By EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO
He has already gone ahead to nominate Dr. Benjamin Carson, the renowned Professor of Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Oncology and Pediatrics, as his Secretary for Urban Housing with emphasis on delivering better shelters for black Americans and other low-income earning Americans and to reduce urban violent crime.
Dr. Ben Carson may be a renowned neurosurgeon and humanitarian now, but growing up he never had it easy. “Abandonment by his father, the turbulence of life in inner cities of Detroit, being called stupid at school and a violent temper, in every respect, Ben’s tough circumstances seemed only to point to a harsher future and a bad end. But that’s not what happened.
So as he has made a good choice of his ex-presidential primary rival, Dr. Ben Carson, to tackle the essential poverty that afflicts African- American society, it is yet to be known what particular humanitarian focus his government would give to the typical Africa’s problems of perennial poverty, political corruption and instability, radical Islamic terrorism and growing rate of irregular migrations by Africans caused by the collapsed economies in Africa and growing warfare.
Although Nigerians form a significant portion of the Black American communities which implies that policies churned out by President Trump that positively impacts their lives, it follows, therefore, that Nigeria will benefit indirectly.
Nigeria receives huge funds coming from the vibrant Nigerian- American community annually but on the aggregate, it is unknown what particular policy focus towards Africa does Trump possess that could improve Africa and Nigeria.
What would be the area of strategic engagement for the Donald Trump’s administration as it relates to Africa?
Africa is resource rich, no doubt, but the existential problems weighing down the African continent such as poverty, corruption, capital flights, and political instability must be tackled and confronted with greater effort so as to reduce the growing appetite by Africans to migrate to the western world to search for greener pastures.
The Donald Trump’s presidency must look at ways and means of compelling African nations to inculcate the culture of genuine Constitutional democracy and the advancement and consolidation of institutions that would guarantee fairness, equality, equity, transparency and accountability in Africa.
President Trump should be encouraged to maintain economic policies that would boost trades between our continent, our country Nigeria and the United States of America.
Nigeria has a devastating affliction of Islamic terrorism in the North-East of Nigeria and the rampaging Fulani terrorists invading different Southern communities and so President Trump should help the millions of Nigerians in the line of fire of these centripetal and centrifugal forces tearing apart Nigeria not to carry through their mass slaughter agenda of conquer and occupy.
Nigeria is a divided country where certain component parts are treated with the short end of the stick. For instance, the Igbo being a significant portion of Nigeria has being treated unfairly by President Muhammadu Buhari.
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Army and police to crush civilian protesters in the Igbo speaking Southeast of Nigeria who were canvassing self-determination.
Since one year now, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who founded the Indigenous People of Biafra, has remained incarcerated and his constitutional and legal rights denied him.
Over 200 civilian protesters were killed by soldiers in the South-East of Nigeria which was even reported by Amnesty International in it’s current World human rights reports.
In the North, the Christian tribes of Southern Kaduna have been attacked and killed in their hundreds by armed Fulani terrorists but President Muhammadu Buhari has done nothing and critics say he is unwilling to stop the attacks because his kinsmen are involved.
In the North even Moslems of Shiites Islamic Movement have reportedly suffered extralegal killings by armed forces. Over 26,000 Nigerians have died from attacks by Islamic terror group of Boko Haram.
Looking at all of these violent trajectories, it is therefore frightening to know that President Trump hasn’t yet figured out how to be of positive influence in the troubled black continent and the ever troubled and unstable Nigerian society.
We won’t give up hope but will keep speaking out so that the US administration can package and deliver significant development projects and programmes that could benefit Nigeria cum Africa.
Concluded
Onwubiko is the national coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria.