Category: Law

A Lagos lawyer, Mr ‘Kunle Uthman, in this piece on United States (US) President Donald Trump’s description of Nigeria as a ‘shithole’, argues that Americans must find a way to moderate his ‘tantrums’.

In 2017,  the world witnessed in stupefaction, the flip side of the American version of democracy and the weaknesses inherent therein. The global community was dazed and has since then, been continually alarmed on a daily basis, by the reality that one single “world leader”, Donald Trump, could indeed, destabilise the universe.

It has since dawned on us all, that this  individual, Donald Trump, could negatively impact billions of people worldwide, irretrievably alter the equilibrium of the human race and the affairs of billions of people worldwide. This is even more scary since there is very little or nothing these billions can do to navigate their own destinies than to observe and watch helplessly, dumbfounded, astounded and confused, as a horror television reality show is being played out in real life.

The intention of the nation-states that founded the United Nations (UN) and the main purpose for establishing UN, as a successor organisation to the League of Nations, was to stabilise the world and forestall a situation where one single ruler or country could hold the entire world to ransom. It was anticipated to provide a platform for checks and balances against hegemony and totalitarianism, which is a feature of extreme dictatorship and tyrannical governments, and to prevent another world war.

The UN should be commended that, since its inception, it had indeed, had some success, until the emergence of Mr. Trump as the President of America, in contributing to the balance of power in the world, such that no single leader anywhere was able to easily hold the world to ransom. However, the emergence of Mr. Trump as the President of the U S , has shown that the checks and balances envisaged in the UN statutes are flawed, weak and unable to stop a leader, who has the military power and material resources and is bent on destabilising the balance of power in the Globe.

Therefore, it is of utmost urgency to reappraise that organisation, possibly remove the veto powers or rotate it periodically in order to ensure parity and equality of nation states. This would be in tandem with and respond to modern day realities of the emergence of “megalomaniac” leaders of world powers. Additionally, present day communication and technology realities like the “twitter” and the social media, could afford an individual opportunities to cause global outrage and possibly,  mayhem by merely “fiddling” with his telephone or his computer. This development could not and was not anticipated by the nation states that formed the UN.

The electoral pundits in the U S  and indeed, majority of the world were wrong when they felt and predicted that Mr. Trump, an American Billionaire estate developer and host of a popular tabloid reality show, had very little chance to defeat Hilary Clinton, the former Secretary of State to Barack Obama. At the height of the campaign, Mr. Obama himself and his wife, Mitchelle, campaigned vigorously for Hilary Clinton, whose record of service and knowledge of world affairs towered far above Donald Trump, who had no experience whatsoever in either political office or public service. Therefore, the entire world, and indeed, more especially, the Americans, were stunned and watched in trepidation and awe as Mr. Trump assumed office as the President of the US.

From his speech at the swearing-in ceremony, it was obvious that a non-conformist was elected and that he would chart his own path, rule America and impact on the world on his own terms, based on his whims and caprices. He, Trump, was determined to destroy the legacies of Obama, an African American of Kenyan descent, who was his predecessor in office, for whom, it was obvious, he had disdain and considered unfit and unsuitable to have ruled the US. He was further determined to engage and impact on the world on his own personal terms, without consideration of the consequences of his views, utterances and actions on world leaders, countries and peoples of other nations. For instance, according to Mr. Trump, climate change is a hoax and a ruse that deserves no attention and pulled his country out of the Paris Accord on Climate Change, thereby undermining concerted global efforts of almost a decade at tackling this urgent problem and existential threat to humanity.

Trump, by his utterances and behaviour, hates black people, (recently describing Africa and some other nations  as “Shit-Hole Nations”. He definitely has a disdain and palpable intolerance for black peoples everywhere and, at every opportunity, has ridiculed them despite the fact that the history of the Black Race is intertwined, enmeshed and interwoven with human civilisations everywhere. His views of African immigrants in America is negative and he considers it urgent to send majority of blacks in America back to their “native countries of origin” and obligatory to review their immigration status and to restrict entry of peoples from certain African and Arab countries into the US.

Mr. Trump also hates Muslims everywhere and the religion of Islam, and considers the religion of Islam atrocious. In his “warped” perception and ignorant view, most Muslims are potential terrorists and should be treated as such. He knows little or nothing about the contribution of Islamic civilisation to humanity and the modern day world, and has possibly never been to the United Arab Emirates, where a large number of Americans regularly travel for Christmas and summer holidays.

As a consequence of his innate hatred for Black peoples everywhere, especially Nigerians, he desires that the immigration status of the innumerable Nigerians resident in America should be reviewed, because, according to his own twisted assessment and irrational conclusion, the principal reason for these settlement of Nigerians in the US is our unwillingness to return to our “huts” back home, having experienced first-hand the American civilisation. This statement affords us an insight into the mind set and the worldview of Mr. Trump, his “illiteracy” and lack of knowledge or effort to seek knowledge about Nigeria and Africa or, indeed, the rest of the developing world.

It is obvious and crystal-clear that this American President has little or no knowledge of geography, ignorant about Africa and its civilisation, unaware of the rapid social, intellectual prowess and enterprising capacity of Nigerians and Nigeria itself as a nation state and its impact on world affairs and development. It is an indisputable fact and indeed, an easily verifiable truism that Nigerian cities and towns, which he, Mr. Trump, gleefully refers to as “huts” in truth and reality are adorned with beautiful landscapes and structures that are far better than what they have in some cities in “Trump-land America”.

But he, Trump, doesn’t care what impact his irresponsible, reckless, false and uncouth commentaries have on other civilisations, especially Africans, who have impacted positively on all aspects of human affairs, especially American civilisation through several decades of painstaking hard-work. He is unaware that the human race as a species originated from the continent of Africa. He forgot that in truth and reality America itself is a land of settlers and immigrants from different civilisations, or that its industry was built on the backs of black Africans.

Furthermore, in Mr. Trump’s effort and determination to sow discord, cause commotion and confusion in the Arab (and Islamic) world and exacerbate further conflict and tension among the Israelis and Palestinians, and between Muslims and Christian religious communities, he announced his recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and instructed that the American Embassy in Israel be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The entire world was stunned and appalled by this reckless declaration as it became apparent that the American President has the inordinate desire and capacity to cause confusion and havoc. The spontaneous reaction to his action resulted in wanton destruction of properties and loss of numerous human lives in that region and several other cities. It also exposed the shortcomings of the UN and the gross misuse of the Veto Power. As it were, the organisation can best be described as toothless bulldog.

Additionally, the neglect, failure and or refusal of both Houses of Congress in the US to check and condemn this unilateral decision of the American President has shown the whole world the intrinsic weaknesses of the America’s celebrated democracy and its democratic institutions. The decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was rightly and unequivocally condemned by most nations and its resultant effect has been carnage, loss of human lives in the Middle East and in several parts of the world, as a result of mass protests and global agitation. Still, the entire world has watched with consternation, apprehension and fear, being unable to stop the emergence of the American version of “Stalin” and the impending “holocaust”.His actions portend grave danger and possibility of a Third World War of nuclear weapons that may lead to the extermination of the vast majority of the human race.

The “twitter Trump” doesn’t seem to care, because any media house or institution that is critical of his actions,words and unorthodox form of governance is labelled “fake news”. Never in the history of America or world politics has an American President been lampooned, berated and castigated as Mr. Trump. The major news networks and indeed, the social media are confounded and confused by his style of carefree and insensitive leadership. The twitter handle is his medium of communication, avoiding journalists and media houses who may be critical of his mode of government or who challenge his excesses. Thus, it is impracticable to directly question Mr. Trump’s lies and offensiveness, because he has direct access to majority of civilised people globally by simply fiddling with his telephone.

Mr. Trump’s admiration of and fraternisation with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President is indeed an affront to American sovereignty and its assumed leadership position in world politics. Putin’s verified and confirmed intermeddling in the election that produced Mr. Trump as the President of America and all the damning allegations and accusations associated with that exercise and related to this matter has indeed, undermined the integrity of the American electoral process as porous and susceptible to manipulation, both internally and from abroad.

To expose Mr. Trump as a leader incompetent to confront and deal decisively with face-to-face challenges, Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader has shown the entire world what havoc he is capable of causing the human race, by not only displaying his nuclear arsenal, but showcasing and testing his nuclear weapons and capabilities. The entire world was stunned and dazed by this visible show of threat and North Korea’s apparent capacity to land it’s missiles on American soil and inflict maximum destruction. No one has been able to stop Mr. Jong-un or deter North Korea’s nuclear programme, not even Mr. Trump, who has, so far, only resorted to the exchanging childish insults and asinine boasts about the size of his own nuclear button.

Mr Trump has become a global laughing stock, though a dangerous one, regularly jeered at and lampooned by the North Korean leadership and its people. The global audience is both bemused and appalled, in equal measure, by these two “comic entertainers”, despite the ominous and damning consequences of their actions, if it goes awry, on the human race. However, having so far matched Mr. Trump’s excesses and brash utterances and actions, it appears that here lies, albeit cynically, the balance of power in the globe.

Unfortunately, the “Siddon look” posture of the Americans and indeed, the entire world in continuing to tolerate Mr. Trump’s divisive and dangerous attitude and to condone his insults and irresponsible behaviour makes all culpable, as this could, conceivably, result in another World War and the retrogression of the human race and its civilisation.

It is a fact that no other world leader today, in the recent past and since the formation of the UN or since Adolf Hitler, has impacted more negatively on world politics, and jeopardised the global equilibrium as has Mr. Trump. Within one year in the Oval Office, he has shown disrespect for human civilisation by his behaviour and utterances among world leaders, and indeed, the entire world and succeeded in putting the entire world on the brink of catastrophe, both immediate and long-term. Truly, he has continued to diminish the status of his country in global matters and it is apparent that his people are unable to stop him. Consequently, DONALD TRUMP IS “THE GLOBAL VILLAIN OF 2017”.

It is crystal clear that the American President has continued to diminish the status of the American Presidency, domestically and in world affairs. The high office, which he now occupies is not estate Construction Company or a Reality Show, but the seat of immense power, where caution, care, reason, compromises, rational behaviour is paramount and constitute the parameters to assess good leadership. Similarly, now, during and after Mr. Trump’s tenure as President of the US, the “American Myth” would be no more and they, the Americans, would be accorded the same ignominious courtesies, behaviour and treatment that is becoming the hallmark of their identity since their democratic choice of Mr. Trump as President.

It is the expectation of most people worldwide that the Americans would find a way of either moderating Trump’s tantrums, fool-hardiness and abrasive behaviour, and ensure that he (Trump) acts and behaves in accordance with the gravity of highest office which he occupies. An alternative, would be to remove him from office, through the democratic process as stipulated in the Constitution of the US. A stitch in time saves nine.