of State, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu in a memo leaked to the media, informed President Muhammadu Buhari that the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Mr Maikanti Baru, was disrespectful to him.  He also allegedly accused the NNPC boss of awarding contracts worth over $25bn without the approval of the board of the corporation. 

The contents of the memo are not only embarrassing but damning because it would easily rubbish the integrity of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and its hyped anti-corruption campaigns. 

While the two men on the brawl, Kachikwu and Baru are first class materials in all sense from their academic accomplishments as well as their experiences in the oil sector, there seem to be missing narratives on the altercation. 

Apart from the allegations of insubordination, lopsided appointments and awards of contracts without the consent of NNPC board by Dr. Baru, there are also documents seen by Economic Confidential indicating that the Act setting up the Corporation, statutorily mandates the GMD to report directly to the Substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, which in this case, is President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Another document, a correspondence from Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to the NNPC dated June 26, 2015 states in part that: “The [NNPC] Governing Board is responsible for approval of the work programmes, corporate contract plans and budget while the [NNPC] Tenders Board is responsible for approval of day to day procurement implementation.” 

Since the emergence of President Buhari, appointments of top Group Executive Directors (GED) were made by Kachikwu.  An online platform, DailyNigerian, reports that “Among the seven Chief Operating Officers (COO/GEDs) currently working under Baru, five were actually appointed by Dr Kachikwu, three of whom came along with him from the International Oil Companies (IOCs).” 

Mr Kachikwu actually brought in Babatunde Adeniran (COO Ventures), Anibor Kragha (COO Refineries) and Henry Ikem-Obih (COO Downstream) from outside while Isa Inuwa (COO Corporate Services) and Bello Rabiu were sourced from within.  Chidi Momah, who is still Secretary of the Corporation, was also hired by Mr Kachikwu. 

While the majority of top officers appointed into NNPC by Kachikwu during his days as the GMD are from Southern Nigeria, Baru is alleged to have done the same by ensuring that his recent reorganisation of the management staff of the oil corporation favours the North. 

When this writer wrote an article on a disagreement between Kachikwu and current Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi in July 2016 over projects in NigerDelta (Link: https://goo.gl/V1cMjM), the Petroleum Minister of State should have since realised that in an intense political clime, one must tread consciously and cautiously.  Attempts to crucify Maikanti Baru over some alleged decisions in NNPC may not likely fly because it would seem to be an attack against the Presidency.  Media reports so far have indicated that Dr. Baru is reputed to have unfettered access to the substantive Petroleum Minister who is President and commander in chief than most cabinet members.  It could, therefore, be extremely difficult for the GMD NNPC to have taken any unilateral decision without the consent and authorization from the highest office in the land.  Whether the actions taken are right or wrong only the court can determine. 

Meanwhile, in an exigency, due process can be ignored to justify the Machiavellian principle of "the ends justify the means" on security votes and oil contracts for national interests. 

Sunday, October 8, 2017

What are THE DIGITAL LITERATE LAW GRADUATES of NOUN looking for in NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL that they've not already gotten from their learning at NOUN?. 

Sometimes, i wonder what this generation of digital compliant minds are looking for in Nigerian 12th century medieval modeled schools and Nigerian Law School for that matter in this 21st century tech age when your can access any information you need to advancement your life and humanity at the comfort of your home on your phone. 

Why wasting valuable time and resources on obsolete and invalid schools that can not add value to your life?  The legal service in this 21st century is in the world of internet-based global businesses, online document production, commoditized service, legal process outsourcing, and web based simulation practice. 

The global legal markets has been liberalized with evolution of internet with new jobs for lawyers and new employers too...Why wasting time and resources for appearance in COURT where you can NEVER get JUSTICE.  Read more... http://amzn.to/2g2SUNg

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt Wednesday squashed a suit by law graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, seeking to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School, NLS. 

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Some Some graduates of the Law Department of NOUN had on the 12 May, 2015, instituted a legal action against the Council of Legal Education, CLE, National University Commission, NUC, Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, over their refusal to allow them admission into the law school. 

The graduates in their suit wanted the court to compel the relevant authorities to make provisions to include graduates of the NOUN in the Nigerian Law School as benefiting by law graduates from other institutions. 

The legal counsel to the graduates, Prof Abiodun Amuda-Kannika, SAN, had in court prayed the court to deliver judgement in favour of his plaintiffs based on the relief sort by the affected graduates. 

Meanwhile, counsel for CLE and the others, Mark Agwu, told the court to strike out the matter, noting that part-time and correspondent graduates are not qualified for admission into the NLS. 

However, Justice Hilary Oshomah, in his judgement held: “The power to admit students into law school is intrinsic and since the first defendant (CLE) does not share its power with any other person, that on issue of who to admit students and criteria of admitting that student is a matter of the domestic confines of council of Legal Education.” 

Oshomah while explaining that academic matters should be left in the hands of the academicians ruled: “This court cannot decide to order University Commission or Council of Legal Education to admit students from National Open University of Nigeria into law school for reasons being that they obtained their law degree by part-time or distance education.” 

“This is the decision of the Court, that the reliefs sort by the plaintiff are totally misconceived, unmeriterous and not granted.  On this decision, this honourable court dismiss this suit.” 

Meantime, counsel to the plaintiffs, Amuda-Kannika, expressed hope that the judgement of the court would be annulled on appeal, saying: “The decision has been given by the court, we believe in God and I believe that administratively it can be strengthened out.  But it all depends on my client they might have a second thought at to the next line of action. 

“We believe that we ought to have won, but haven lost, we believe in God that their LLB certificate cannot just be LLB alone, we will have BL at the end of the day because I believe that the Attorney General still have power to override the decision of the council of legal education under Section 4 of the Council of Legal Education Act, to allow the decision of the council to be set aside and allow them to go to law school.” 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. 

Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last. 

1.  Martin Luther King was born Michael Lewis King.  His father changed his own name to Martin Luther, after the German preacher and reformist, and he renamed his son the same. 

2.  King suffered from depression throughout much of his life.  As a child, he befriended a white boy whose father owned a business near his family's home.  When the boys were six, they started school: King had to attend a school for African Americans and the other boy went to one for whites.  King lost his friend because the child's father no longer wanted the boys to play together. 

3.  At the age of 12, King blamed himself for his grandmother's death and attempted suicide by jumping out of a second-story window but he survived. 

4.  King was a precocious child.  He skipped both the ninth and the twelfth grade, entering college when he was only fifteen.  At 19, he received a degree in sociology and earned
a PhD in theology seven years later at 26.  He eventually garnered another fifty or so honorary degrees from various colleges and universities around the country before his death at the age of 39. 

5.  Martin Luther King was a life-long smoker. 

6.  King was jailed 29 times, charged with everything from civil disobedience to driving five miles over the speed limit. 

7.  On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, until Malala Yousafzai in 2014, which was awarded to him for leading nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in the U.S. He donated all $54,123 of the prize money to the civil rights movement. 

8.  King became romantically involved with the white daughter of an immigrant German woman.  He planned to marry her, but friends advised against it, saying that an interracial marriage would provoke animosity from both blacks and whites.  King broke off the relationship after six months.  He never recovered. 

9.  King was 24 and his wife was 26 when they got married.  They had four children together.  Three are still alive. 

10.  In 1957, King and other civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).  He led the SCLC until his death. 

11.  King survived an assassination attempt in 1958 after being stabbed in the chest by a deranged woman.  He spent several weeks in surgery. 

12.  In 1963, the FBI, under written directive from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, tapped King's telephone line suspecting he was a Communist. 

13.  King organized and led marches for blacks' right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other basic civil rights.  Most of these rights were successfully enacted into the law of the United States with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

14.  In the 1963 March on Washington, King delivered a 17-minute speech, later known as "I Have a Dream''.  It came to be regarded as one of the finest speeches in the history of American oratory. 

15.  On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his death—King delivered a speech titled "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence."  He spoke strongly against the U.S.'s role in the war, arguing that the U.S. was in Vietnam "to occupy it as an American colony" and calling the U.S. government "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." 

16.  Martin Luther King is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using the tactics of nonviolence and civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs and inspired by the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. 

17.  On April 4, 1968, King was fatally shot by James Earl Ray at 6:01 p.m. The bullet entered through his right cheek, smashing his jaw, then traveled down his spinal cord before lodging in his shoulder.  He died at the hospital an hour later at 7:05 p.m.

18.  President Lyndon B. Johnson declared April 7, 1968 a national day of mourning for the civil rights leader. 

19.  King made a request that at his funeral no mention of his awards and honors be made, but that it be said that he tried to "feed the hungry", "clothe the naked", "be right on the [Vietnam] war question", and "love and serve humanity." 

20.  King's favourite hymn was "Take My Hand, Precious Lord".  It was sung at his funeral. 

21.  On January 17, 2000, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially observed in all fifty U.S. states. 

22.  King’s mother, Alberta Williams King, was also shot and killed at the age of 69. 

23.  As a Christian minister, King's main influence was Jesus Christ and the Christian gospels.  His faith was strongly based in Jesus' commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself, loving God above all, and loving your enemies, praying for them and blessing them. 

24.  King’s autopsy revealed that stress had taken a major toll on his body.  Despite being just 39 at the time of his death, one of the doctors noted that he had “the heart of a 60-year-old”. 

25.  In 1977, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian award of the United States of America) was posthumously awarded to King by President Jimmy Carter. 

Friday, September 22, 2017

Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, world leaders, and distinguished delegates, welcome to New York.  It is a profound honor to stand here in my home city as a representative of the American people to address the people of the world.  As millions of our citizens continue to suffer the effects of the devastating hurricanes that have struck our country, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to every leader in this room who has offered assistance and aid.  The American people are strong and resilient, and they will emerge from these hardships more determined than ever before. 

Fortunately, the United States has done very well since Election Day last November 8.  The stock market is at an all-time high, a record.  Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before.  Companies are moving back, creating job growth, the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time, and it has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense.  Our military will soon be the strongest it has ever been.  For more than 70 years, in times of war and peace, the leaders of nations, movements, and religions have stood before this assembly. 

Like them, I intend to address some of the very serious threats before us today, but also the enormous potential waiting to be unleashed.  We live in a time of extraordinary opportunity.  Breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine are curing illnesses and solving problems that prior generations thought impossible to solve.  But each day also brings news of growing dangers that threaten everything we cherish and value.  Terrorists and extremists have gathered strength and spread to every region of the planet.  Rogue regimes represented in this body not only support terror but threaten other nations and their own people with the most destructive weapons known to humanity. 

Authority and authoritarian powers seek to collapse the values, the systems, and alliances, that prevented conflict and tilted the word toward freedom since World War II.  International criminal networks traffic drugs, weapons, people, force dislocation and mass migration, threaten our borders and new forms of aggression exploit technology to menace our citizens.  To put it simply, we meet at a time of both immense promise and great peril.  It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights or let it fall into a valley of disrepair.  We have it in our power, should we so choose, to lift millions from poverty, to help our citizens realize their dreams, and to ensure that new generations of children are raised free from violence, hatred, and fear. 

This institution was founded in the aftermath of two world wars, to help shape this better future.  It was based on the vision that diverse nations could cooperate to protect their sovereignty, preserve their security, and promote their prosperity.  It was in the same period exactly 70 years ago that the United States developed the Marshall Plan to help restore Europe.  Those these beautiful pillars, they are pillars of peace, sovereignty, security, and prosperity.  The Marshall Plan was built on the noble idea that the whole world is safer when nations are strong, independent, and free.  As president, Truman said in his message to Congress at that time, our support of European recovery is in full accord with our support of the United Nations. 

The success of the United Nations depends upon the independent strength of its members.  To overcome the perils of the present, and to achieve the promise of the future, we must begin with the wisdom of the past.  Our success depends on a coalition of strong and independent nations that embrace their sovereignty, to promote security, prosperity, and peace, for themselves and for the world.  We do not expect diverse countries to share the same cultures, traditions, or even systems of government, but we do expect all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties, to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation. 

This is the beautiful vision of this institution, and this is the foundation for cooperation and success.  Strong sovereign nations let diverse countries with different values, different cultures, and different dreams not just coexist, but work side by side on the basis of mutual respect.  Strong sovereign nations let their people take ownership of the future and control their own destiny.  And strong sovereign nations allow individuals to flourish in the fullness of the life intended by God.  In America, we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to watch. 

This week gives our country a special reason to take pride in that example.  We are celebrating the 230th anniversary of our beloved Constitution, the oldest constitution still in use in the world today.  This timeless document has been the foundation of peace, prosperity, and freedom for the Americans and for countless millions around the globe whose own countries have found inspiration in its respect for human nature, human dignity, and the rule of law.  The greatest in the United States Constitution is its first three beautiful words.  They are "We the people."  Generations of Americans have sacrificed to maintain the promise of those words, the promise of our country and of our great history. 

In America, the people govern, the people rule, and the people are sovereign.  I was elected not to take power, but to give power to the American people where it belongs.  In foreign affairs, we are renewing this founding principle of sovereignty.  Our government's first duty is to its people, to our citizens, to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values.  As president of the United States, I will always put America first.  Just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always and should always put your countries first. 

All responsible leaders have an obligation to serve their own citizens, and the nation state remains the best vehicle for elevating the human condition.  But making a better life for our people also requires us to with work together in close harmony and unity, to create a more safe and peaceful future for all people. 

The United States will forever be a great friend to the world and especially to its allies.  But we can no longer be taken advantage of or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return.  As long as I hold this office, I will defend America's interests above all else, but in fulfilling our obligations to our nations, we also realize that it's in everyone's interests to seek the future where all nations can be sovereign, prosperous, and secure. 

America does more than speak for the values expressed in the United Nations charter.  Our citizens have paid the ultimate price to defend our freedom and the freedom of many nations represented in this great hall.  America's devotion is measured on the battlefields where our young men and women have fought and sacrificed alongside of our allies.  From the beaches of Europe to the deserts of the Middle East to the jungles of Asia, it is an eternal credit to the American character that even after we and our allies emerge victorious from the bloodiest war in history, we did not seek territorial expansion or attempt to oppose and impose our way of life on others.  Instead, we helped build institutions such as this one to defend the sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all.  For the diverse nations of the world, this is our hope. 

We want harmony and friendship, not conflict and strife.  We are guided by outcomes, not ideologies.  We have a policy of principled realism, rooted in shared goal, interests, and values.  That realism forces us to confront the question facing every leader and nation in this room, it is a question we cannot escape or avoid.  We will slide down the path of complacency, numb to the challenges, threats, and even wars that we face, or do we have enough strength and pride to confront those dangers today so that our citizens can enjoy peace and prosperity tomorrow. 

If we desire to lift up our citizens, if we aspire to the approval of history, then we must fulfill our sovereign duties to the people we faithfully represent.  We must protect our nations, their interests and their futures.  We must reject threats to sovereignty from the Ukraine to the South China Sea.  We must uphold respect for law, respect for borders, and respect for culture, and the peaceful engagement these allow. 

And just as the founders of this body intended, we must work together and confront together those who threatens us with chaos, turmoil, and terror.  The score of our planet today is small regimes that violate every principle that the United Nations is based.  They respect neither their own citizens nor the sovereign rights of their countries.  If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph.  When decent people and nations become bystanders to history, the forces of destruction only gather power and strength. 

No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the well-being of their own people than the depraved regime in North Korea.  It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans.  And for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more.  We were all witness to the regime's deadly abuse when an innocent American college student, Otto Warmbier, was returned to America, only to die a few days later. 

We saw it in the assassination of the dictator's brother, using banned nerve agents in an international airport.  We know it kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country, to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea's spies.  If this is not twisted enough, now North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.  It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply, and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict. 

No nation on Earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.  The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.  Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.  The United States is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary.  That's what the United Nations is all about.  That's what the United Nations is for.  Let's see how they do. 

It is time for North Korea to realize that the denuclearization is its only acceptable future.  The United Nations Security Council recently held two unanimous 15-0 votes adopting hard-hitting resolutions against North Korea, and I want to thank China and Russia for joining the vote to impose sanctions, along with all of the other members of the Security Council.  Thank you to all involved.  But we must do much more. 

It is time for all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior.  We face this decision not only in North Korea; it is far past time for the nations of the world to confront another reckless regime, one that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing death to America, destruction to Israel, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room. 

The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy.  It has turned a wealthy country, with a rich history and culture, into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos.  The longest-suffering victims of Iran's leaders are, in fact, its own people.  Rather than use its resources to improve Iranian live, its oil profits go to fund Hezbollah and other terrorists that kill innocent Muslims and attack their peaceful Arab and Israeli neighbors. 

This wealth, which rightly belongs to Iran's people, also goes to shore up Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship, fuel Yemen's civil war, and undermine peace throughout the entire Middle East.  We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program.  The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.  Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don't think you've heard the last of it.  Believe me. 

It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that Iran's government end its pursuit of death and destruction.  It is time for the regime to free all Americans and citizens of other nations that they have unjustly detained.  Above all, Iran's government must stop supporting terrorists, begin serving its own people, and respect the sovereign rights of its neighbors.  The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran's people are what their leaders fear the most.  This is what causes the regime to restrict internet access, tear down satellite dishes, shoot unarmed student protesters, and imprison political reformers. 

Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the people will face a choice.  Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed, and terror, or will the Iranian people return to the nation's proud roots as a center of civilization, culture, and wealth, where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?  The Iranian regime's support for terror is in stark contrast to the recent commitments of many of its neighbors to fight terrorism and halt its finance, and in Saudi Arabia early last year, I was greatly honored to address the leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations.  We agreed that all responsible nations must work together to confront terrorists and the Islamic extremism that inspires them. 

We will stop radical islamic terrorism because we cannot allow it to tear up our nation and, indeed, to tear up the entire world.  We must deny the terrorists safe haven, transit, funding, and any form of support for their vile and sinister ideology.  We must drive them out of our nation.  It is time to expose and hold responsible those countries whose support and fi — who support and finance terror groups like al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban, and others that slaughter innocent people. 

The United States and our allies are working together throughout the Middle East to crush the loser terrorists and stop the reemergence of safe havens they use to launch attacks on all of our people.  Last month I announced a new strategy for victory in the fight against this evil in Afghanistan.  From now on, our security interests will dictate the length and scope of military operation, not arbitrary benchmarks and timetables set up by politicians.  I have also totally changed the rules of engagement in our fight against the Taliban and other terrorist groups. 

In Syria and Iraq, we have made big gains toward lasting defeat of ISIS.  In fact, our country has achieved more against ISIS in the last eight months than it has in many, many years combined.  We seek the deescalation of the Syrian conflict, and a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people.  The actions of the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad, including the use of chemical weapons against his own citizens, even innocent children, shock the conscience of every decent person.  No society could be safe if banned chemical weapons are allowed to spread.  That is why the United States carried out a missile strike on the airbase that launched the attack. 

We appreciate the efforts of the United Nations agencies that are providing vital humanitarian assistance in areas liberated from ISIS, and we especially thank Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees from the Syrian conflict.  The United States is a compassionate nation and has spent billions and billions of dollars in helping to support this effort.  We seek an approach to refugee resettlement that is designed to help these horribly treated people and which enables their eventual return to their home countries to be part of the rebuilding process.  For the cost of resettling one refugee in the United States, we can assist more than 10 in their home region. 

Out of the goodness of our hearts, we offer financial assistance to hosting countries in the region and we support recent agreements of the G20 nations that will seek to host refugees as close to their home countries as possible.  This is the safe, responsible, and humanitarian approach.  For decades the United States has dealt with migration challenges here in the Western Hemisphere. 

We have learned that over the long term, uncontrolled migration is deeply unfair to both the sending and the receiving countries.  For the sending countries, it reduces domestic pressure to pursue needed political and economic reform and drains them of the human capital necessary to motivate and implement those reforms.  For the receiving countries, the substantial costs of uncontrolled migration are born overwhelmingly by low-income citizens whose concerns are often ignored by both media and government. 

I want to salute the work of the United Nations in seeking to address the problems that cause people to flee from their home.  The United Nations and African Union led peacekeeping missions to have invaluable contributions in stabilizing conflict in Africa.  The United States continues to lead the world in humanitarian assistance, including famine prevention and relief, in South Sudan, Somalia, and northern Nigeria and Yemen. 

We have invested in better health and opportunity all over the world through programs like PEPFAR, which funds AIDS relief, the President’s Malaria Initiative, the Global Health Security Agenda, the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, and the Women Entrepreneur's Finance Initiative, part of our commitment to empowering women all across the globe. 

We also thank — we also thank the secretary general for recognizing that the United Nations must reform if it is to be an effective partner in confronting threats to sovereignty, security, and prosperity.  Too often the focus of this organization has not been on results, but on bureaucracy and process.  In some cases, states that seek to subvert this institution's noble end have hijacked the very systems that are supposed to advance them.  For example, it is a massive source of embarrassment to the United Nations that some governments with egregious human rights records sit on the UN Human Rights Council. 

The United States is one out of 193 countries in the United Nations, and yet we pay 22 percent of the entire budget and more.  In fact, we pay far more than anybody realizes.  The United States bears an unfair cost burden, but to be fair, if it could actually accomplish all of its stated goals, especially the goal of peace, this investment would easily be well worth it.  Major portions of the world are in conflict, and some, in fact, are going to hell, but the powerful people in this room, under the guidance and auspices of the United Nations, can solve many of these vicious and complex problems.  The American people hope that one day soon the United Nations can be a much more accountable and effective advocate for human dignity and freedom around the world. 

In the meantime, we believe that no nation should have to bear a disproportionate share of the burden, militarily or financially.  Nations of the world must take a greater role in promoting secure and prosperous societies in their own region.  That is why in the Western Hemisphere the United States has stood against the corrupt, destabilizing regime in Cuba and embraced the enduring dream of the Cuban people to live in freedom. 

My administration recently announced that we will not lift sanctions on the Cuban government until it makes fundamental reforms.  We have also imposed tough calibrated sanctions on the socialist Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has brought a once thriving nation to the brink of total collapse.  The socialist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro has inflicted terrible pain and suffering on the good people of that country. 

This corrupt regime destroyed a prosperous nation — prosperous nation, by imposing a failed ideology that has produced poverty and misery everywhere it has been tried.  To make matters worse, Maduro has defied his own people, stealing power from their elected representatives, to preserve his disastrous rule.  The Venezuelan people are starving, and their country is collapsing.  Their democratic institutions are being destroyed.  The situation is completely unacceptable, and we cannot stand by and watch. 

As a responsible neighbor and friend, we and all others have a goal — that goal is to help them regain their freedom, recover their country, and restore their democracy.  I would like to thank leaders in this room for condemning the regime and providing vital support to the Venezuelan people.  The United States has taken important steps to hold the regime accountable.  We are prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people. 

We are fortunate to have incredibly strong and healthy trade relationships with many of the Latin American countries gathered here today.  Our economic bond forms a critical foundation for advancing peace and prosperity for all of our people and all of our neighbors.  I ask every country represented here today to be prepared to do more to address this very real crisis.  We call for the full restoration of democracy and political freedoms in Venezuela.  The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. 

From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure.  Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems.  America stands with every person living under a brutal regime.  Our respect for sovereignty is also a call for action.  All people deserve a government that cares for their safety, their interests, and their well-being, including their prosperity.  In America, we seek stronger ties of business and trade with all nations of goodwill, but this trade must be fair and it must be reciprocal. 

For too long the American people were told that mammoth, multinational trade deals, unaccountable international tribunals, and powerful global bureaucracies were the best way to promote their success.  But as those promises flowed, millions of jobs vanished and thousands of factories disappeared.  Others gamed the system and broke the rules, and our great middle class, once the bedrock of American prosperity, was forgotten and left behind, but they are forgotten no more and they will never be forgotten again. 

While America will pursue cooperation and commerce with other nations, we are renewing our commitment to the first duty of every government, the duty of our citizens.  This bond is the source of America's strength and that of every responsible nation represented here today.  If this organization is to have any hope of successfully confronting the challenges before us, it will depend, as President Truman said some 70 years ago, on the independent strength of its members. 

If we are to embrace the opportunities of the future and overcome the present dangers together, there can be no substantive for strong, sovereign, and independent nations, nations that are rooted in the histories and invested in their destiny, nations that seek allies to befriend, not enemies to conquer, and most important of all, nations that are home to men and women who are willing to sacrifice for their countries, their fellow citizens, and for all that is best in the human spirit. 

In remembering the great victory that led to this body's founding, we must never forget that those heroes who fought against evil, also fought for the nations that they love.  Patriotism led the Poles to die to save Poland, the French to fight for a free France, and the Brits to stand strong for Britain.  Today, if we do not invest ourselves, our hearts, our minds, and our nations, if we will not build strong families, safe communities, and healthy societies for ourselves, no one can do it for us. 

This is the ancient wish of every people and the deepest yearning that lives inside every sacred soul.  So let this be our mission, and let this be our message to the world.  We will fight together, sacrifice together, and stand together for peace, for freedom, for justice, for family, for humanity, and for the almighty God who made us all.  Thank you, God bless you, God bless the nations of the world, and God bless the United States of America.  Thank you very much. 

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