Buhari’s visit to USA: Matters arising

 

BY JOE INIODU

The much touted four day visit of PMB to United States of America finally came and may probably have ended at the time of reading this. It was a visit that the APC government took time to publicize and celebrate without providing the public with adducible reason for such obscene pageantry. 

Infact the visit was made to have the caveat of offering solutions to our economic woes inflicted by successive regimes and the Boko Haram insurgency which tide of operations has been upped in recent times to the embarrassment of PMB who vowed to end their onslaught in two weeks if elected into office. Well, one can agree that it was political talk and as usual, talk is cheap. The reality is that BH has continued to fester as a cancerous wound refusing to neither abet nor go away. 

PMB’s visit to US in the face of our many daunting challenges has been largely construed as the presentation of a shopping list to President Barrack Obama. It is widely perceived as a groveling request for assistance. One is not in doubt of the fact that visits like the one undertaken by PMB have the potential to strengthen bilateral ties and boost economic and social cooperation. But such visits must be done in a manner that would continue to uphold our pride and sovereignty as a nation. We must not be seen to be groveling before other nations or appear beggarly because we have found ourselves in this self inflicted cul de sac. We must relate with others from a position of strength for this is a great nation only suffering from the malaise of poor leadership. 

It is a great thing in my estimation that President Buhari’s visit to United States was a result of an invitation extended by President Obama. Such invitation signposts the rating of our country within the Comity of Nations and the high regards accorded our President. Of course he merits to be so honoured if his records and personal character are the subjects of consideration. But he must not allow fanatical leaning towards party and incorrigible partisanship to dictate his discussions at such world platforms. For instance, his lauding of the American Government as the one that influenced former President Jonathan’s handing over to him was in my opinion preposterous and uncalled for. If I may paraphrase, he said, if America had not put pressure on the then government, it would have been absolutely impossible for that government to hand over to the opposition. In this summation, PMB failed to recognize that there was little America would have done in the context of the immunity which protects all sovereign nations if Jonathan had chosen to be stubborn like President Mugabe, and even our local breed, former President Obasanjo. 

Yes there would have been protest, condemnation and isolation but regime change would have been far-fetched. 

Perhaps PMB wanted to extol America in anticipation that such act would facilitate cordiality that would bring forth expectations. But by that statement, he carried it beyond the precinct of decency and compromised the integrity of our nation. A diplomatic shuttle like such visit should only be used to advance the interest of the Country, not to whittle down its sovereignty. President Buhari who is a member of 1980 America War College Class should recall that he fought assiduously for the honour and glory of Nigeria and therefore must at all times guide and protect that honour, no matter the expectation he is seeking. Let no politics lead him to compromise this sacred covenant as such would cast the well documented sacrifices he has made for the Nation in the dustbin of inglorious history.  

For ignorant and uninformed people who saw PMB’s visit to America as an invention of rocket science, it should be noted that it was not be the first time such invitation was being extended to a Nigerian leader. Perhaps the most intriguing of the invitations was that of 1971, some 44-years ago to the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon by President Richard Nixon of United States. It is on record that Gowon who then was 37-years old spurned that invitation stating in his reply thus: “I am afraid I am still not free of my immediate preoccupations at home and in Africa”. He further cited his abiding interest in his Country and Africa, soliciting Nixon’s kind understanding. This can be said to have been the golden era of our nation. Just emerging from a civil war, patriotic sentiment was unbridled as our sense of nationhood bourgeoned. But all that is history today. The country is just there to be feasted upon by political maggots. 

That golden era brings into fanciful recollection the likes of Major-General Henry Adefope who was a minister of Foreign Affairs. A Glasgow University trained medical doctor; Adefope defended Nigeria with unwavering patriotic spirit, sagacity and astuteness. Such people saw Nigeria as their baby whom they needed to protect to the hilt. As a minister of External Affairs, Adefope left immutable records. Of course, the likes of Major-General Joe Garba built on that record what he described as economic diplomacy. That economic diplomacy then is similar to what PMB is embarking on today. But he must infuse in it tact to skillfully navigate the ship of State without compromising its integrity. 

Nigeria is going through trying times. For the unstable and visionless, desperate measures may easily be considered especially with a plethora of rent collectors who parade the corridors of power in the name of politicians and external influences which seek to turn other sovereign nations to vassal states. PMB must keep his head in the knowledge that this phase would pass away if sound an appropriate measures are engaged to shape particularly our economic policies. The answers to our woes lie within us. 

It is in our sincerity, our passion for genuine change and our commitment to rebuilding a new nation anchored on core values. If all these are brought into the matrix, this giant would rise again and defeat the doom prophesy of America which said that Nigeria would break up in 2015. We must fraternize with them in a way that would not give them the chance to supervise over their wishful conjecturing of the balkanization of our dear Nation.