Obama’s cold shoulders

When this second journey was being planned in May, it was expected that having overlooked Nigeria, arguably a leading African country, and Kenya, his father’s homeland in 2008, in his first trip, this time around these countries would be included in his itinerary.  But it was not to be, the official explanation, offered by Ben Rhodes, the U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser, being that Nigeria had security challenges. Other reasons include corruption in high places among Nigerian officials, a longstanding problem that the U.S. believes the government has shown no genuine inclination to combat seriously, as well as alleged human rights abuses in the manner security agencies have been combating the Boko Haram insurgency.

 Whatever the case may be, the fact is that the U.S. cannot hold itself up as a model in these matters, given the history and personalities in the collapse of Enron and other big companies and banks and lending institutions; its atrocious human rights record at Guantanamo Bay, as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the emerging details of the civilian tolls in its controversial deployment of unarmed drones to combat duty around the world, particularly since Obama took office.

Despite these issues however, Nigeria is a strong trading partner of the U.S. Based mainly on petrochemicals, such partnership has grown in recent years to include defence and security, among many other issues. Hundreds of Nigerians go to the U.S. to study, either by themselves or through programmes funded by various U.S. agencies.

 Moreover, Nigeria is a democracy with periodic elections, which admittedly can sometimes be chaotic and untidy, but nonetheless an evolving one, complete with virtually untrammelled freedom. All this has given rise to a perception that Obama not visiting Nigeria amounted to a diplomatic slight not expected of friendly countries.

T hat should not necessarily be the proper reaction to Obama’s apparently churlish behaviour. Nigeria has been a self governing nation now for over 50 years, and the people have no need of another country’s leaders to confer legitimacy on their aspirations as a nation. Nigeria’s status in Africa and a responsible one among comity of nations has been earned over many years, and therefore does not need any validation from any person or country about itself and its position in Africa and beyond.

President Obama of course has the prerogative to choose what countries he wishes to visit in his limited time in office as President of the United States.

The fact that for the second time he has not visited Kenya too should be instructive. The country has just emerged from an election which American officials have berated; President Uhuru Kenyatta is battling to avoid being arraigned before the international court at The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity arising from crises that followed a previous election in Kenya .

As for Nigeria, the appropriate lesson to draw from the seeming cold shoulders from Obama should be for its leaders to recognise that appearances, as action, do matter in global interaction. Corruption that has become more or less a byword should be fought not by empty platitudes but by meting exemplary sanctions on those caught. Many African countries have imbibed best practices in electoral contests; Nigeria should follow suit. These and more are necessary, not because Nigeria craves justification from anyone, but because these constitute the proper thing to do.