What Tinubu, other African leaders can do about Trump’s second coming

As the global community rivets attention on how Mr Donald Trump embarks on his trumpeted agenda of the United States as the main focal point of his administration in his second coming into office as President of the United States, Mr Anthony Z. Sani, in this brief conversation with KUNLE ODEREMI, looks into Trump’s agenda, his antecedents, as well as the implications for other nationalities resident in the US.

THERE was so much global attention to the recent change of guard in the White House in Washington? What can you say about the apparent high expectations that preceded the inauguration?

I am not sure there were any high expectations by most of the free world leaders. This was because Trump was once in the White House and did not pretend to be leader of the free world. Hence, his America first and Make America Great Again were commonplace in his campaigns.

During his first term President Trump played the third world leadership style and inspired his supporters to frustrate the ratification of Biden victory by the Congress. He carried the third world toga beyond the fiduciary mark when he allowed his allies to challenge Biden’s victory in over 60 cases in the courts and lost. Despite losing the cases in the court, he did not accept the court’s judgment and has since continued to deny the sanctity of the country’s electoral system. Worst of all, the president has pardoned all the rioters. This is not democratic attitude.

Any high expectation has been on how the 47th president would try to reorder the world and how leaders of the free world will try to mitigate the effects.

Did President Trump disappoint you in his inauguration speech, why and how?

Many world leaders could not be disappointed precisely because the president has acted true to type. President Trump has insulated America from the rest of the world by decoupling America from world platforms such as the World Health Organisation, from NATO and from the Paris Agreement on climate change. He has also talked of raising tariffs on goods not manufactured in America. He even asked Canada to be a state in America in order to be exempted from such policies. And he does all these actions in blithe disregard for the existence of WTO and its roles in the management of tariff across the globe. Many of his executive orders have been expected because they were on the ballot and the world was considering how to mitigate their effects should he return to the White House..

What are the general implications of his wide-ranging declarations, especially for Nigerians resident in the United States and why?

The executive order which Nigerians might not like is the ban of citizens’ right by birth on children born to illegal immigrants and those whose parents are resident in America temporarily. Many Nigerians with temporary residence have children born in America and so are affected by the new policies.

To what extent did the US president go in carrying out most of his pre-election promises in his first coming to the White House? 

I have told you the President has lived true to type in his executive orders by deporting undocumented immigrants. He has banned citizenship of children whose parents are undocumented immigrants in America and whose parents are in America temporarily. Nigerians with such children would not be happy with the executive order on citizenship by birth. President Trump has insulated America from comity of nations by decoupling from global platforms such as WHO, NATO, Paris Agreement on climate change etc, in his bid to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. As a result, some of us are of the view that President Trump is more concerned with ‘America First’ than in providing leadership to the free world.

How do you think should Nigeria respond by way of proactive measures to some of the Trump plans that have direct implications for Nigerians resident in the US?         

The policies by President Trump do not affect Nigeria alone. As a result, there is nothing Nigeria can do alone besides joining those from other countries that are similarly affected by President Trump’s policies so they can negotiate from a position of strength and secure favourable terms.

I say so because America is a beacon of multiparty democracy where public opinions count. If Nigeria allies with other countries which are also affected, it may have traction for effect.

Has Nigeria ever shown sufficient political will when it comes to international relations, diplomacy and politics in the last three decades?

Nigeria has demonstrated political will in foreign relations in Africa which is the centre of Nigeria’s foreign policy. Recall the role Nigeria played in securing South Africa’s freedom from apartheid. Nigeria also played some roles in securing peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone. These are not mean feat.

The impact of any nation’s foreign policy has a direct bearing on socioeconomic and political situations at home. Has this ever been reflected in Nigeria over the years? 

Yes. A nation’s foreign policies should have some socioeconomic benefits. But the benefits may be intangible such as peaceful coexistence that emboldens active participation in economic activities. For example, peaceful coexistence in Africa and especially in West Africa can come with improvement in socioeconomic activities of Nigeria. Surely, lack of order, justice, liberty, peace and prosperity for all in other countries has direct effects which foreign policy seeks to address.

READ ALSO: How do you think Donald Trump’s presidency will impact Nigeria, Africa