Misplaced obsession with Donald Trump

By: Oluwole Osagie – Jacobs

Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America is indeed an enigma. If he doesn’t exist America would have invented one. In a world that has slipped into ungodliness you need mad Republican presidents like Nixon, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Trump to sustain the macho image of America. In his second coming as president, Trump has dominated the world space. He is the man of the moment. If you hate him, you cannot ignore him for the reason that he superintends over the richest and the most powerful country in the world. If he coughs or frowns, the stock exchange and security architecture all over the world would vibrate. He is coarse in language, brutal in thought and imperious in disposition. He is one of the most dangerous people on earth. Others include wicked souls like Netanyahu, Putin and Khomeni. By way of intrigues and political brinkmanship America was handed over to him. When I told those who cared to listen that Trump would win the last presidential election I was ignored. They wondered why I would predict victory for a felon with multiple indictments by the courts. A man who led an insurrection to upturn valid result of a presidential election. When Trump’s victory was announced his adversaries melted like ice. He had majority votes and the Republicans won both houses. Most surprising was his winning the seven swing states. I have mentioned it many times that the Americans vote for interest and not character. It is the same in international diplomacy where there is no morality. Interest is the rule. America would stand with Israel if Israel should bomb the Pacelli School for the Blind in Lagos. The converse is true. The Democrats were careless on immigration. The naturally born Americans, mostly whites, dread the possibility of their population being overwhelmed by immigrants in not too long a time. The Democrats were evangelistic on the building of bridges rather than walls. They have no scruples with the doors of America left ajar for everybody. They closed their minds to the influx of immigrants many of whom are undesirables from the southern border. It didn’t matter to Trump’s supporters if it is a felon that would actualise their interest. This they did and Trump became president. To think that those who voted Trump as president are regretting is to live in a fools paradise. Ignore the gonzo journalism exemplified by the mainstream media led by the CNN. If another presidential election is conducted today Trump would win. That is the truth.
My concern in this piece is the chronic obsession of NIgerians with how Trump is running his government. In all the social medial platforms I belong, Trump’s policies, especially the control of immigrants and the increase in tariffs are condemned. It is the same sentiments expressed in Nigeria’s print and electronic media. It is Trump news all the way. I noticed that the same concern is not expressed on the Camerounian government next door under the rule of a despot, Paul Biya, for more than 40 years. The reason is not far fetched. America is now a sanctuary NIgerians run to when things go awry. Many Nigerians live there because it is a land of opportunities. It provides an opportunity for the full expression of their talents and abilities. Many Nigerians benefit from remittances of funds from children, relatives and friends in America. Our pregnant women run to America to give birth to citizens. We want this rubbish we don’t allow in our country to continue. It is as if we have lost our country. We have indicted Trump for sending undocumented immigrants out of his country. We closed our eyes to our predicaments. This is Nigeria that is blessed in all ways by God. We have taken a significant step backwards in most indexes of human development. Nigeria now houses the highest number of the poorest people in the world. In the past three years, we have slipped from the first to the fourth position in terms of the largest economy in Africa behind South Africa, Egypt and Algeria. Nigeria is still hovering around 5,000 MW of electricity as compared to 57,000 MW and 60,000 MW of Egypt and South Africa respectively. Nigeria is presently having one of the most corrupt leadership in the world. It is the same story with its judiciary.These are the things that should bother us and not Trump and his undocumented immigrants. Not his tarrifs.
President Tinubu is a fantastic thinker. All the tools to make this country work are in his brain except a zero or near zero tolerance for corruption. He must be commended for his boldness to remove oil subsidy, the unification of exchange rates, local government autonomy and the tax reforms. These policies would yield nothing when there is no consequence for corruption. President Tinubu has never pretended that he loathes corrupt people. I have never heard this from his mouth. He needs them as long as they would help him consolidate his grip on power. He would gell with a fumbling mediocre as long as it would give him political mileage. The reason he supported that tragedy called Buhari for 8 years. He was aware Senator Akpabio had an EFCC charge of about a trillion naira against him yet this same man was President Tinubu’s pick for Senate President. He was aware Alh. Ganduje was caught on camera hiding bribe money under his cloth and yet this same man was his pick for the Chairman of his ruling party. He made a Redeemed Christian Church of God Pastor the EFCC Chairman who is yet
to send any mega rogue to jail. The ex Accountant General of the Federation who misappropriated N109 billion is in his Kano City playing golf. Ex Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State with a corruption charge of up to a trillion naira has decamped to the ruling APC party. By so doing he has gained immunity. He will be free from prosecution as long as Tinubu is president. Over 700 houses were recovered from our immediate past CBN Governor. In the court he clutched the holy bible. Thank God it was not the 7th Book of Moses. The Lord is a merciful. Nyesom Wike boasted that he had been funding the PDP party for up to 10 years. No one asked him where he got the money from. The N17 trillion Lagos – Calabar coastal road was awarded to Hitech Company owned by the Lebanese crony of the President. This Lebanese was once sent out of Nigeria for money laundering. The award of the contract did not comply with the Public Procurement Act. It was not bided. David Umahi, the Minister of Works told us it was not bided for because it is a specialized contract. Do you know David Umahi? You should know him so as to know the trust you accord to words coming out of his mouth. He was the one who said Tinubu comes next to God in terms of whom he would repose his trust. A very naughty statement that is hypocrisy ladden. As a Catholic he should know that God is eminent beyond comparison. He is an incomparable God. As a Catholic, where does he place His Holiness the Pope? What gives the contract a specialized status? Is the contract the construction of a platform on the high sea for the take off of fighter jets? Is the contract the mounting of a satellite in space? Is the contract for the building of a nuclear reactor? What made Hightech Company preferred to construction giants like Julius Berger, Strabag, CCCC Setraco, Arab Contractors etc. The reason Umahi gave was that Hightech was able to construct a slab on a marshy land at Oworonshoki, Lagos. Hahaha! Next Sunday Umahi should go to Church for confession and receive the holy communion. It is such frivolous expenditure that made some NIgerians to be opposed to the removal of fuel subsidy. Their argument is that money saved will not be seen. It was for this reason Tinubu fought against subsidy removal during Jonathan’s government.Those who rejected subsidy removal have been proved right. How can someone in his right senses defend the use of N39 billion to refurbish the International Conference Center, Abuja. The same with the use of N21 billion to build the residence of the Vice President. Nyesom Wike, a prodigal child, who is our FCT Minister justified the expenditures. He said those criticizing the use of N39 billion to refurbish the International Conference Center lacked taste. What an irresponsible statement. If these monies are used to fight insecurity it would be applauded. Imagine a retired Army General kidnapped and held in the bush for a whole month. During this period, his course mates were negotiating with the kidnappers. Since the kidnappers couldn’t be tracked and apprehended a huge ransom of about N40 million was parted with. It is a big shame. Nigeria has never been as insecure as it is today. I will not waste words on the state of our Judiciary because it is apparent to a moron that it is dead. The Judges and the senior lawyers are the worst culprits. Many of these Judges are Chancellors of Dioceses of Churches and some of the compromised senior lawyers have built churches and mosques in the service of the Almighty God. Ex Governor Yahaya Bello hunted by the EFCC for the misappropriation of about one hundred billion naira recently celebrated his birthday in a loud manner. This was the man who took residence in the Kogi State government house to shield himself from arrest by the EFCC. Numerous adverts were placed in newspapers to fecilitate with him. In one of them, he was described as a remarkable public servant by Hon.Justice Abdu Aboki, J.B. Daudu SAN, Chief Kanu Agabi SAN, Dr. Alex Izinyon SAN, M B. Adoke SAN, Prof. Musa Yakubu, SAN, OFR among others. These are people we say are honourable. It is a manifestation of the extraordinary power of money. Integrity will be buried. The gate man of hell will definitely have a lot of work to do. Nigeria is in dire straights. It is a den of shameless rogues.
Success of the Renewed Hope Agenda should be measured with the cost of a basket of goods and not the erection of white elephant projects. How affordable is food, school fees, transportation, house rent, medicare etc to the common man? Not the spurious statistics on the economy being bandied about to please the government. Few days ago, on my way home from the airport, my wife asked me to stop at a particular junction to enable her buy tomatoes. She bought tomatoes of N17,000 that could not fill a medium polythene bag. At that spot I saw a tuber of yam offered for N4, 500. In anger I looked around for the devil to smash the tomatoes on his head but he was nowhere to be found. Our leaders are not aware of the terrible experience ordinary NIgerians endure to make ends meet. To make matters worse Malam El Rufai is forming a coalition of criminals which he thinks would unseat Tinubu. Wonderful!
To think that the Renewed Hope Agenda would succeed without probity is to live in a fools paradise. Bob Marley has told us to take our destinies in our hands and chase the crazy bald heads out of town. It is inevitable. How this will be achieved is reserved.