The Vice Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Chibuzo Nnate Nwoke, has expressed fears over the fate of the world with Donald Trump as President of the United States. Against the background of Trump’s order, which prevented immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somali, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days, and resettlement of refuges for 120 days, Nwoke, noted that Trump was uninformed in arriving at the policy, which he described, as reckless.
With his abrasive posturing, the OUI VC remarked that world peace may be more in danger.
He is of the view that Trump was probably driven by nationalism and patriotism, but noted that the action was equally a wake up call on African countries and others perceived to be disadvantaged in the global scheme to respond with similar measure to send the message that no one is an island.
He spoke with VINCENT KALU.
What does the immigration order of the US President, Donald Trump, portend for the global community?
The first thing is the blunder or mistake that Americans made in electing Donald Trump, as the president of the most powerful nation on earth. Certainly, it is going to have a very big, negative impact, on the world. Precisely, you will appreciate that liberal democracy is founded on stability. So, this is going to blow up that foundation of stability, and that is why all the western world leaders are threatened, because the reckless and uninformed policies of Trump are going to shake that stability upon which the whole system is built. There is no doubt about that.
However, I want to appreciate him for one thing, which is the good side of this issue from the standpoint of Africa and Third World countries. There is a good side to it- the whole issue about globalization, which the liberal person has been preaching to us about as the way to go – opening up of your borders, world without borders, liberalization etc. Like some of us in the academic community have said, this is a very one-sided and double standard thing. It has been exposed now.
Globalization should also imply for instance, when you ask people to open up their borders, you also allow people to move and then cross borders to other countries. In Africa and Third World countries, we don’t have finished goods, we don’t have manufactured goods, we don’t have equipment etc. They won’t allow us to do that, it is just raw materials that we export, but the thing which we have in large quantity is human beings, then why don’t you allow these able bodied people to go over legitimately to your territory and make a living if you are indeed for globalization; if you are indeed for a better world for everybody. It has just helped to expose the hypocrisy about globalization.
I also appreciate the nationalism behind his policies, and this is a wake up call for Africa. Let us be aware of the consciousness of our nationalism and patriotism.
Definitely, the world is not going to be the same again, unless they look for ways to correct this brutal force that is raging from the United States of America. They are guilty of their own so-called civilization, their so-called liberalism, and their so-called democracy. These are all what made this to happen.
This man simply keyed in to the uninformed blue-collar American workers, the racist Americans, and the racism that was just a reaction to the Barack Obama regime. Racist Americans were never happy that a blackman was in the White House, but because of their constitution they allowed that, but a lot of racist Americans were not happy. The racism that is playing out in America today is a reaction to that.
That is part of his campaign promises, but, he’s so hasty in the manner he is carrying it out, barely few days in office I like that. You better exposed early everything that is in you, so that your people can begin to take caution. Take for an example, the Mexico wall he said he would build, look at the way it is happening.
The Trump government is going to be built on lack of knowledge. How can you be relating with Mexico, your neigbhour like that, regardless of its being a poor country? It doesn’t even make strategic sense to say you were going to build a wall and these people should be responsible for building it, even if it were your plantation? This is the most uninformed government America has had in a long time.
Talking about globalization, liberalization and world without borders, some of these Islamic nations don’t allow citizens of some countries, especially Israel to come into their countries. Even Saudi Arabia doesn’t allow these refugees from other Islamic nations into its territory. What have you to say to that?
Let me say something, which I should have said in the preamble. I do not quarrel with Trump’s policies. It is the sovereign right of the American people to make whatever policy they like if they are anxious, but it is for other countries to take note of that and behave the same. I’m referring in particular to those of us in this part of the world, Africa – where nationalism, patriotism are at levels we cannot claim to compare with theirs.
If the likes of Saudi Arabia and others have been doing it, it is in very smaller measure and not the same to with what we are having now.
What the issue now is, is that people with Green Card; people with legitimate American residency permit from certain countries are denied entering America. This morning, I watched the CNN, somebody from one of the Islamic nations who has been working in America for 25 years, as a businessman, just travelled and was not able to go back to America. This is uninformed. Even though they are trying to argue that it is not about religion, we all know better.
If a president comes with a policy to protect his people from terrorism, shouldn’t it be supported?
That is what I’m saying. It should be across board, let other countries learn that. Let us stop deceiving ourselves, don’t’ lie to me about something called globalisation. Let us go back to nationalism, economic nationalism, I wrote about it. I spoke about it. Let us stop deceiving ourselves, there is nothing like globalisation.
It is a ploy, and it’s being employed to exploit parts of the world and allow the free flow of international capital to all the nooks and crannies of the world.
Will this policy not expose Americans to terror attacks outside America?
It will. September 11 attack, to a large extent has to do with American imperialism. Many people from the Third world countries are not happy about it, especially people from the Arab nations.
Then George Bush went and compounded it, using weapons of mass destruction against Sadam Hussein in Iraq. The so-called terrorism has proliferated based on that. The ISIS and others are the reactions to American imperialism. This is what the Trump government has not taken into consideration. These people cannot just absorb and take it without responding. They are looking for that, and I’m sure it is going to come.
When it comes, will it be everywhere?
Yes, the whole world suffers it. When you put a reckless person in government, there is problem for the world. While they were campaigning, Hillary Clinton kept saying that you cannot entrust this kind of person with the nuclear code. The world is more in danger now with Trump as the leader of America.
Globally, there are terror attacks and they are linked to various Islamic groups. The last one in Germany was traced to refugees. Why?
Like I said, it is a reaction to American imperialism. It is guerrilla warfare, so they can use any method to retaliate. Look at what is happening with Boko Haram, you dislodged them from Sambisa forest, are they no more operating? And don’t they look more threatening than when they were in Sambisa?
If we are a thinking country, what should be Nigeria’s response to these Trump policies?
We are not a thinking government, that is the sad part of it. If we are, we would have taken precaution and learnt from it. Unfortunately, we have in place leaderships that are suited to the lives of America and the entire Western world. All our leaders have been tied to the apron strings of the leadership of America and the western world, that is the sad part of it. When I’m speaking about nationalism, I’m just talking from that perspective. This is the time to think about our people, brace up and then do your own thing. This is an inherent lesson for all the Third World nations.