By some twist of fate, Mr Barack Hussein Obama, the fi rst African-American President who at inception was abhorred for his skin colour in that exalted position, stunned bookmakers and many others alike further with his level-headedness, humility and good communication skills in policy formulation, with which he steered the ship of his administration ‘into the hearts’ of many Americans even as the ship berthed historically on 20th January, 2017. Obama, a shining example for the Democrats, offi cially handed over to the 45th President of the United States, Mr Donald J. Trump, a Republican with an emerging character who made many look aghast, recently with some of his unguarded verbal faux pas, laced in derogatory racial, religious, female gender intonations amongst others.
Th ese verbal ‘missiles’ coming from one would later occupy the offi ce of ‘President of the United States’, beat the imagination of not a few. Also, a never-to-be-forgotten statement of President Bush in the wake of the unforgettable 2001 September 11th attack describes the known character and qualities of a typical American president even when provoked.
While speaking to an audience at Washington’s National Cathedral he said: “Americans do not yet have the distance of history, but our responsibility to history is already clear; Th is nation is peaceful, but fi erce when stirred to anger.
Th is confl ict was begun on the timing and terms of others; it will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing.’’ Perhaps, it cannot be overemphasised that Obama’s eff ective tool of administration is his good communication skills. It is hoped that Trump will from his ‘high pedestal’ learn from this.
He should not play into the hands of his ardent critics who believe that he has more to learn politically even with his very impressive business exposures. It is also hoped that the sanctity of the offi ce of the American Presidency or its fi gurative appellation as the “Policeman of the world,” will not be sacrifi ced on the altar of such careless statements that will lower its prestige from such dizzying heights to ground zero. Every nonsense is indeed imbued with that unseen strand of real sense. What Trump has said, particularly on ‘illegal immigrants, should send a powerful message to those aff ected in all foreign lands.
It’s time for all African illegal immigrants to start thinking of coming to their homelands as Trump’s message is a signal that all illegal immigrants have now overstayed their welcome. As I wish Trump a successful tenure, an African proverb says: “He that picks a fi ght with the vulture, as well as the cock families, will contend alone the challenge of waking up early without any assistance.” Th en, Trump and his like will contend with all the odd jobs that Mexicans, Nigerians and Muslims have all ‘stolen’ and are still stealing till now.
After all, if we say a tree doesn’t make a forest, Trump says and rightly so, that a ghost is enough to make a ghost town! Timi Awoyemi, Ota, Ogun state
