₦airaland Forum

At a time the world is grappling with the devastation occasioned by the dreaded pandemic, Covid-19. It is common to see nations and organisations retract in despair. But I want us to know that God created us humans as hyper intelligent beings capable of engaging and surmounting any challenge, no matter the severity. There is no limit to what we can achieve if only we can muster the will and determination so to do. The aim of this post is to inspire us through the words of some of our most famous heroes.
Over the years, the world have produced outstanding individuals who, not only achieved greatness but have, through their inventions, heroics, bravery and courageous exploits, helped propel the advancement of human civilization. Examples of such individuals abound in all society, and cuts across different geographical demarcation, religions, race and locality. For the sake of this post, we shall focus on the the 'words on marble' spoken by these eight great men, namely:
ALBERT EINSTEIN.
MAHATMA GANDHI.
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER.
CONFUSCIUS.
NELSON MANDELA.
MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN and
LEE KUAN YEW.
We shall be exploring their brief history as well as famous quotes and I am so certain you are not just going to be amazed at their immense knowledge, wisdom and tact, but be inspired to bring out the greatness in you. They achieved fame not because they are extraordinary people, but they lived their everyday life doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways!
ALBERT EINSTEIN: One of the most intelligent humans in recorded history, Einstein was a German-born physicist and Nobel Prize winner. Born in Ulm Württemberg in the German empire, on 14th March 1879, to Hermann Einstein, a salesman and Engineer, and Pauline Koch, his mother. In 1880, Einstein's father and his uncle confounded Electro tech is he Fabrik J. Einstein & CIE, a company that manufactured electrical equipments based on direct current. A company in which Einstein himself showcased his technical ingenuity.
As a young child, Einstein was exceptionally brilliant and very good in mathematics and physics. Byvage of 12 years, he was already well versed in mathematics and physics most of which he taught himself. He did many scientific calculation and went on to propound many scientific theories and thesis among which is The Theory of Relativity. Here are some of his famous quotes;
1. Whatever you are, be the good one--Einstein
2. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited but imagination encircle the world---Einstein
3. Try not to be a man of success, rather be a man of value---Einstein
4. Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving---Einstein
5. Science can flourish only in an atmosphere of free speech---Einstein
6. The most important thing is to not stop questioning, curiosity has its own reason for existing---Einstein
7. The best way to predict your future is to create it---Einstein
8. A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell on the future---Einstein
9. A man should earnestly look for what is and not what he thinks should be---Einstein
10. I would rather be a little nobody than to be an evil somebody----Einstein
11. Great minds have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds----Einstein
12. Man would indeed be in wanton poverty if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope for reward after death---Einstein
13. Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better---Einstein
14. I believe in intuition and imagination. I sometimes feel that I am right, I do not know that I am---Einstein
15. Love to travel but hate to arrive because when you arrive at destination you have reached your limit---Einstein
16. Do not forget that human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead to a happy and dignified life---Einstein
17. The great moral teachers of humanity were, in a way, artistic geniuses in the art of living----Einstein
18. The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it---Einstein
19. All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree----Einstein
20. A hundred times everyday I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labours of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measures as I have received and am still receiving---Einstein

MAHATMA GANDHI: An Indian activist, often referred to as the father of modern India, was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. May his quotes inspire you to be the best you can be, so that you can achieve and live your dream.
1. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will---Gandhi
2. When you are right you have no need to be angry. When you are wrong, you have no right to be angry----Gandhi
3. The future depends on what you do today---Gandhi
4. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong----Gandhi
5. Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in Harmony---Gandhi
6. You cannot change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it---Gandhi
7. To lose patience is to lose the battle----Gandhi
8. To believe in something and not live it is dishonest---Gandhi
9. The good man is the friend of all living things----Gandhi
10. It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver---Gandhi
11. Without action you are going nowhere---Gandhi
12 A man is but the product of his thought. What he thinks he becomes---Gandhi
13. You must be the change you wish to see in the world----Gandhi
14. A small body of determined spirits, fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission, can alter the course of history---Gandhi
15. Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as being able to remake ourselves---Gandhi
16. If we want to reach real peace in this world, we must start educating children---Gandhi
17. Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever---Gandhi
18. In a gentle way, you can shake the world---Gandhi
19. If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the moment---Gandhi
20. Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they become your values. Understand and refine your values, for they become your destiny---Gandhi

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER: An American scientists, born in 1864 and eventually died in 1943. George Washington was one of few men who left an indelible footprints on the sand of American history. An astute researcher with insatiable desire for knowledge; brave and courageous. Here are few of his famous quotes
1. Where there is no vision there is no hope---Washington
2. Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom---Washington
3. When you can do the common thing of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world---Washington
4. Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses---Washington
5. I would never allow anybody to gift me money, no matter how badly I needed it. I want literally to earn my living---Washington
6. Years ago, I went into my laboratory and said 'dear Mr. Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for'. The Creator answered " you want to know too much for that little mind of yours. Ask for something more your size, little man"---Washington
7. Anything will give up its secrets if you give it attention enough. Not only have I found that when I talk to the little flower or to the little peanut they will give up their secrets, but I have found that when I silently commune with people, they give up their secrets also---Washington
8. No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it---Washington
9. Since new developments are the product s of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage this type of mindset in every way possible---Washington
10. I wanted to know the name of every stone and flowers and insect and birds and beast. I wanted to know where it got its colour, where it got its life but there was on one to tell me---Washington
11. Fear of something is at the root of hate for others and hate within will eventually destroy the hater--Washington
12. I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in---Washington
13. Our creator is the same and never changes despite the names given HIM by people in all parts of the world---Washington
14. There is no short cut to achievement. Life requires thorough preparation--veneer isn't worth anything---Washington
15. No books ever go into my laboratory, the thing I am to do and the way are revealed to me the moment I am inspired to create something new---Washington
16. When our thoughts which bring actions, are filled with hate against anyone, Negro or White, we are in a living hell. That is as real as hell will ever be!---Washington
17. If you love it enough, anything will talk with you---Washington
18. Reading about nature is fine but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is books, for they speak with the voice of God---Washington
19. How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and torelant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all these---Washington
20. It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives , nor the amount of money one has in the bank that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success---Washington

CONFUSCIUS: A Chinese philosopher, was an exceptional teacher that founded Confucianism, which can be described as a way to govern ones life. It is founded on the notion that human beings can improve their life through personal development and create the life they truly desired. Confucianism, though viewed by many as a form of religion, Is mostly practiced in China and parts of Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and southeast Asia.
These are some famous quotes from the great Asian philosopher that will inspire you.
1. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step---Confuscius
2. The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life---Confuscius
3. All people are the same; only their habits differ---Confuscius
4. If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room---Confuscius
5. Roads were made for tourneys not destinations---CONFUSCIUS
6. No matter how busy you are, you must find time for reading or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance---CONFUSCIUS
7. When anger rises, think of the consequences---Confuscius
8. Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without---CONFUSCIUS
9. Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace---Confuscius
10. When you know a thing, to admit that you you it, and when you do not know a thing, to admit that you do not know it---this is knowledge. CONFUSCIUS
11. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it---Confuscius
12. Worry not that nobody knows you; seek rather to be worth knowing---Confuscius
13. The superior man acts before he speaks and afterwards speaks according to his actions---Confuscius
14. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated---CONFUSCIUS
15. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand---CONFUSCIUS
16. Wisdom, compassion and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men---Confuscius
17. Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall---Confuscius
18. The will yo win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential. These are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence---CONFUSCIUS
19. One joy dispels a thousand cares---Confuscius
20. A gentleman would be ashamed should his deeds not match his words.

NELSON MANDELA: Fondly called Madiba, the anti apartheid dynamite who was South Africa first black president and a Nobel Prize winner, paid the ultimate price for the freedom of his fellow countrymen. He eventually ruled South Africa 27 years imprisonment for his activism and later passed on at the age of 95 years. History will indeed remember him as one of the greatest men who ever lived. An incredibly selfless man who made so much sacrifice to rewrite the history of generations of South Africans and the world at large. Here are some of this famous quotes.
1. I learned that courage is not the absence of feat, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear---mandela
2. It always seems impossible until its done---Mandela
3. Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their peoples---Mandela
4. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world---Mandela
5. Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do---Mandela
6. Do not huge me by my seeming successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back again---Mandela
7. There is no passion to be found in playing small--in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living---Mandela
8. We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right---Mandela
9. Mans goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished---Mandela
10. Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies---Mandela
11. I like friends who have independent mind because they tend to make you see problems from all angles---Mandela
12. A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination---Mandela
13. When people are determined they can overcome anything---Mandela
14. Money won't create success, the Freedom to make it will---Mandela
15. For to be free is not merely to cast off ones chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others---Mandela
16. When a man has done what he consider to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace---Mandela
17. Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying , one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end---Mandela
18. A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so dream of----Mandela
19 your strength is determined in trial and not in comfort---Mandela
20. If a man does not die because of his lust for women and he does not die because of list for material possessions, he will live long----Mandela

MARTIN LUTHER KING Jnr.: Born in Atlanta, Georgia state of USA on January 15th, 1929. He was pivotal advocate for African Americans during the civil rights movement in the United States. As a young child, he was racially abused which helped to shape his life of activism towards civil rights for blacks and other vulnerable groups. His activism helped root out racial inequities which was very much prevalent in those days. Here are a few of his quotes.
1. Only in the darkness can you see the stars---Luther king Jr
2. A genuine leader is not a searcher of consensus but a builder of consensus---Luther king Jr
3. No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they'd die for---Luther king jr
4. We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear---Luther king Jr
5. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter---Luther king Jr.
6. Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity---Luther king Jr.
7. When you are right you cannot be too radical. When you are wrong you cannot be to conservative---Luther King Jr.
8. If you can't fly then run. If you can't run then crawl. But whatever you do you have to keep moving forward---Luther King Jr.
9. If I cannot do great things, I can do small things INA great way---Luther King Jr.
10. Change does not roll in on the wheel of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle---Luther King Jr.
11. Almost always the creative dedicated minority has made the world better---Luther King Jr.
12. I came to the conclusion that there is an existential moment in your life when you must decide to speak for yourself, nobody else can speak for you---Luther King Jr.
13. The self minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea---Luther King Jr.
14. We will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends---Luther King Jr.
15. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men---Luther King Jr.
16. What is wrong in the world today is that the nations of the world are engaged in a bitter, colossal contest for supremacy----Luther King Jr.
17. All progress are precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem---Luther King Jr.
18. Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane---Luther King Jr.
19. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it will keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important---Luther King Jr.
20. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere----Luther King Jr.
21. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed----Luther King Jr.
22. Mankind must put an end to wars or wars will put an end to mankind---Luther King Jr.
23. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits---Luther King Jr.
24. The principles of self defense, even involving weapons and bloodshed; has never been condemned, even by Gandhi----Luther King Jr.
25. A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft minded men purchases its destruction on the instalmental plan---Luther King Jr.
26. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools---Luther King Jr.
27. Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great because greatness is determined by service---Luther King Jr.
28. Everything' that we can see is a shadow cast by that which we cannot see---Luther King Jr.
29. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moment of comfort and convenience, but where he stands a times of challenge---Luther King Jr.
30. The quality and not the longevity of ones life is what is important----Luther King Jr.
Nairalanders, I will pause here for a while. Let me go and enjoy my lunch. Will be right back............

Says a deceitful kunu guzzling Aso Rock resident terrorist.
Allahu Ak'bomb'

When they are talking about music even shitty ugly Ghanaians will show face.
When it comes to entertainment, Nigeria is a thousand miles ahead of Ghana. Yet these ugly mofos beat their hollow chests always.

In the early hours of July 4, 1976, what military analysts believed to be the most successful rescue mission in history took place in Entebbe, Southern Uganda. Spearheaded by Lt. Col. Yonatan(Jonathan) Netanyahu. The elder brother to the current Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, Israeli intelligence forces undertook the most daring attempt to rescue about 106 Israel's who were among 254 passengers aboard Air France flight 139 that was hijacked off the coast of Greece. The Airline which took off from TelAviv, Israel had 254 passenger onboard, a third of whom were Israelis; and was headed for Paris but had to stop over in Athens, Greece.
The plane was hijacked en-route to Paris by four heavily armed terrirists who took over the cockpit at gunpoint, planting explosives along the aisles, confiscating passports and announcing that the plane had been hijacked everyone aboard was now hostage. The terrorists claimed allegiance to Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Among them were two Arabians belonging to Popular Front breakaway faction, and two Germans (Wilfred Bose and his female companion, Bridgette Kuhlmann) who were members of the Leftist terror group sympathetic to Popular Front.
When Flight 139 lost contact with the radar, the Israeli intelligence forces went on high alert. The terrorist had the plane refuelled in Benghazi, Libya, then took off again, flying for five hours before finally touching down in Entebbe, Southern Uganda.
Standing on the tarmac of the airport as hostages alighted, was a notorious figure that many in the Western world dreaded at that time. Heavily decorated with camouflage fatigue, and staring gleefully into the eyes of frightened hostages; was a 6-foot, 4-inch, 250-pound frame of the Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin. Amin had sized power five years earlier in a military coup, and was notorious for killing as many as 300,000 of his countrymen.
Idi Amin was notorious not just for his bloody campaign against his countrymen opposed to his tyranny, but also for persistent bellicose rhetoric against the West- particularly UK and its allies. He was also into arms smuggling and terrorism financing against Western interests. He gave himself lengthy titles such as "His Excellence, President for Life, Field Marshal al-Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in particular." He had sometimes drawn outrage and condemnation from western media for his praise for Adolf Hitler, whom he described as a 'perfect gentleman' and once said that the German dictator was 'right to have killed 6 million Jews'.
Now the hostages were in his territory, surrounded by his troops. Amin directed dozens of his soldiers together with other terrirists to herd the hostages into an abandoned terminal building. The next day, the terrorist issued their demand: $5 million and the release of 53 pro-Palestine terrorists imprisoned in Israel, West Germany, Kenya, France and Switzerland; one of whom had killed 26 people and injured 80 at an Israeli airport four years earlier. They threatened to execute the hostages should their demand not met by 2 pm on July 1, 1976.
Back in Israel, the atmosphere was tense. The then prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and his cabinet was considering their options. Entebbe is thousands of mile away. It is in the heart of Africa, far beyond the region where Israel's intelligence and military assets are domiciled. Any rescuers has to illegally fly through the airspace of enemy nations, and must do so undetected. Should they make it to Uganda, they will also have to square it up with not just radical terrorists, but also a national military under the command of a despotic dictator. Any such attempt would amount to putting political considerations, international support and somewhere around 100 highly trained commandos at risk, in addition to the hostages.
To begin with, Israel had limited information and "No real plan could be constructed because there was no information about what was happening in Entebbe" Netanyahu said. But then they need to do something fast to beat the July 1 deadline. The prime minister was under intense pressure to yield to the demands of the terrorists, and had gotten assurance from other countries willing to cooperate in releasing held terrorist prisoners- at least to save lives. But defence minister, Shimon Peres and others thought otherwise. They felt Israel need to resist terrorism and dare to attempt a rescue. But to what end?
The challenge before Shimon Peres was to present a viable rescue plan that prime minister Rabin could approve in good conscience.
As luck may have it, the terrorists released some of the hostages who were non Jews, flew them to Paris and also agreed to extend the deadline. Now this is a bit of a good news for Shimon and his men as they now got some badly needed information from descriptions offered by some of the freed hostages. Such valuable information included: exactly where the remaining 106 hostages were being held, how many terrorists and soldiers were guarding them and numerous other details.
Time to act is now! As the prime minister and defence chiefs wallowed in the ire of the chaos, Lt. Col. Yonatan(Jonathan) and his team of D unit were assembling every fragment of information available, formulating several possible rescue strategies. Of utmost importance in this preparation is the need to take the targets by surprise. As the hours ticked by, government officials closely monitored the military planning and stressing that unless the proposal was extremely strong and foolproof, the government will be left with no choice than to yield to the terrorists demand. But those were not the words Col. Jonathan cared to hear.
There were now some 48 hours left before the terrorists would start their avowed execution. Israeli intelligence forces finally came up with a plan on which depends the fate of 106 hostages. The plan detailed that four C-130s and two other planes would be needed to airlift about 113 specially trained commandos. They would fly from Sinai Peninsula all the way to Uganda at an extremely low altitude to avoid detection from Egyptian and Saudi radar.
Idi Amin had jetted off to Mauritius on a state visit. So, a team D unit would land directly at Entebbe airport, pretending to be Idi Amin and his entourage returning from his trip to Mauritius. They would exit C-130s in a motorcade of vehicles that looks exactly like those used by the dictator and his men.
Even though Rabin's government failed to approve of it, D unit went on with the plan. They acquired a Mercedes limousine similar to the one Amin travelled in. But it was in a bad shape- -- and wrong colour. They swung into action, repaired the car, repainted it and added a Ugandan flag and cardboard license plates similar to Ugandan military vehicles. They also worked on the Land Rovers that were to escort the limousine. They did these works all night!
Early morning the next day, they rehearsed the plan over and over again, to correct obvious error and get the troops accustomed to the plan( even went as far as mimicking the exact point where Idi Amin's guards normally stand) and how he drove his motorcade.
On the afternoon of Saturday July 3 1976, Jonathan Netanyahu and his team were in the air aiming towards Uganda; even without government approval. To the pilots and troops, they were only undergoing contingency training. But Jonathan was already determined to go ahead with his plans. As they refuelled in Southern Sinai, Col. Netanyahu made it clear to them they were headed for war! He quickly reviewed his plans and tactics and gave them his final verdict---no going back.
As they were somewhere over Ethiopia, prime minister Yitzhak Rabin called in to give his approval. Thirty minutes later, they touched down at Entebbe carrying Netanyahus assault team, reinforcements, commanders and medical staff. The first transport touched down on the runway about a mile from the old terminal building(where the hostages were being held).
The cars quickly left the plane and made their way with full headlights " you know Idi Amin coming with a convoy " Dr. Netanyahu said. And about 200 yards before the old terminal , exactly where Jonathan had anticipated there would be Ugandan guards in the model exercise, indeed there were two guards. But they were quickly neutralized, and despite short bursts of gunfire, the Israelis still had their most valuable advantage over the terrorists intact: element of surprise.
The commandos exited their vehcles walking towards the building and scanning the area around them. But Col. Jonathan sprinted forward urging his men to move swiftly and enter the building. Knowing full well that each step and each door could bring Ugandan bullets, terrorist grenades and bomb trip wires. But they pushed ahead.
There in the main hall of the old terminal were 106 hostages: 94 Israeli national and a handful of others, mainly Air France crew who refused to leave. Terrorist and soldiers fired at Israeli commandos but the Israelis were able to kill About 7 terrorists and dozens of soldiers. But Col. Jonathan was unlucky as one of the bullets hit him on the chest as he in the midst of the gun duel. Seven other hostages sustained gunshot wounds. Medics rallied to revive him but Jonathan gave up the ghost. The operation had lost only three hostages and its exemplary leader. Also, five israeli soldiers were wounded in the encounter.
As the commandos refuelled the transport planes and destroyed Ugandan fighter jets to prevent any pursuit, the lives Jonathan Netanyahu had helped save streamed unto evacuation plane that would carry them to safety and freedom.
Given the limited time taken to plan this mission, it was argued that the resue was probably the most successful commando operation carried out since world war II. It was codenamed Operation Thunderbolt but was later renamed Operation Jonathan, in honour of the man who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It has inspired more than a dozen documentaries and featured films, including this years '7 Days in Entebbe'.

Source: http://www.thetrumpet.com/17678-operation-jonathan-the-most-daring-resue-attempt-in-history

@ OP that picture of Marrakesh is a wrong pics. that is Honolulu, Hawaii in USA and not Marrakesh. please correct it ASAP. thanks