TheNewsGuru

Tag: U.S.

  • U.S. President Biden invites Buhari to Washington

    U.S. President Biden invites Buhari to Washington

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday depart for Washington, USA to join other African leaders at the United States-Africa Leaders Summit.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman confirmed this in a statement on Saturday.

    Shehu said: “The High Level Meeting which holds Dec. 13-15 is at the instance of the United States President, Joe Biden.

    “Biden looks forward to working with African governments, civil society, diaspora communities across the United States, and the private sector to continue strengthening our shared vision for the future of US-Africa relations.”

    According to the presidential aide, the event is expected to demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and underscore the importance of US-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities.

    He said: ”The summit further seeks more pragmatic ways to: foster new economic engagement; advance peace, security, and good governance; reinforce commitment to democracy, human rights, and civil society.

    ”It works collaboratively to strengthen regional and global health security; promote food security; respond to the climate crisis; amplify diaspora ties; and promote education and youth leadership.”

    On the first day, Shehu said Buhari would speak on the topic: Conservation, Climate Adaptation and a Just Energy Transition”, dwelling directly on the ”Just Energy Transition” component.

    Shehu further disclosed that the Nigerian leader would also address some of the other sub-themes of the summit as well as participate in the US-Africa Business Forum (USABF).

    The forum will be hosted by the US Department of Commerce which focuses on increased trade and investment between the United States and African nations.

    On the sidelines of the summit, the Corporate Council of Africa will host the Nigerian delegation to a US-Nigeria Business and Investment Forum Business Roundtable.

    According to him, during the meeting, Nigerian organisations and businesses are expected to sign agreements with their American counterparts.

    He said that Buhari would be accompanied on the trip by Governors Bala Mohammed and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Bauchi and Kwara States, respectively.

    Some Ministers and other top government officials are also on the entourage of the president.

    Buhari is expected back in the country on Dec. 18.

  • U.S. Congress passes landmark bill protecting same-sex marriage

    U.S. Congress passes landmark bill protecting same-sex marriage

    The U.S. House of Representatives has given final congressional approval to legislation that provides federal recognition of same-sex marriages, a measure born out of concern that the Supreme Court could reverse its support for legal recognition of such relationships.

    The House vote was 258-169, with all of the chamber’s Democrats and 39 Republicans voting in favour – though 169 of the chamber’s Republicans voted against it and one voted “present.”

    The measure now goes to Democratic President Joe Biden’s desk for signature into law.

    The Respect for Marriage Act, as it is called, won Senate approval last month.

    The legislation won the support of LGBT advocates as well as a number of religious organizations and entities including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though many American religious conservatives still oppose gay marriage as counter to biblical scripture.

    It is narrowly written to act as a limited backstop for the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, known as Obergefell v. Hodges.

    It would allow the federal government and states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages as long as they were legal in the states where they were performed.

    It makes concessions for religious groups and institutions that do not support such marriages.

    The measure would repeal a 1996 U.S. law called the Defense of Marriage Act, which among other things denied federal benefits to same-sex couples.

    It bars states from rejecting the validity of out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race or ethnicity.

    The Supreme Court in 1967 declared prohibitions on interracial marriage unconstitutional.

    But the legislation would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so.

    It also ensures that religious entities would not be forced to provide goods or services for any marriage and protects them from being denied tax-exempt status or other benefits for declining to recognize same-sex marriages.

    In a speech on the House floor ahead of the vote, Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the “hateful movement” behind attacks on LGBT rights in the United States.

    The legislation “will help prevent right-wing extremists from upending the lives of loving couples, traumatising kids across the country and turning back the clock on hard-won prizes,” Pelosi said.

    Republican Representative Jim Jordan said the bill was “dangerous and takes the country in the wrong direction.”

    When the Senate passed it by a vote of 61-36, 12 Republicans joined 49 Democrats in supporting it. Most Senate Republicans voted against it.

    A broader version of the bill – without the explicit protections for religious liberty – passed the 435-seat House in August, with the backing of all the Democrats and 47 Republicans.

    But to get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to proceed with the legislation amid opposition by many Republican senators, its co-sponsors added an amendment clarifying that religious groups could not be sued under the it.

    The legislation was written by a group of Democratic and Republican senators in response to fears that the Supreme Court, with its increasingly assertive conservative majority, could someday strike down the Obergefell ruling, potentially jeopardizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

    The court has shown a willingness to reverse its own precedents as it did in June when it overturned its landmark 1973 ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide.

    The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday appeared ready to rule that a Christian web des has a right to refuse to provide services for same-sex marriages in a case the liberal justices said could empower certain businesses to discriminate based on constitutional free speech protections.

  • The Donald Trump Magnus Onyibe Doesn’t Know – By Magnus Onyibe

    The Donald Trump Magnus Onyibe Doesn’t Know – By Magnus Onyibe

    For the sake of transparency,I need to be upfront about the origin of the title of this essay.
    It is not coined by me but by an angry reader of my last article on the immediate past United States of America,USA president,Donald J Trump.

    The piece was titled: “The Donald Trump That Africans Don’t Know” and it was first published in my column on the back page of Daily Independent newspaper on Tuesday 22 and subsequently on the back page of Thisday newspaper of Friday 25th November,2022 as well as across multiple online media platforms.

    Perhaps,owing to the fact that a stereotype opinion had long been formed about the 45th President of the US following several years of unmitigated public relations faux pax on the part of Mr Trump who never bothers to correct some misrepresentation of facts about him,my presentation of the persona of the former president of the US which is inconsistent with the mindset already shaped and propagated by a session of the Western media about Mr Trump, generated a mixed bag of vile and vicious attacks as well as enlightening and encouraging comments.

    The anti Trump sentiments expressed against the article and my further comments are the subject of this follow up opinion piece.

    So basically,the purpose or raison detre for this further intervention is to shed more light on the areas of contention via the reproduction of the points of view of those that vehemently disagree with me on the need to engage with the 45th president of the US who is poised to be the 47th by contesting for the office next year when the incumbent president,Joe Biden’s first tenure would be over.

    As earlier stated,one particular critic made a case that l do not know Mr Trump well enough to warrant my trying to market him to blacks in the US and Africans on the continent,simply because they have already formed the opinion that Mr Trump is a racist and anti Africa.

    It is a notion that l had tried to,and l am still aiming at changing by throwing more light on my good intentions which is to create a rapport between the former US president Trump and black Americans in particular and Africans in general for future mutual benefits to Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

    In embarking on the mission,l am drawing on the conventional wisdom that the road to power is via diplomacy.That is why l have set for myself the task of working assiduously to mend the broken fence between the probable president of the US from next year via disabusing the minds of those who have literally declared him a persona-non-grata in Africa simply owing to the vile comment about Africa attributed to him.

    These gentlemen and perhaps ladies that read the original article in which l tried to correct some myths about Mr Trump’s comments on Africa and Africans by putting things in context,strongly disagree with my submissions.
    Their dissension was expressed in writing via the feedback platform of Thisday newspaper-Disqus.

    Is it not astonishing that none of the commentators contradicted the fact that former president Trump’s policies and programs (2016-2020) had positively impacted the lives of African Americans in the US and people from the continent of Africa?
    l had elaborated on the policies and programs implemented by Mr Trump in the article in question.

    But rather than dwell on the former president’s pro African American policies that have positively impacted the black race in the course of Mr Trump’s four (4) years tenure ,the aggrieved responders to my last article in which l was advocating for the shifting of the relationship between ex president Trump from winter to summer modes,were apparently too piqued by his alleged negative comment about Africa that they were only prepared to judge Mr Trump on that basis,while blocking their minds to whatever good outcomes that his policies might have engendered.

    What that suggests is that the critics are more interested in squaring up on the basis of bruised ego of Africans in light of the alleged demeaning comment about the continent by the 45th president of the US,than pursue the goal of befriending the likely president of the richest and most politically and economically strategic country in the world for the progress of Africa.

    In fact,my agenda for proposing a thawing of the frosty relationship between the 2024 presidential hopeful,Donald Trump and American blacks in particular as well as Africans in general is self evident,so it can not be overemphasized.

    Now,I am not unaware of the possibility that it may be a long shot for the former president to return to the White House next year in light of the political and legal battles currently staring the 45th US president in the face.

    But no other candidate except Mr Trump has thrown his hat into the ring for the presidency in 2024.And given his high capacity to surprise pundits as no one gave him any chance to win the presidency in 2016,Mr Trump in my estimation remains the front runner in the 2024 presidential race in the US.

    Thirteen (13) number of comments had been recorded on Thisday newspaper Disqus platform in response to my article as at the cut-off point of last Friday December 2,2023.

    Six (6) number of comments were one or two sentences or concurrence of previous comments which l would not respond to because they do not merit such attention.

    So l am sharing with readers seven (7)comments,some of which were copious and enlightening.

    And l have reproduced them below along with my additional comments with the expectation that they would help to further illuminate the points that l tried to convey in my piece which has elicited a good dose of criticisms and accolades.

    Off course the commentators did so anonymously,meaning that their true identifies are hidden.

    The most likely reason for allowing folks to make comments on Disqus platform under a smokescreen is because it allows the authors the boldness to bare their fangs in no holds bared manner.

    That way,since the proverbial ox that they may be gored would not know their identify,they would have no fear of consequences for their often mean comments.

    Usually,vulgar words are deployed.So l would like to forewarn or make readers aware of the graphic nature of the language employed by placing a sort of caveat emptor on the comments being reproduced.

    To maintain the originality,there is no editing of the comments and they are also reproduced in the order in which they were posted in Disqus platform.

    The first (1) commentator identifies his /herself as ‘fakindum’
    Below is his/her point of view:

    “This is a load of shit.A failed apologia for Donald Trump. This animal said to my hearing that he preferred immigrants from “Norway” to those from “shit hole countries”. Now this hired writer is slicing and dicing his statements to show he loves Africa. How can it be a (sic) honour to be loved by this regrettable human?”

    MY RESPONSE:
    The piece is not an apologia for Mr Trump as the angry man has alluded.It is aimed at enlightening Africans about former US president Trump and also bringing him up to date about Africa.
    As the saying goes: it is the light that the host brings to see the pilgrim in the dark that also enables the pilgrim see his host.
    In other words,shinning the light on ex president Donald Trump would enable the potential president of the US understand Africa and indeed Nigeria better and vice versa.

    I need not emphasis the infinite number of positive developments that could accrue to Nigeria if Mr Trump were to return to the White House in 2024 after gaining a better understanding of Nigeria and indeed Africa.

    Worryingly,going by his comment,this fellow appears to have met Mr Trump face-to-face and has an axe to grind with him.
    And the assumption above is derived from the choice of words used against him,which makes it obvious that the commentator is very bitter.

    Yes,Mr Trump stated that he would prefer immigrants from Norway to those from ‘shit hole countries’.
    But it is critical that we put into context the comparison between African and Norway,so that it can be better understood.

    The truth is that Mr Trump had just hosted the prime minister of Norway the previous day in the White House before senator Dick Durbin led a team to the White House to discuss a sort of amnesty for undocumented Africans already in the US.

    And his meeting with the Norwegian prime minister who he was very likely impressed by,might still have been fresh on his mind,hence he made the comparison which portrayed him in bad light because he should have controlled his emotions. But Mr Trump is like an open book and an unconventional president.

    Being a Freudian slip,the White House walked back the comment.
    That indicates to me that former president Trump might have been remorseful when he realized how offensive the utterance turned out to be.

    Arising from the above,suggesting that Africa should be bellicose after an apology had been tendered even though it was not made directly,is stretching the concept of self assertion too far.

    Rather than take a dog-in-the-manger posture,I would prefer to be guided by the wise counsel intrinsic in the book: Warrior Of Light by Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian novelist.
    “A Warrior of Light values a child’s eyes because they are able to look at the world without bitterness. When he wants to find out if the person beside him is worthy of his trust, he tries to see him as a child would”

    In any case ,which country in the world would welcome the rejects of other societies into their country as Mr Trump has categorized the illegal immigrants into the US?

    To buttress my point about the universality of xenophobia or racism,l referenced how Ghana and Nigeria that are supposed to be Sister countries have been expelling and counter expelling each other’s nationals since the mid 1960s on multiple occasions depending on the economic fortunes or misfortunes of both countries.

    With respect to the other allegation against me by the commentator “Now this hired writer is slicing and dicing his statements to show he loves Africa.”, it needs to be emphasized that the article in question “ The Donald Trump Africans Do Not Know”was written in the collective interest of Africa and Africans.

    And it is a pity that fellow Nigerians find it impossible to believe that some people can do things altruistically.

    The underlying reason for the negative mindset of most Nigerians on corruption may be because graft has become such a major issue in our society. In fact it has become so suffused with brazen acts of graft by leaders in public offices from the top of the ladder to the followers at the bottom of the rung,to the extent that the long suffering masses have had no option than to become obsessed with the suspicion that every action or motive by anyone must be dubious.

    Which is why I would like to remind the angry fellow that decided to assail my integrity and personality,that in the nearly thirty years that I have engaged in writing and publishing in the mass media critical analysis of policies of government and the society at large,the public officers and private sector practitioners that l have focused on,ranging from president Olusegun Obasanjo ,Umar Yar’dua of blessed memory,Goodluck Jonathan to Mohammadu Buhari,former senate president Bukola Saraki to my former boss and brother,James lbori,ex governor of Delta state;l have never solicited or received gratifications from anyone of them.

    The same applies to Godwin Emefiele Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN governor, Aliko Dangote,the richest man in Africa,Jim Ovia who is the founder of Zenithbank group and Mike Adenuga ,founder of GLO telecoms as well as Tony Elumelu,chairman of Heirs holdings and founder of UBA.

    And I have at some point or the other,had the privilege of writing personality profiles about the aforementioned eminent personalities which are featured in my soon to be released book: Leading From The Stteets.Media Interventions By A Public Intellectual (1999-2019) which is a compendium of seventy seven (77) of my published articles since the return of multi party democracy in Nigeria,plus afterwords on the topics discussed in each of the seven (7)chapters of the book written by renown authorities on the issues covered in the respective chapters.

    And none of identified Very Important Personalities,VIPs has offered me gratification,neither have l solicited such from them.

    It needs being emphasized that my interest in trying to mend the broken fence between former president Trump of the US and Africa is a patriotic gesture aimed at serving the best interest of all.

    As the saying goes: it is the same light that is shined to see a stranger that also enables he/she see his host.
    In other words,shinning the light on Donald Trump would enable the potential president of the US understand Nigeria and Africa better and vice versa.

    It is needless emphasizing the infinite number of positive developments that could accrue to Nigeria and indeed Africa if Mr Trump were to return to the White House in 2024.

    The optimism for the good fortune alluded to above is reflected by the ground breaking achievements in boosting the relationship between the Jews and Arabs in the Middle East via assistance from his son-Inlaw (husband to Ivanka)Jared Kushner,during Mr Trump’s tenure as president in the white house.And I laid it all out in the original piece which l urge interested readers to read or conduct more research on the subject online.

    The veritable accomplishments in the Israeli /Arab relationship in the Middle East are verifiable pointers to the warm relationship that the US could have with Africa and indeed Nigeria in the event that Mr Trump becomes the 47th president.

    The second (2)commentator who identifies himself as ‘American Abroad’ made the following comment:
    “In all fairness, original first-person reports from the Oval Office meeting, as first revealed by Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, was that President Donald Trump remarked, in reference to African immigrants, “Those shitholes send us the people that they don’t want.”

    He absolved Mr Trump by admitting that “He apparently did not specifically mention country, countries or continent. That precise quotation had been fact-checked contemporaneously several times in the past. To otherwise deny the obvious, or attempt to sugarcoat Mr Trump’s extensive history of racial instigation and crass misogyny is disingenuous.

    Furthermore, if you begin a serious intervention with an easily disprovable falsehood, it makes it extraordinarily difficult to give any credence to the rest of your homily, regardless of its underlying merits.”
    Thereafter he gave a caution note : “Journalist, kindly respect the intelligence of your readers- and your own claim to dignity, if not veracity.”
    MY RESPONSE:
    Clearly,this commentator did his homework.So he is not glib because he took time to ferret out the true and correct statement made by Mr Trump which has been misrepresented as: “Africa is a shithole country “.
    But he misunderstood me by assuming that l was making a case that Trump did not make a disparaging comment about Africa.That is far from the truth. I simply contextualized what Mr Trump said while also emphasizing that he was misquoted.

    Thankfully he acknowledged that there are merits in the case that l tried to make in the piece,but he was disdainful in his
    presumption that l was denying that Mr Trump made a disparaging comment about Blacks and Africans.
    ‘American Abroad’ if you are reading this, thank you for digging up the truth.
    We are both on the same page,but the only exception is that l disagree with you that Mr Trump should be crucified for being an unusual politician.We need to build bridges as opposed to burning them.

    The third(3) commentator goes by the name ‘Oparafo Ugakwu’ who wrote the following:
    “This level of low self esteem is stunning.It would be easier for Mr. Onyibe to lift the Olympus than to convince this forum that Donald Trump is not who he is. With this type of mentality from the so called Nigerian intelligentsia, the nation will continue to be ridiculed in the international community. Given his background,Mr. Onyibe could easily be made the Nation’s External Affairs Minister or an Ambassador, positions that would be readily exploited by demagogues and racists in power like Trump. Is there a better way to feed the beast?”
    MY RESPONSE:
    Again this a case of a victim of closed mind or mentality that is not willing or ready to see things beyond the jaundiced view that he has received.

    That is unlike the previous commentator ‘American Abroad’ who made the effort to look beyond the surface by digging up the correct comment made by former president Trump in the White House to a particular audience.

    What l have done is what a foreign affairs minister or ambassador does to build healthy and beneficial relationship between his country and strategic partners.The fact is that l seized an opportunity of meeting with the 45th president of the US planning to be the 47th by next year to see if l could build a bridge of friendship between him and my country and continent which he apparently knows pretty little about.

    What ‘Oparaku Ogakwu’ may not be aware of,is a principle called strategic engagement in international relations or diplomacy.It is less about bluster or self bloated image and fragile egos.

    But more about recognizing a challenge or opportunity and continuously engaging with the other party so that one can be abreast of the developments on their side with a view to taking proactive measures to forestall or embrace actions that could further jeopardize or strengthen existing relationships,as the case may be.

    Imagine the US not remaining engaged with North Korea or lran because of the so called “high self esteem’ of former president Trump or current president Joe Biden.
    It is a no brainer to figure out that the world would be under more serious threats of a nuclear Armageddon.

    The truth is that l have identified a window of opportunity for Africa to warm up to the potential next president of the US, Mr Trump and l am exploring it by trying to smoothen the current fractured relationship that some Africans have with him through illumination of the differences causing the friction and correcting the wrong impressions.

    The fourth (4) commentator who identifies as ‘Kawhi’ had the following to say:
    “Wow Magnus, you’re obviously star-struck! The arrogant presumption that you know someone after a casual encounter at your friend’s daughter’s wedding is mind-boggling and I think the title of your article should be ‘The Donald Trump that Magnus Onyibe Don’t Know’. That you needed most of the article to weave a narrative of Donald Trump’s mindset and supposed thoughts,based only on a casual comment that Nigeria has a lot of oil (which an average fool in the world knows), is a pointer to your own inclination. In describing him as a business titan, you even capitalized the letter T in the word titan!”
    He continued:
    “To know the Trump that most Americans know (after all they are his primary constituents), go read the submissions of his closest associates including his personal lawyers and those who served in the highest levels in his administration, and his family members.
    Perhaps no better words have been used to describe Trump’s extraordinary moral and character failings than those by his longest serving Chief of Staff,General John Kelly after the events of January 6, 2021 (the definitive and most consequential event of his presidency, which you did not even bother to mention);”

    And concluded with the admonition or wise counsel which l agree with:
    “We need to look infinitely harder at who we elect to any office in our land. At the office seeker’s character, at their morals, at their ethical record, their integrity, their honesty, their flaws,what they have said about women and minorities, why they are asking office in the first place, and only then consider the policies they espouse.”
    My RESPONSE:
    As readers might have noticed,he is the ‘copyright owner’ of the title of this article-“The Donald Trump That Magnus Onyibe Doesn’t Know”
    Obviously,he wants me to only see things from the prism of Trump,s enemies or traducers that he listed (sour grapes) and neglect the perspectives of the over 74,222,958 Americans who believe in his politics and voted for him in the 2020 presidential election which amounts to 46.8% of the votes cast compared to the 81,283,098 vote or 51.3% cast for the winner,president Joe Biden.

    He took umbrage at what he termed my casual meeting with Mr Trump and tried to savage me for assuming that such a casual encounter qualifies me to claim that l know him.

    Is Ogakwu aware that sometimes it takes only a game of golf between a job seeker and a potential employer for 
a top CEO to get hired ?

    In fact,most ministers in Nigeria are hardly previously known to the president and ditto for governors and their appointees as commissioners.

    It might also interest the fellow who identifies as Ogakwu to know that I first met President Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach,and the second time at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida during which l had significant conversations with him.

    Ogakwu also stated that l was star-struck.
    Who would not be ?
    I have never met,wined and dinned with any president of the US,how much more a very charismatic and consequential one like Mr Trump. Before him,I had only attended an event where former president Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker and l didn’t have the privilege of having a conversation with him.

    After all when our president Buhari met then President Trump in the White House when he was on a state visit during which he sealed the contract for the supply of super Tucano jets in 2018,he is not on record to have wined and dinned with him.
    So why would l pretend that doing so with former president Trump did not excite me?

    ‘Bolovi’ is the name by which the fifth (5)commentator identifies himself.
    Below is what he wrote:
    “Thank you Mr. Onyibe. I was born in Nigeria and now a US citizen. President Trump did more for blacks than the first black President.The media went after him because they could not control him. The media made-up negative stories on him, and simple-minded, low information and emotional people believed it.”
    MY RESPONSE:
    Thank you too’Bolovi’ for your unbiased assessment.

    The reality that we must all come to terms with is the fact that Mr Trump is a non traditional politician and some Americans are still trying to wrap their heads around his unique way of playing politics.

    Evidently,his brand of politics is supported by at least 46.3 percent of US voters who elected Mr Trump as their president in 2016.

    And apparently,Mr Trump does not really care much about public opinion and that reality is a validation of the belief that he is an unconventional politician.

    Take for instance ,his recent invitation to lunch in his Mar-La-Go resort,the artist formerly known Kanye West now simply Ye who is an antisemite and Nick Fuentes a widely known antisemite and holocaust denier. That action basically validates the fact that Mr Trump is a none conformist.

    Also,it would seem as if Mr Trump courts controversy. And if experience teaches us anything,that approach to politics works for him because all these hooplas may not count against him on the day elections.

    The sixth (6)commentator that goes by the name:’Mystic mallam’ wrote the following:
    “Mr. Magnus Onyibe,what’s your point – are you trying to persuade us that Trump loves Africa and Africans, that he’s not a rabid and bigoted racist? If that’s your objective, you have failed woefully, why? You have no idea whom Trump is, or what he represents to America’s Alt-right. Is hero-worship what they taught you at the Fletcher School you never stop touting as suffix to your name?”
    MY RESPONSE:
    I am not making a case that Mr Trump loves Africans.Rather my objective is to bridge the gap between Trump and African/blacks in the US through dialogue that could engender a more cordial relationship for mutual benefits.

    The justification for my intervention has been made in my earlier responses.
    Nevertheless,as we all know,racism against blacks in the US and neo colonialism against Africans did not start with Trump.It commenced with the enslavement of Africans by the Europeans and indeed the Western world over 400 years ago.

    As a way of healing the wounds of the past,some states and cities,in the US have started to pay reparations to black Americans.

    That indicates that racism is not a Trump creation,but he prefers to deal with it frontally than the old ways of pretending in Washington,DC to love Africans by traditional political actors via tokenism in the public,while working against blacks during closed door policy meetings.
    lt is an attitude that Trump does not subscribe to hence he expressed his views about illegal African immigrants publicly.

    The commentator also went low and cheeky by writing :”is hero worship what they taught you in Fletcher school that you never stop touting as suffix to your name”

    Well,I am a proud alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy which is my alma mater.

    Instead of being offended by the snide comment,l would like to enlighten my traducer that Fletcher is also the alma mater of former foreign affairs minister of Nigeria,Professor Bolaji Akinyemi who attended the school for his masters degree in 1966 before heading to the university of Oxford,United Kingdom,Uk for his PhD degree.
    And the erudite professor never seizes to identify with his Fletcher pedigree in his public appearances.

    And my good friends,Dr Rueben Abati ,Thisday newspaper columnist and AriseTv anchorman,as well as Mr Segun Adeniyi,Editorial board chairman of Thisday newspaper who is also a columnist,also identify themselves in similar fashion.

    As a matter of fact,Dr Abati takes exception to being addressed without prefixing his name as an academic doctor and Adeniyi clearly states his role as chairman of Thisday newspaper editorial board under his name.
    Same also applies to Dr Mike Ozekhome,who also writes a column for LAWYER,a Thisday newspaper weekly pull out with all his academic titles in array.

    So it is a matter of style or branding if you like.

    Is it not curious that the commentator who scoffed at me for using the suffix of my alma mater in my media Interventions did not express reservations about the fact that l also include that l was a cabinet member of delta state government (2003-2007) and that l am an entrepreneur.?
    Apparently’Mystic Mallam’ is ready to live with that.

    As for ‘Reem Haak’ who is the seventh (7)commentator, his view is:
    “Donald Trump hates the way the Democrats patronise Africans and black people generally.What is the point of selecting a few blacks into Democrat’s government to convey the impression that Biden loves black people.Other African Americans keep insisting they are still largely marginalized. “
    He emphasized that “Joe Biden’s understading of how to help the Africans is to allow them invade America.Biden believes in the system of exploitation of Africa and indeed Nigeria ,just because some Nigerians live and work in America.”
    Raheem Haak argued further that
    “ IT is only Donald Trump who has campaigned favourably for Africans and Nigerians developing their own countries just like Americans are doing to their own country.
    Continuing,he made the point that “Joe Biden believes that America will carry the responsibilities of Nigeria through aid. Democrats release financial aid to Nigeria and it strengthens America’s right to dictate to Nigeria politically. “
    His opinion is that: “So far, it is only the Republicans who have admitted that aid to Africa has been disastrous.This was the admission of George Bush after Africans complained that aid is always stolen by the officials.The Democrats and Joe Biden don’t even entertain such thoughts let alone act accordingly.
    They believe Africans and Nigerians cannot think for themselves.”

    In Raheem Haak’s conclusion “Donald Trump does not believe in the politics of patron-client relationship which has undermined the development of Nigeria till date.”
    He then advocated that “The way out for Nigerians is to encourage politicians like Donald Trump who hate looters to become president. That is the only way Nigeria can be free from this needless crushing poverty devastating millions in Nigeria.”

    I could not have put it better in an environment where a lot of us are not keen on thinking out of the box,but prefer to internalize and even swear by information that we did not check the motive of the purveyor to see if it had been tainted to suit an ulterior motive which may not be in the best interest of our country.

    Obviously,most of the commentators views are shaped by what they have been seeing and hearing on CNN.

    May l suggest that they should also spare some time to watch Fox News,the preferred television station of Republicans to see the other points of view to form a balanced opinion of Mr Trump?

    I am not unmindful of the fact that the approach that l took for this follow up piece is unorthodox.But just as columnists sometimes adopt drama or satire style of writing when commenting on sensitive issues,the style that l have adopted is akin to democratization of free speech.

    It is a Question and Answer format which l am hoping would help expand the sphere of knowledge of readers in order to enable them have broader,as opposed to pigeon hole perspectives of the important national and international issue of forging stronger relationships with the US which is usually accomplished mainly when they have located a military base in a country of strategic interest to them.

     

    Magnus Onyibe,an entrepreneur,public policy analyst,author,development strategist,alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,Tufts University, Massachusetts,USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from lagos.
    To continue with this conversation,pls visit www.magnum.ng

  • VIDEO: Bola Tinubu’s U.S. visa sparks laughter at Chatham House

    VIDEO: Bola Tinubu’s U.S. visa sparks laughter at Chatham House

    A conversation centred around the much talked about U.S. visa of Mr Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential election on Monday sparked laughter at Chatham House, London.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs invited Tinubu to speak on “Nigeria’s 2023 elections: Security, economic and foreign policy imperatives”.

    In his introductory remarks, Alex Vines, Director of Africa Programme at Chatham House sparked laughter when he joked about the U.S. visa of the APC presidential candidate.

    “I understand that you have very much a valid U.S. visa and would be going to the United States after this,” Vines said to rousing applause and laughter by participants at the event.

    Recall that Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo recently debunked claims that the United States denied Tinubu a visa.

    Keyamo who is also the spokesman of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign council said the rumour was the handiwork of mischief makers.

    2023: Peter Obi, INEC Chairman, others to speak at Chatham House

    Meanwhile, Vines disclosed that the candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu have been scheduled to speak at Chatham House.

    He also disclosed that Chatham House will also host the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and also the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso in series of meetings leading up to Nigeria’s 2023 general election.

    “On the 17th of January 2023, Chatham House will host an event with INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu. We have invitations out to three other presidential candidates for this election in Nigeria.

    “So, Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for the People’s Democratic Party, we have issued an invitation to him. As you know, some of you, he spoke here in 2018 about Nigeria’s economy. He is no stranger to Chatham House.

    “An invitation has also been issued to Peter Obi, the leader for the Labour Party. He is also considering that invitation. And finally, we have also invited Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria People’s Party candidate.

    “So, we do want to be equitable and impartial here at this institute and as you can understand and see, not only are we interested in the electoral processes and systems and checks and balances in Nigeria, we also want to hear from potential Nigerian leadership,” Vines disclosed.

  • America, watch your back! – By Azu Ishiekwene

    America, watch your back! – By Azu Ishiekwene

    Former US President Donald Trump didn’t just happen to the United States. He hit the world like the climax of a horror movie. 

    Scene after scene, act after act left the thoughtful in bewilderment, the reserved in shame, and even the incorrigible in doubt. Only the fantasts and ultra-right wing extremists were impressed by Trump’s macabre dance.

    It was a phase like no other when he freely abused the expression, “To make America great again”.

    Apart from his British double and ally, Boris Johnson, only clips from Uganda’s past, without their bloody trail, throw up a shadow of semblance in contemporary history. 

    If Idi Amin, Uganda’s maximum ruler and self-styled conqueror of the British Empire, was alive, Trump would have had a living black effigy, a master of doublespeak. He shifts grounds from subject to subject, changing the narrative before the audience had time to think, and then closing the story with a conclusion neither relevant to the beginning, nor logical in its summation.

    Although Amin declared himself Field Marshal and life president, he only lasted between 1971 and 1979 – roughly the same eight years Trump aspires to rule the US. Amin’s cleverer latter-day successor, Yoweri Museveni, has been, paradoxically, the one to live Amin’s dream of a life presidency. 

    Museveni, who led a guerilla warfare to “liberate Uganda from Amin”, has been in office for 38 years and still counting. Now the whole world is worried about liberating Uganda from him.

    With Trump, facts don’t have to be factual. Any line makes a syllogism so long as it justifies his ends. His presidency reduced the most powerful country in the world to a theatre of absurdities, an endless circus of drama where Trump was the scripter, its director, lead actor, hero, critic and more. 

    It was under Trump that the world really doubted for the first time in many decades the primacy of the US in global affairs – whether it involved the climate debate, migration (legal or otherwise), the pandemic or even the nuclear arms challenge.

    With skin tougher than a reptile’s, Trump drove through scandals, not batting an eyelid. He rigged the Supreme Court with conservative justices, trampled over Congress and bullied the press. Trump was not just a master of the alternative universe, he also sustained it with hysteria that left normal folks doubting their own sanity.

    A darling of the Christian right, he may as well have borrowed his moral compass from the Crusaders, an earlier generation of Christians, who lacked the grace to accommodate what they could not change, but did not lack the courage to undermine or destroy them. 

    Trump was never wrong as long as he called the shots. He must have thought Nixon was foolish to have resigned at the mere triviality that was Watergate.

    Coming on the heels of the remarkable era of Barack Obama, Trump had the very effect of that bull inside a China shop. Frequently seeking judicial reinterpretation of his indiscretions, America lost its sense of outrage under him! With brazen incorrigibility, he simply blew out one scandal with another. 

    When, after four difficult years Americans had the chance to choose again, the confused, frightened world prayed that American voters would find the courage to escort DJT out of the White House and back to his Towers. That’s where his alternative facts and self-serving narratives move mountains and form the operational blueprint. 

    But he didn’t only resist by stirring an insurrection on the Capitol, he would go on to ask the courts and whoever cared not to accept or confirm Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Sounds like a tale from a thriller, but we lived through it.

    To be fair to American voters, the majority of them didn’t elect Trump. He was the product of the Electoral College – a warped and archaic electoral system which sometimes allows the majority to have their say, but the minority to have their way.  

    If that system was meant to provide some balance and comfort in America’s complex federation – and possibly stop the emergence of demagogues, as some argue – well, it failed to deliver in 2016. 

    The Electoral College, that 230-year-old political contraption, became the very vehicle that took Trump to the presidency. Hilary Clinton had trounced him with a margin of 2.8 million popular votes, but the counter-democratic wisdom of the electoral college overrode the popular will of Americans.

    In the words of one of the founding leaders of the US, James Madison, the Electoral College was meant to ensure that the president is elected “by men most capable of analysing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favourable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice.” Trump possessed anything but these qualities.

    His Democratic opponent warned and admonished most prophetically, about the man lacking the temperament and wisdom befitting of the job. The electorate heard, and adhered, but the “College” did the reverse. The world felt the impact of that mistake, and America bore this burden for four long years. 

    And he stunned the world even more. He wouldn’t leave the White House without a fight and attempted a coup. He wouldn’t concede defeat or congratulate the man who beat him at the polls. He sulked, balked and bluffed. But in the end, he had to slink away like a bully humiliated by an underdog.

    The mid-term elections in November in the US provided Trump with another opportunity to show-up in the ring again, hoping for a Red wave, which thankfully, did not happen. He still wants to make America great, to “save” America. 

    His fanatical crowds are unrelenting, cheering him at the podium like nothing happened before. And just like before, too, the world risks the mistake of under-estimating Trump, thinking he is going nowhere.  

    Whether Trump will succeed or not depends on the Republican Party, a party so beholden to Trump that it answers twice, even when he calls once. If he overcomes the loop, his brand of entrepreneurial politics and personality cult could generate a bandwagon effect that may be hard to stop.

    As America approaches the 2024 elections, chances of a Trump on the ballot are a possibility not to be dismissed, considering how he pushed through the Republican primaries to the presidency in 2016. He feels even more surefooted now, despite the outcome of the midterm elections. 

    He claims he wants to save America. But America desperately needs to save itself from him. He’s never been short of this messianic complex. And he knows when and how to deploy it to devastating effect.

    Trump 2.0 is a possibility and the man is seriously looking forward to it. He has the capacity of a brigand; he fights – fair or foul – he just fights, anyway. The end justifies the means. With Trump, the world should never say never until he has been retired by consent or by force. 

    Trump is not done, yet. And anyone who thinks otherwise should remember what his cousin, Mary, told The Guardian about him in January 2021: “He’s never had a legitimate win in his life. All that matters is getting the win, no matter if there’s an asterisk next to it.” 

    Why? Because asterisks are to a demagogue what the red flag is to the bull. America, watch your back!

     

    Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

  • Workers at risk as Amazon shuts down business in India

    Workers at risk as Amazon shuts down business in India

    U.S. online retailer Amazon on Monday said that it would shut down its wholesale distribution business in India as it moved to focus more on its core retail business.

    Amazon Distribution, its wholesale e-commerce website available to small neighbourhood stores in Bengaluru, Mysore and Hubli, was designed to help small stores, pharmacies and department stores in India to secure inventory from the firm.

    “We don’t take these decisions lightly. We are discontinuing this program in a phased manner to take care of current customers and partners,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

    The exit will result in layoffs of hundreds of workers.

  • FG cautions Nigerians travelling to US, Europe

    FG cautions Nigerians travelling to US, Europe

    The Federal Government has advised Nigerians travelling to Europe and the United States to take extra precautions to avoid being dispossessed of their belongings.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the advice on Monday in Abuja at the fifth edition of the ‘President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) Administration Scorecard 2015-2023 Series’.

    The scorecard series was organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture and the fifth edition witnessed presentations by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar.

    In an opening remark, Mohammed said the advice became imperative because of recent developments where Nigerian travellers to the US and some countries in Europe were having their belongings, especially money and international passports, stolen.

    The minister said the incidences had reached an increasingly high rate and therefore the need for the advice.

    “The most recent victims of this were travelers to the UK, most of whom were dispossessed of their belongings at high brow shops, particularly in the high street of Oxford.

    “We have therefore decided to advise Nigerians travelling to Europe and the United States to take extra precaution to avoid being dispossessed of their belongings.

    “This is not your typical travel advisory. Issuing such is the prerogative of our embassies/high commissions as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    “It is merely a piece of advice to Nigerians who may be visiting the affected parts of the world,” he said.

    Speaking on the scorecard series, he said it was designed to showcase the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development subsequently made his presentations, after which he took questions from the media men at the event.

  • U.S. mission expands eligibility period for non-immigrant visa renewals

    U.S. mission expands eligibility period for non-immigrant visa renewals

    The U.S. Mission has expanded the eligibility period for nonimmigrant visa renewals from 24 months to 48 months.

    This was made known in a statement made available on Friday evening.

    According to the mission, applicants whose previous U.S. visa expired within the last 48 months or will expire in the next 3 months may now qualify to renew their visa without an interview.

    The mission noted in the statement that it was also opening thousands of visa renewal appointments to assist applicants who wished to renew their visas.

    “You may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview if your application is for a B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L or C1/D (combined only) visa, AND you meet each of the following criteria:

    “Your previous visa was issued in Nigeria, your previous visa is in the same classification as your current application, your previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa.

    “Your previous visa expired within the last 48 months or will expire in the next 3 months from the date of application, you have all your passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa.

    “You have never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the United States, even if you later received a waiver or pardon, you have never worked without authorization or remained beyond your permitted time in the United States,” the statement read.

    The mission noted that processing times for the programme were expected to be up to two months and applicants would not be able to retrieve their passports during that time.

    “Each applicant must individually meet the criteria; minors can apply without an interview only if they meet the eligibility criteria on their own.”

    It was further noted that third parties unaffiliated with the U.S. Embassy Abuja and Consulate General Lagos might seek to take advantage of various visa services to target visa applicants with fraudulent offers or claims.

    The mission urged applicants to fill out their own forms and make their appointments themselves via the official websites.

    “Please see our website at https://ng.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/ for further information.

    “If you are qualified based on the above criteria, visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng to start your application.”

  • The Donald Trump That Africans Don’t Know – By Magnus Onyibe

    The Donald Trump That Africans Don’t Know – By Magnus Onyibe

    The first thing that springs forth from the mind of some Africans as soon as the 45th president of the United States of America,USA,Donald J Trump is mentioned is the impression that he does not like Africans,which is so untrue.

    And that wrong notion of president Trump disliking Africans stems from the fake news planted by his political opponents in the media and attributed to him such as: “Africa is a shit hole country.”

    Although the statement is flawed in a
    fundamental way,most people who believe and therefore are not enamored by president Trump have not bothered to critically identify and examine the flaw.

    And that is the reason emotions seem to have beclouded their judgement and why they have swallowed the falsehood hook line-and-sinker.

    As we all know,Africa is a continent of 54 countries and not just one country.
    So how could president Trump have made the comment attributed to him by his traducers: “Africa is a shit hole country”?

    Since most Africans failed to critically scrutinize the comment because they were eager to believe all the vile things that the so called Never Trumps had to say,the flaw or illogicality of referring to Africa as shit hole country,whereas it is indeed a continent,has unfortunately been lost on some of them.

    Apparently,those who are hell bent on generating friction between Africans and the 45th president of the US,had done a ‘good’ job as most people of black race have remained trapped in that mind-bending spell which l intend to dispel with this intervention.

    Hopefully,by debunking the myths with how Mr Trump really feels about Africans and what he had done to elevate Black Americans and those residing in the continent during his tenure as president of the US,there would be a rethinking and resetting of Africa/Trump relationship that would position the continent to benefit more from Mr Trump’s presidency of the US,if he returns to the White House as he plans to in 2024.

    Not only because Nigeria has the largest population of black people on earth or by virtue of its being the biggest economy in Africa by GDP,but based on my personal experience as a Nigerian who has met president Trump one-on-one,I would like to use Nigeria as a reference point for assessing Trump-Africa relationship which is apparently currently foggy owing to calculated misinformation.

    To put things in perspective,it may be recalled that it is in the first two years of Mr Trump’s presidency,that Nigeria’s president Mohammadu Buhari and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya,notable African leaders were his guests in the White House.
    In my reckoning that is a reflection of not just passing,but keen interest in the continent as opposed to disdain for Africa as some detractors have tried to portray the former US president’s disposition to Africa.

    Adjunct to that,and very significant to Nigerians,it must not be forgotten that it was under Mr Trump’s presidency that the US agreed to sell to Nigeria critical military hardware such as the super Tucano jets and other military armaments that were needed to combat the terrorists that were gaining the upper hand in the northern parts of our country.

    It is worth recalling that for too long,Nigeria was denied access to the needed military hardware to fight terrorism owing to the Leahy Doctrine which prohibits the sale of US military hardwares to countries that are deemed to lack the discipline not to use them indiscriminately.

    That condition which is nebulous had compelled Nigeria under the watch of president Goodluck Jonathan to attempt to procure arms and ammunition from the black market which resulted in a private jet from Nigeria full of cash being intercepted in South Africa with consequential scandal that portrayed Nigeria in negative light.

    Now,is it not striking and heartening that it was under Mr Trump’s presidency of the US that Nigeria on president Buhari’s watch was allowed to legitimately acquire the attack aircrafts that have today proven to be highly useful in the prosecution of the war against terrorists in Nigeria?

    There are more positive actions taken by president Trump to support Nigeria and indeed Africa during his four (4) years reign,but for now,it is in the light of the above,that l would like to implore and urge Africans to appraise mr Trump by what he did for the continent as the 45th president of the US from 2016 to 2020,which is legion,and not by what he is alleged to have said about Africans via pranks planted in the mass media by his political opponents.

    The above admonition is underscored by my belief that as the 45th president of the US, Mr Donald Trump prepares to return as the 47th president in 2024,l fervently believe that it is high time that we all got to the brass tacts about the real Donald Trump that Africans don’t know,so that we can all work out a more positive way to relate to him.

    And I am of the conviction that if Mr Donald Trump returns to the White House one more time to complete the good work that he started in 2016 before he was derailed by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the world and particularly resulted in the untimely loss of over one million American lives which is largely responsible for his not being re-elected,Africa and Africans would receive more than a passing interest particularly now that he is getting to understand the continent better with the marriage on November 12,2022 of his adorable Daughter Tiffany to Micheal Boulos,the hardworking son of Massad and Sarah Boulos who have had long association and huge footprints in Africa through their business conglomerate SCOA plc that has business interests throughout the continent of Africa,especially west and French speaking parts of the continent.

    And l would like to commence the journey of discovery or excursion into who mr Trump essentially is with respect to his relationship with Africans with my personal experience when l first met with the great American president and indeed one of the most consequential world leaders of all times who has been largely misunderstood by those who do not know him.

    It was at the Trump Golf course in West Palm Beach,Florida USA that we met for the first time.

    And the first thing he said to me when l was introduced by my friend Dr Massad Boulos to him as a friend from Nigeria was:your country has a lot of oil under the soil”.
    And l spontaneously responded in the affirmative.

    In my view,his comment indicates that he easily identifies opportunities wherever they are and it is a reflection of the fecundity of mr Trump’s mind.

    And it also reflects the fact that the former US president Trump has set high standards for himself and others which is that all opportunities should be optimally harnessed for the good of all.

    President Trump is likely miffed that with the amount of oil under Nigerian soil,the citizens have no business being poor and no need to be migrating in droves to other countries particularly via risky routes that often end up in the death of a multitude of Africans in the Sahara desert or in the Mediterranean Sea through which they try to illegally get into European countries,the US and other North American wealthy countries to eek out a living as refugees.

    It is perhaps such perspicuity of mr Trump that makes some Africans misunderstand him because going by the sympathetic look that l could spot in his face when we first met,the 45th president of the US and accomplished business Titan,is disappointed that despite Nigeria’s huge oil reserve(6th largest crude oil producer in OPEC) and abundant Human Resources in Nigeria,(in excess of 200 million people with 60% as youths) the country’s leaders have failed to capitalize on those critically important assets that the country is endowed with,hence Nigeria has degenerated to the extent that she has earned the odious title of being the poverty capital of the world( formerly held by India)with majority of her citizens wallowing in abject poverty and misery.

    Which wealth creator and someone often associated with progress and success, that ex president Trump personifies and embodies would not express indignation about the leaders and people from a country like Nigeria with abundant natural and human resources,yet mired in the bottom rung of socioeconomic development?

    Arising from the circumstances described above,Mr Trump,s feeling of empathy and sympathy for Nigerians and indeed Africans May be justified.But owing to ignorance foisted by mischief makers,mr Trump’s capitalist disposition or stimuli is being misinterpreted as racism.

    Incidentally,that feeling of Mr Trump that the African continent is punching below its weight is validated by the latest National Bureau of Statistics,NBS survey report which has revealed that 63% which is one hundred and thirty three million (133m) Nigerians are living in poverty.

    Given that an estimated four (4)of every African and five (5) black people of African origin are Nigerians,one can extrapolate the level of poverty in Africa and what might be driving what appears to the uninformed observers conclusion about mr Trump’s palpable impatience with failure,transformed into frustrations with Africans which have been misunderstood as racist attitude by some of my compatriots in Africa and blacks in the diaspora.

    As opposed to the orthodox approach of the so called prim and proper manners that technocrats in Washington DC which mr Trump refers to as swamp would prefer,the hopeful 47th president of the US,rather talks straight from the heart which is evidential of the fact he has a profound mind with progress ,success and prosperity as fulcrum.

    And it is from that prism that the actions and attitude of the 45th president of the US,(2016-2020) Donald Trump towards lazy or unproductive people,irrespective of their color of skin-black,Brown or white should be situated.

    My reality is that contrary to being a racist as mr Trump has been portrayed to some Africans,he likes to without exception,see and associate with success in all humans worldwide.
    And he denounces failures equally,whether they are in the US,Europe,Africa or Asia,Christians or Muslims,Hindus or Sikhs or Buddhists.

    Put succinctly,mr Donald Trump simply can not stand failure hence under his watch he resisted the influx into the US those he termed dredges of society who he accused of being rapists,murderers and criminals of all hues and illegal immigrants and on which basis those that he denounced tagged him a racist.

    Definitely,Trump is not referring to nation builders likes Wally Adeyemo,the deputy Treasury Secretary of the US and the eight (8) legislators-Adeoye Owolewa,Carol Kazeem,Esther Agbaje,and Gabe Okoye as well as Solomon Adesanya,Phil Olaleye, not forgetting Tish Naghise all of whom are of Nigerian origin that just won their contests into legislative posts in the US during the recent mid term elections.

    But being that there is a preponderance of failures amongst the Africans on the continent owing to prolonged colonization and forceful extraction of her rich natural resources in the past and the current neo-colonialist practices against the Africans on the continent on one hand,coupled with the systemic injustice perpetrated against the blacks in the US in the past several millenniums,till date;there is high tendency to believe that Trump is against blacks which constitute about 13.2 of US population,and represent a high proportion of about 23.8%of the poverty group in that country which is almost twice higher than the proportion of the general population,hence mr Trump is wrongly deemed to be a racist.

    As a reflection of his openness to welcoming immigrants which is as opposed to being a racist,in august 2020, mr Trump held a naturalization ceremony in the White House for immigrants including black and brown people.

    Although a symbolic gesture,it is evidential of the fact that mr Trump is welcoming to those that can be productive and who wish emigrate to the US via proper immigration processes.

    As a capitalist,it is typical that mr Trump may not stomach or accommodate indolence of Africans and poor leadership defined by corruption which unfortunately is the hallmark of African governments resulting in Africans migrating to the US and other climes where the grass is believed to be greener and which in turn leads to resentment from the citizens of the host countries where the migrating Africans take refuge.

    A good reference point is the recent xenophobic attacks against other Africans in South Africa and Ghana,particularly against Nigerians in those countries.

    But if such happens in the US and Europe, it would be tagged racism,right?
    The truth is that most folks irrespective of color of skin or creed are xenophobic or racist against people that they don’t know or understand.

    Consider how Ghana repatriated Nigerians from their country in 1969 and Nigeria in turn expelled Ghanaians from Nigeria in 1983-a phenomenon tagged: ‘Ghana must go’.

    In what appears to be poetic justice,and tit for tat manner,Ghana also recently sent packing Nigerians seeking greener pastures in their country,one more time.

    Had all these inhumanities happened in Europe or the US to Africans,they could have been termed racism.
    But since it happened within Africa between fellow Africans,it is termed xenophobia.

    The goal here is that through our efforts at helping Mr Trump understand Africa better,and vice versa for Africans,the US under Trump’s watch in 2024 would help Africa become better.

    My second take away about former US president,Donald Trump after we met is that his desire is to be associated with hardworking and high performance driven people.
    That character trait is apparent in his television game show- ‘The Apprentice’ where he would without mercy say to an intern pitching to him,but lack the correct energy and idea “you are fired”

    In my personal assessment, Mr Trump has a fetish for seeking the very best in human beings.
    If possible,he would like all members of the human race not to be in poverty or be experiencing misery.

    Based on the above premise,it is not surprising that he expects and maybe demands high performance qualities from his children.
    As such it is not unexpected that he similarly has high expectations of his sons or daughters in-laws who are by marriage rule,his adopted sons and daughters.

    In that respect,typical of his competitive approach to life,the former president did not hesitate in extracting from me,a sort of character testimony on Micheal,his new son-Inlaw.

    He was impressed that l traveled all the way from Nigeria/Africa to attend the wedding and sought to know how well l knew Micheal and whether he is hardworking.

    Incidentally,l have seen Micheal at work on numerous occasions that he was in Nigeria,so l affirmed to the father of the bride that Micheal had been manifesting leadership qualities as a teenager.

    That independent validation from
    me,to say the least,presumably lifted up mr Trump’s spirit about the marriage of Micheal to his daughter Tiffany.

    Thereafter,the unvarnished respect and priority that he accords hard work and ability to get ahead in life by being focused on goals and targets which are values that in my estimation reigns supreme in mr Trump’s universe,were on parade during the banquet as he extolled Tiffany for her hardworking attributes or characteristics,having evolved from her childhood into adulthood after passing through Duke university law school.
    And he credited Tiffany’s mum,Marla Maples with the incredible job of imbuing Tiffany with good character and chutzpah.

    So much about my newly formed opinion about mr Trump based on my personal experience which l hope would help Africans better understand one of the consequential leaders on planet earth.

    As,l have also learnt,as president of the US between 2016 and 2020,mr Trump also positively imparted the lives of blacks in the US,but most of the good deeds remain unsung.

    For instance,how many know that under president Trump’s watch,a groundbreaking justice reform policy was introduced to give blacks better breathing space.
    In December 2018,president Trump signed the First Step Act.
    The law is generally believed to be: “the most substantial changes in a generation” to “tough on crime” laws that increased the federal prison population by 700 percent since 1970.

    To address the thirsty and soured relationship between police and citizens,especially blacks,as president Mr Trump signed an executive order that promoted training for men and women of the police force and the setting up of a national database to keep track of misconduct by police officers.
    Stemming from the above,it is believed that crime rates dropped in the US.

    Also,during president Trump’s time in office,he funded historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) which were hitherto starved of public funds.And he also created Opportunity Zones which was aimed at empowering blacks by boosting jobs/ employement opportunities in their communities.
    As a result,before the Covid-19 pandemic struck,black unemployment and poverty rate are also believed to have been at all time low of 5.9% in 2018.

    Another evidence of poverty reduction in the black and brown communities attributed to Mr Trump’s policy is that an estimated seven (7) million that were on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program got off of it.

    Very significantly, just before he left office, president Trump unfurled his “Platinum Plan” for black Americans which includes designating the infamous KuKlux Klan,KKk and ANTIFA as terrorist organizations.It also include proposals to make lynching a hate crime, increase investments in black communities, support black homeownership and recognize Juneteeth as a federal holiday.

    Although critics may argue that some of the lofty ideas in former president Trump’s development agenda for blacks were not far reaching enough,it is incontestable and doubtless that some of the policies were implemented and they had significant impact on the lives of folks in poorly resourced communities as already noted.

    Following the wedding and our interactions,mr Trump is understanding Africa better.As such he would be better guided and equipped with knowledge about Africa and indeed Nigeria,if he becomes the 47th president of the US next year.

    It is from the above prism that l would like to crave the indulgence of readers to recall the critical role played by Mr Jared Kushner,the Jewish American husband of Ivanka,(mr Trump’s daughter) in the dexterous management of the frosty relationship between the Jews and Arabs in the Middle East which thawed during Mr Trump’s presidency.

    It was Kushner as president Trump’s Advisor that helped Trump package US-middle east policy that produced the lbrahimic Accord which has facilitated interaction between United Arab Emirates,UAE and Isreal resulting in resumption of air travel between both countries and Isreali High Technology firms locating and operating in Jebel Ali port and industrial zone.

    Such salutary development can be replicated in Africa if mr Trump becomes the 47th president of the US next year.

    Perhaps,arising from his leaning towards the evangelicals in the US,it is on record that it is during president Trump’s reign as president of the US that African Pentecostal faith leaders and evangelists were given the most access to interact with their American counterparts.

    So,under proper scrutiny,and after putting into the crucible the policies and programs of president Trump,it would be clear that he significantly positively impacted the lives of blacks in the US and Africans on the continent.

    But the reason he is wrongly tagged as racist is because he has not made efforts to correct the wrong impression by putting in array or cataloguing his policies and programs geared towards helping blacks and Africans.

    It is trite to point out that should president Trump return to the White House next year,Africa stands to be the beneficiary of a reincarnated president Trump as he would be finishing what he started.

    In conclusion,l am saying to all the Africans and African Americans who are thinking that president Trump is a racist:allow me be your mirror.

    In light of how l was warmly welcomed and accepted by president Trump,it is clear to me that he does not have any personal tiff against Africans that are dynamic and progressive.
    But he takes exception to indolence and laziness,be it by white,brown or black people.

    And my frank assessment is that it is a reflection of the fact that mr Trump is a capitalist who loathes seeing people in the midst of opportunities to become wealthy and self reliant,wallowing in poverty and needing aid to survive.

    Arising from the above,it should be clear that it is mr Trump’s capitalist instincts that are being misconstrued as racist tendencies.

    And l hope that such negative perception would change after this invigorating narrative about my personal encounters with him.

    For the sake of emphasis,my reality is that mr Trump actually belongs to the capitalist tribe which as we all know remains the best system for organizing a society for inclusive prosperity.

    And the assertion above is underscored by the fact that capitalism which is an economic system in which private sectors own and control property in accord with their interests and demand and supply freely set prices in markets in a way that can serve the best interest of society has been proven to be the rational self-interest that can lead to economic prosperity.

    If l were to be asked to summarize my impression of president Trump,l would draw from the wisdom of the Chinese philosopher,Confucius as l am of the conviction that his quote below captures the driving principle or motivation in all that he does:

    “The will to win,the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence”

    As I now know mr Trump better,l hope that blacks in the US and the Africans on the continent would by the same token understand mr Trump better as a race- neutral leader that is very committed to the progress and development of all human kind,and who has zero tolerance for laggards that fail to push themselves hard enough to succeed.

     

    Magnus Onyibe,an entrepreneur,public policy analyst,author,development strategist,alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy,Tufts University, Massachusetts,USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from lagos.
    To continue with this conversation,pls visit www.magnum.ng

  • U.S lose FIBA rankings’ top spot after 12 years

    U.S lose FIBA rankings’ top spot after 12 years

    U.S men’s basketball team have been knocked off the top of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) world rankings for the first time in over 12 years, with Spain taking over.

    Spain, who have enjoyed success in recent years including winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA EuroBasket 2022, lead the November 2022 table ahead of the U.S.

    “It’s not exactly a new title and it probably can’t be maintained for too long, but it’s something so unique, prestigious, and historic that I feel tremendously proud of everyone who … has contributed to it,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo tweeted.

    Spain top the rankings with 758.6 points followed by the U.S. with 757.5 points. Australia are third on 740.3 points.

    The U.S. team had led the rankings since 2010.

    Nigeria’s D’Tigers remain 19th on the world rankings with 460.1 points, and number one among African teams.