A Date With The Reuters



Angela Ukomadu and my humble self

@katchysangel @gidi_traffic am game
— Banjo Omolara (@laraeniBandjo) April 1, 2013

Image a tweet like this one on April first, the day fools reign. Believing anything from a friend on an April fool is at your own peril not to talk of a word from a complete stranger on twitter.

 

However, now I have a friend in Angela my new Gidi-friend.

 

Angela replied me just after my initial reply and voila we made arrangements on how we are going to set the ball rolling for me to talk about our almighty gidi_traffic because the  person behind the handle refuse to show his face and he does not want to grant any interview. -Gidi_taffic is our Lagbaja of social media but Angie, don't worry I will get the prayer warriors to get into prayer session that will make Gidi change his/her mind about it.

 

It all started like any other day on twitter, my addiction to gidi_traffic is second to none because with this twitter handle there are no dull moments as you get your traffic updates reading through all sorts of funny questions and responses from tweeps.

 

From my conversation with Angela, I later found out she is a stringer with the Reuters.

 

I did a story on Gidi-traffic earlier on the blog if you miss it, oh never late click Gidi_traffic.

 

Presidential Penkelemesi

To the average new generation political enthusiasts in Nigeria, they may not be familiar with the word "Penkelemisi" a world used by so many people, imagine some young Nigerians think the word is a brand name of some sorts.

 

Penkelemesi is a Yorubanization of the word PECULIAR MESS, a pre-independent famous Ibadan politician late Gbadamosi Adegoke Adelabu used the word to described the opposition in the Western Region House of Assembly at that time. Not understanding what he meant, the non-literate section of his audience translated the phrase into vernacular as "penkelemesi".

 

Presidential (State) pardon is an executive order vacating a conviction. It's not an abominable act of any sorts because the constitutions of many countries including Nigeria give the president the power to grant clemency. It can be in the form of any of the following;

-grant a full pardon,

-to commute a sentence and,

-or to rescind a fine.

 

On Tuesday, March 13, 2013, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan granted ex-Governor DSP Alamieyeseigha and seven others state pardon on the advice of the council of state.

 

I do not have personal grouse with state pardon especially knowing fully well it is done in other parts of the world and because sometimes judgement can't be biased or a fellow who commit an offence can change for good after or during their states' punishments.

 

Having gone through the state pardon documents under the current president of the United States of America Barack Obama, I noticed that the fellows granted state pardons were all found guilt and convicted by the United States’ courts. Guess what, they all finished their terms without any option of a fine.

 

The first state pardon done under Obama's administration was on December 3, 2010 with 10 sentences ranging from 1972 to 1991.

 

The second state pardon was done on May 20, 2011, with eight sentences ranging from 1975 to 1985. The third was done in November 21, 2011 with five sentences.

 

The last till date was on March 1, 2013 with 10 sentences and one commutations of sentence which was given to Eugenia Marie Jennings who was sentenced in 2001 to 262 months (about 22 years) in prison, 8 years of supervised release and with $1,750 fine.

True Heroes!

In a country where young people hardly find real people who they could call HERO, but today am glad that we probably have to change our direction and look into different arena away from the so call cabals and elites to found our true heroes who could inspire and mentor us to greatness.

 

At the just concluded London 2012 Olympic Games, millions of Nigerians like myeslf were all disspointed that our athletes did not win any single medal at the outing.

 

I'm proud to be a Nigerian once again with the oustanding performance of one Nigerian which many will have written off but Yakubu Adesokan has proven the doubting Thomases wrong by winning the first gold for Nigeria at the ongoing London 2012 Paralympic games which started yesteray, he also shattered the Olympic's record. Oh, he is a World Record Holder (WRO).