“Nigerian herdsmen don’t carry AK 47’s. They only use sticks”- President Buhari to President Donald Trump, The White House, 30th April 2018.
“We’ve had serious problems with Christians who have been murdered, killed in Nigeria. We’re going to work on that problem and work on that problem very, very hard, because we can’t allow that to happen.” – President Donald Trump to President Muhammadu Buhari, The White House, 30th April 2018.
Despite all the smiles, banter, pretensions, diplomatic niceties, doublespeak and pleasing words these two assertions from the bully and the big man respectively remain the most relevant in yesterdays meeting between President Buhari and President Trump at the White House.
The fact that Buhari, like a little schoolboy standing before an intimidating headmaster, had to tell a pernicious lie about the weaponry of the Fulani herdsmen and attempt to absolve them of any blame for the horrendous genocide that is being perpetrated against Christians in our nation in order to escape being spanked speaks volumes.
And the fact that Trump, not fooled by the lie and like a wise old headmaster, had to issue a stern warning to the schoolyard bully about the killing of Christians says even more.
That, to me, was the meat of the meeting. All the rest that was said was nothing but diplomatic doublespeak, fake smiles and dross.
Yet more needs to be said. Permit me to add the following.
The truth is that the progressive forces, the official opposition and leaders of the resistance in Nigeria failed to put out the correct narrative about Buhari to the international community and international media over the last 3 years.
Consequently Buhari escaped thorough international scrutiny. Apart from that Trump failed us. He chose economic gain and the juicy prospect of a massive Nigerian market for American goods, products and commodities over human rights and decency.
Yet who can blame him for that given his “America first” mantra and the fact that the Nigerian people themselves appear to be very comfortable with their hazardous plight and murderous leader and do not appear ready to resist his corruption, tyranny, evil, ethnic cleansing, mass murder and genocide.
The good news is that Trump may be the biblical Cyrus (and I really do believe that he is) but he is not God. We never looked to him. We look to God. And God will deliver us despite our inherent weaknesses, accursed fears, petty divisions and monumental cowardice.
Finally hear this. If the opposition does not roll out its best guns, get its act togther, unite, stop playing childish games, stop the petty bickering and present one credible and acceptable candidate in 2019, Buhari will be back for another four years. The choice is ours.
Permit me to end this contribution with a final word about the meeting between the bully and the headmaster at the White House.
My younger brother, Babatunde Gbadamosi, wrote
“Buhari went and got NOTHING. We must now buy two helicopters and agricultural produce from them. This is beyond incompetent”.
Tunde, as always, is absolutely right.