There are, however, the belief in some quarters that the visit will go the way of those performed by the president’s predecessors. This arises from the conviction that the US governments only work to serve the interests of its own citizens in all of its global relationships.
It has been the tradition of every Nigerian democratically elected president to go to US and hobnob with its president with the aim of putting their administration in the good books of the world super-power.
Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan sustained this tradition, but it is believed that after romancing with President
Barack Obama, Jonathan’s objections to the whims of the US and its western allies set the powerful nations against him and his government. The US kept making promises to Jonathan’s government and hardly fulfilled any. After Obama’s government had pledged to support Nigeria in containing the Boko Haram scourge, it later left the country in the lurch for reasons that its government under Jonathan was corrupt, incompetent and lacking in capacity to fight the terror group. The US and other western countries equally alleged that the Nigerian military was guilty of vague and unsubstantiated claims of human rights abuses.
Pundits went to the extent of claiming that they saw the hand of these world powers in Buhari’s historic victory in the 2015 presidential poll, in which an opposition candidate beat an incumbent.
As a result, they turned down Nigeria’s request to buy military hardware to boost the war against the insurgents. Miffed by what he considered betrayal, Jonathan disbanded the military training programme the US had designed for Nigerian soldiers. Left with no choice, Jonathan turned to Russia and some countries in Eastern Europe for the purchase of arms to engage the insurgents.
The treatment given to Jonathan is one major reason why some Nigerians consider Buhari’s visit to US as another futile voyage.
It is more so when it is believed that the cosy reception Buhari was treated to while in that country was a bait to lure him into letting up on same sex relationships.
If these observers can be trusted with accurate prediction, then the current administration may be in for its own shock from the U.S.
Buhari told US officials straight out that Nigeria, no matter whom its leader is, will never tolerate same sex relationships. Although the U.S may admire Buhari’s frank talk, there are fears that that country would exact its pound of flesh when the time comes for it to fulfill its pledges to the Buhari government.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has outrightly rubbished Buhari’s US trip maintains the visit was needless and fruitless. The party’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh in a press conference said, “Now that the visit has come and gone, our fear is that nothing whatsoever has been learnt or gained.
“What we continue to receive as a nation have been embarrassing disagreements, accusations and counter-accusations, blames and denials on very important issues due to lack of tact and skill in the management of state matters by the APC-led administration.”
But Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State urged Nigerians not to take the PDP seriously on this matter. He told journalists in Aso Rock that the president returned home from that trip a fulfilled person. “He (Buhari) is one that can tell the US Senate that ‘look, Nigeria is governed by rule of law. We are not going to do any of those things that is offensive to the culture and tradition of our people’.
“We have moved away from a president that doesn’t seem to know his powers to one that understands that he is a president of the biggest country in the continent. So, what do you expect PDP to say? I always say that the day you see armed robbers clapping, you know that things are going wrong. When you see them frowning, you know that the security agencies are doing their best, Oshiomhole said.”
One observable fact is that US officials have a good measure of respect for President Buhari and his image and reputation of being averse to corruption, and this may be all that is needed for the US government to back its promises to Buhari government with action.
Talking on the possibilities of positive sides of the Buhari visit, Oshiomole said, “Nigerian Presidents have visited US before, but I think what is different is the level of engagement and the general attitude and disposition of the US government. It is not everyday that you hear from a US President right in the Oval Office saying to Nigerian president ‘you are a man of integrity.’”
The president’s US visit turned out to not only have seemed to patch up the cracks in the Nigerian-US relationship, recorded under the immediate administration, but indeed, established that Buhari is well admired and respected in the global community.
It started becoming obvious when President Barack Obama called Buhari from the White House on phone to congratulate him soon after he was declared winner of the 2015 presidential poll.
Buhari’s US trip, and the warm reception, given to by US officials, no doubt have further elevated his political image. Receiving him to the country on his four day official visit, Obama expressed confidence on Buhari’s ability to tackle the multiple challenges facing Nigeria. He said the new Nigerian president was the leader the country needed at this time.
Obama stated categorically that Buhari had come with a clear-cut agenda to tackle the problems of corruption, terrorism, and other violent criminal activities. He asserted that Buhari’s ability to overcome these challenges was not in doubt. It was instructive for Nigerians when Obama described the country as one of the most important countries in not just Africa, but the entire world.
The US President added that President Buhari’s leadership style so far was satisfactory. According to him, this is why the US would continue to assist and help Nigeria in overcoming its challenges.
“Recently we saw an election in which a peaceful transition to a new government took place. Nevertheless, the people of Nigeria understand that only through a peaceful political process that can change take place. President Buhari came into office with reputation for integrity and a very clear agenda, that is to make sure that he has been bringing safely security and peace to his country,” he said.
These observations are weighty, given the fact that it was same Obama whom is alleged to have once claimed he was indisposed and could not meet with former President Jonathan, who was on a visit to his country. The negative perception of the immediate past Nigerian governmrnt by US officials may also have underlied the refusal of President Obama to step into Nigerian soil, despite his repeated visits to African countries.
The Leahy Law that prohibits the United States from providing military assistance to foreign entities and countries that violate human rights was also employed by the Obama government to punish Nigeria under Jonathan. The law was invoked in the US to stop the country from approving the sale of attack helicopters to the Nigerian military. Despite complaints from the Jonathan government, US authorities did not shift ground on their no arms sale to the Jonathan government.
This was one of the issues Buhari was vehemently against in his discussions with US authorities while in that country. He insisted that this law should now stop being applied to Nigeria. And since Obama believes that with the support of his government, Buhari, can restore Nigeria on the path of greatness, there is a possibility that US could exempt Nigeria from countries deemed guilty under the law.
Apart from extolling his virtues, Obama ensured that Buhari was given a special and respectable reception. The Blair House which is the official guest house of the US president was the official residence of Buhari during his official visit to that country. Before now, only Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first prime minister has been hosted by any US president in Blair House.
Buhari may not have been aware that his political rating as Nigeria’s new leader is quite high in the global arena. Coming out of an election campaign in which his image was severely battered, he may have nursed some misgivings about his acceptance in the international scene, but his US trip has changed all of that.
What does Obama’s frank acknowledgement of Buhari’s leadership ability and credibility signify for Nigeria- a country considered as very corrupt- due to the leadership style of its former leaders? Coming from a globally respected US president, the message of endorsements for Buhari’s leadership ability and credibility and that of Nigeria’s pride of place in the world community could mean a stamp of approval for foreign investors to consider investing in the country.
The endorsement could translate to a call on investors to now feel safe to invest in Nigeria because there comes a new leader, who has the wherewithal to fix the corrupt and weak Nigerian system.
On the average, political observers believe that the president returned from the US with respect, trust and global acceptability.
“America has done its check and we are convinced that this President is the one that Nigeria needs at this time to regain its leadership of the African continent.
“America now has a partner worthy of relations, because they believe that every dollar that America provides to support Nigeria, whether in the area of security, in the area of education, or encouraging American investors to invest in Nigeria, there is an enabling environment because what had been destroying the country is corruption,” Oshiomole submitted after the trip.
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