President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Donald Trump of the United States of America are on the wrong side of history, leading their respective countries into chaos and anarchy.
Buhari heads the most populous black nation in the world, the African giant crippled by successive visionless looting leaders. Trump is the leader of the world’s largest economy and custodian of a rich political heritage bequeathed by a long line of patriotic purposeful leaders who crafted, birthed and nurtured the American dream, creed, ideals and values. They were far from perfect, but they loved America and Americans, and their vision birthed the United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the US exported human rights to the far corners of the globe.
Benjamin Franklin, a polymath and one of the founding fathers of America said:” God grant that not only the love of liberty but a thorough knowledge of the rights of man may pervade all the nations of the earth, so that a philosopher may set his foot anywhere on its surface and say: ‘This is my country ‘.”
Today, hundreds of years after, America has gone from such refined unifier leading a diverse but united people to a coarse, irascible and divisive occupant of the White House.
Bernie Sanders in April voiced his support for Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden and called on Americans to, “come together to defeat the most dangerous president in modern history”. So what makes Trump such a “dangerous president”?
Trump Mirrors African Rulers
According to Jeffrey Sachs, professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbus University, Trump’s government “has been completely incompetent” in its handling of the corona virus.
America has recorded more deaths from COVID-19 than any other country.
Sachs said Trump’s government “is filled with corrupt business people, who are in the government not because of their talent or their experience or their expertise, but because they want to make money from the government “.
Nigerians can relate with this damning description of the of decision makers in Trump’s administration. It is a fitting description of Buhari’s ministers, heads of government agencies and service chiefs. Nigerians have been inundated by series of mind boggling corruption scandals within the Buhari government and party, the Alliance Progressive Congress.
Nigeria and the Misfortune of Patriotic Leaders
Unlike Trump, Buhari did not have the good fortune of worthy past presidents to look up to. A regular trademark of Nigerian politics and leadership is wanton schizophrenic looting. In 2015, Buhari pledged to end corruption, many believed him, his austere frank disposition was reason for optimism. Five years after, corruption is threatening to end Nigeria under Buhari.
US under Trump Similar to Nigeria
In the fight to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria went from COVIK1.9 (as our president called the pandemic), to distributing N20,000 to two million ghost households. Buhari’s minister for Humanitarian Affairs does not have details or data of the recipients who received the “cash gifts”.
Like Trump’s USA, Nigeria under Buhari does not have a national policy on containment of COVID-19. Like the US where governors like Andrew Cuomo have been more assertive, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Nyesom Wike of Rivers State have done more to contain the spread than the president.
Sachs said: “Trump is especially dangerous, because he incites bad behavior. He tells people “go out, don’t listen to the warnings of the experts! It’s incredible irresponsibility by a national leader. In my experience, he’s the worst president in our history, certainly in my lifetime.”
For many Nigerians, Buhari is the worst president in Nigerian history and certainly the most dangerous. In February 2015, in Chatham House, Buhari was asked if he would consider granting amnesty to Boko Haram elements, his reply was: “I will not go to office with that promise. As for me, to say I will give amnesty (to Boko Haram); I think I am going to be unfair to the system.”
Indeed, Buhari has been most unfair to Nigerians. Buhari’s government has “graduated” thousands of “repentant” Boko Haram elements in colorful ceremonies at a time when our universities are under lock because of protracted government – Academic Staff Union of Universities face-off.
Nigeria bleeds from this depressing exchange. There’s no meaningful intelligence gained from these “de-radicalized” elements else Leah Sharibu would have been rescued, Abubakar Shekau, the elusive Boko Haram leader would have been captured and the insurgency ended. After all, Buhari swore by his name before international audience to “lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.”
Senator Ali Ndume representing Bornu South, faulted the amnesty program. He cited the case of Boko Haram element who killed his own father, stole his wealth and disappeared after reintegration. Speaking in a British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa programme, the lawmaker said: “They are like Kharajites. They will never repent. The government should know what to do about them, but not reintroducing someone to you, who has killed your parents or relations.”
But this was not how Buhari promised to prosecute the war on terrorism. In 2015, while castigating the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Buhari said “we will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester”.
Regarding terrorism, Buhari again assured the international community that: “if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it had to recently”. Today under Buhari, Nigeria ranks third on the world terrorism index, behind Iraq and Afghanistan.
The slide into anarchy has not been for lack of money, rather it’s a lack of political will, high level corruption and double-handedness. Billions of dollars have been spent combating insurgency.
In April 2019, Nigeria’s army chief, Tukur Buratai called for the cap on military spending to be removed to face up to the country’s security crisis. He said this while defending the army’s budget proposal in parliament. “The National Assembly should prevail on the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to exempt the Nigerian Army from the existing budget ceiling or the envelope allocation system in view of the ongoing structural changes, volatile security environment and massive engagement of troops in the 36 states.”
Buratai has been granted his wish. His problem is not lack of money but how to spend it. So what do Nigerians get from him? “Insurgency will end when Nigerians desire”, he said. Nigerians desire that Buratai and the other non-performing service chiefs be sacked but it appears Buhari does not have the balls to do that. So we hear from Bashir Ahmed, a presidential aid that” the president is angry with the service chiefs” over the depreciating security situation.
Babagana Zulum, governor of Gombe State’s convoy was attacked recently. Addressing news persons, the governor said: “It is a complete sabotage. The issue is not about the president. The soldiers and equipment are on ground. We have a total number of about 1,181 soldiers in Baga. I think the problem is in the command structure which has to be looked into.”
Zulum is being economical with the truth. The buck stops at the president’s desk as the commander-in-chief, so it is about the president.
Also, there has been complaints from many quarters about poor equipment. Olusegun Adeniyi, a major-general and commander of operation Lafiya dole, Nigeria’s counter-terrorism headquarters in Maiduguri appeared in a video that went viral complaining about poor equipping of troops after an attack by Boko Haram left dozens of soldiers dead. Adeniyi was relieved of his position soon after.
Fisayo Soyombo, an investigative journalist in a tweet said: “I know soldiers technically handed over their lives to the @HQNigerianArmy the day they joined the Force but no soldier deserves to die from a PREVENTABLE cause. @MBuhari needs to urgently address the perennial equipment challenge in the Army.”
Continuing the tweet thread he said: “Military sources tell me at least 80% of soldiers do not have access to helmet and frag jacket.”
Buhari’s response to the sinking state-ship under his command is to say: Nigerians know we have done our best.” Nigerians are saying with their feet that Buhari’s best has been abysmal and suffocating.
Superlatives appear to be favored by both Buhari and Trump. Three journalists from The New York Times reviewed more than 260,000 words spoken by Trump during the pandemic. Trump works harder than anyone, his administration has done more to fix a broken country than any previous government.
Self-regard, credit-taking, audacious re-writing of recent history to cast himself as the hero of the pandemic are some of the discoveries. Kudos for Trump and knocks for others.
Divide and Rule
Buhari and Trump share a knack for dividing their respective countries along ethnic and racial lines. In the wake of country-wide protests following the gruesome murder of George Floyd, while national leaders called for healing, Trump called for killing, threatening to deploy the military on unarmed protesters.
Add the un-fathomable un-presidential comment about 75-year-old Martin Gugino who was brain damaged after a shove by Buffalo Police. Trump put forward a bizarre conspiracy theory that the man was “ANTIFA provocateur” who exaggerated his fall.
In Nigeria, Buhari has implemented his infamous 95% to 5% sharing formula of national appointments and infrastructure with aplomb. Save for the years of civil war, Nigeria and Nigerians have never been this divided along ethnic and religious lines.
In a couple of months Americans will have the opportunity to unite and put an end to Trump’s rule and Trumpian language in the White House. Trump will attempt to postpone the election, he will discredit the process and possibly refuse to accept the will of the American people.
American Military Protects the Constitution not the President
All these have been envisaged by a wary electorate and opponent led by the Democratic Party presidential candidate, Joe Biden who said Trump will try to “steal the election”. Biden said he is convinced the top military figures will intervene if Trump refuses to relinquish power, “I am absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch.”
Nigerians do not have such luxury. They will likely endure nearly three more harrowing years of banditry, fiscal and inter party indiscipline, kidnapping, insurgency, ethnic cleansing, borrowing and looting. It’s a long painful march to the gallows as CHANGE turned CHASMS.
This article was written by Soni Gold in July 2020.
