After seeing President Donald Trump at the White House, no sooner had President Muhammadu Buhari left the United States of America than his acolytes started hailing him in the social media. In this era, the social media is a vote decider. It does not matter whether the English there is correct, for election purposes, the mainstream media can’t compare.
The social media said about Trump: “He snubbed Angela Markel in the White House; refusing to shake her hands in Oval Office”.
“He shocked President Al Sisi of Egypt. Told him pointblank in WH that he will cut aid to Egypt.”
“He has chastised President Putin. Heaping sanctions on his close associates.”
“He criticised China and her leaders. He took a risk of trade war with China.”
“He called Mexicans rapist, drug peddlers and unsavoury names. Even plans to build a wall.”
“He fought American footballers who refused to honour their anthem.”
“He is fighting the largest media platform, CNN.”
“He is fighting establishments in US; FBI, CIA, JUDICIARY etc.”
“He knocked NATO allies. Threatened Iran. Shot into Syria.”
“He fights with his appointees if needs be.”
“He called black Americans ‘LAZY’ before his elections.”
“He called African nations ‘shithole’.”
“He is not afraid to tell it to u, no matter who u [sic] are because he is the POTUS. He says it exactly the way it is, snubs, BSs even world leaders.”
“He rarely gives compliments.”
“BUT when he met President Buhari, everything changed. He was so excited that he could not control it. To the extent that he was even longing for a ‘selfie’/close shot, smiling to the camera.”
“If the Hater’s hero can say this about my President, why should I attempt to support or vote another.”
They said Buhari got all this “nice treatment” from Trump because of Buhari’s “integrity.”
Lickspittles will say anything to support their principal so as to keep “chopping” from him. Of course, they won’t see the catch.
So, Buhari is now the US’s “white-headed boy.” But, how funny.
Now, why would an American President who often plays the race card give the “good treatment” to a black leader who turns a blind eye to bloodletting in his own country?
The truth is that President Donald Trump acted that way to Buhari because the US wants to make more money from Nigeria. With Nigeria’s 198 million population, the economic prospect was just too tempting for Trump. Paraphrasing a Yoruba adage, Trump would rather call a cow his uncle just to eat beef. The billions of dollars the US makes from Nigeria for selling war arsenals to her alone. Recently, Buhari spent $496bn for Super Tucano war planes bought from the US without even the approval of the National Assembly.
Now, Buhari had put some economic policies in place among them barriers to trade, what The Economist called “Toothpick alert,” (which helped worsen the condition of Nigerians).
But now Trump says the US will invest “substantially” in Nigeria if Buhari can create a level-playing field (remember, China is also competing aggressively with the US for the African market). This is to tilt even more the balance of trade grossly in America’s favour. Trump stressed that the US gives Nigeria more than $1bn a year in foreign aid and wants Nigeria to remove the trade barriers it put in place. Trump said, “We think that we are owed that.” It cannot be overemphasised that Trump is a through and through businessman and a capitalist, so will lick Buhari’s ass to get what he wants. A president who campaigned with the mantra “America First” can only do what will favour America.
There was even a picture showing Trump and Buhari both grinning sheepishly in the White House. Buhari was sitting and signing a book, while Trump was standing behind Buhari and leaning towards him as if urging him on. Someone, in seeing the picture said with a note of sarcasm: “I have never seen Trump this happy. I hope Buhari has not sold Nigeria to him.” So, it is never Buhari’s so-called “integrity.”
By the way, where is integrity when you are touting a government that’s adrift? Where is integrity when your fight of corruption is targeted at a certain people, and protecting those who are on your side? Where is integrity when you cannot be trusted to keep Nigerians safe? Where is integrity when the wailings of Nigerians seem to have fallen on deaf ears? Where is integrity when the blood of Nigerians, including priests are being wasted in their places of worship? Where is integrity when you told Nigerians you would rule for only one term but have turned round to seek a second term? Where is integrity when you dishonour your youths in other people’s land? What kind of integrity is this? A former US president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, stressed the nexus between leadership and integrity and the benefit thereof when he said: “But the supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” Perhaps, where we are as a nation today is reflective of the kind of “integrity” our leader has!
Donald Trump, President of the US, and owner of The Trump Organisation, comprising approximately 500 business entities, is certainly nobody’s fool. He is well aware of Buhari and knows what he wants and how to get it. So, it’s then left to the imagination what truly Trump said in his mind as soon as Buhari turned his back and left!
Dr Odoemena, medical practitioner, is based in Lagos