The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Trump presidency

  • Trump presidency so far

    Since January 2017 when Donald John Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States of America, the world, for better or for worse, has not been the same. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality with his net worth being US$3.1 billion. If America were an ordinary country, the world would not be concerned about who wins an election there to become president. America’s exceptionalism is captured by its president being regarded as the “leader of the free world”.  This was why it used to be said when one sneezes in Washington, the world catches cold! This was perhaps more appropriate when the world was polarized into the communist and the capitalist free enterprise world. Even then we in Africa were more or less dragooned into the so-called “free world”. Even when we were not free and we were under European colonialism, we were still made to look to the USA as our political Jerusalem. Until the 1960s, most of Africa were colonies of Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. Even when Great Britain, Belgium and France withdrew politically from Africa, they still maintained a stranglehold on the economy of the continent. Spain and Portugal, the latter in particular, had to be forcefully expelled by force from the continent.

    The southern part of the continent remained until the end of the 20th century under white settler racist regimes. Majoritarian democracy was still alien to Southern Africa until the wind of change mentioned by the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan reached the southern part of the African continent.

    As soon as Africa exited from white colonial domination, we joined the non-aligned nations and remained by and large positively neutral from big power competition and diplomatic entanglement. In a normal situation, we should not worry about what happens anywhere else but in Africa. But in a world of nuclear weapons where anywhere can be destroyed by pressing the nuclear button in Washington, Moscow or Beijing, Africa cannot remain isolated or insulated from happenings in other parts of the world. A world of polluted oceans washing the coasts of the world and a world of global warming occasioning climate change affecting the whole world, it is no longer arguable that the world is a global village.

    This is the world that the most powerful country and biggest economy is being led by President Donald Trump.

    As soon as he was sworn in, he must have sworn that he would undo all the landmark achievements of President Barack Hussein Obama whom he hated for many reasons first of which was being black and for dismissing him as an unserious and unelectable candidate. He targeted withdrawing from the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) which was a proposed trade agreement among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States signed on February 4, 2016. The NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), a free trade agreement among the USA, Canada and Mexico which was President Bill Clinton’s trade  agreement came under Trump’s attack and dismantling and renegotiating of which is going on. The Iran nuclear agreement among the P5+ 1 (the five permanent members of the UNSC plus Germany) was unilaterally undermined when Trump withdrew the USA from it even though Russia, Great Britain, France, China, and Germany have decided to carry on with the agreement. Trump is determined to make it difficult for European companies doing business in the USA to continue to do business in Iran. This agreement with Iran was designed to prevent the country from producing and storing nuclear grade refined uranium to produce nuclear weapons. Under pressure from Israel and the Israeli lobby, Trump walked away from a deal that at least for some time to come, made the Middle East free from nuclear confrontation particularly between Israel and Iran. Trump also undermined the so-called Obamacare, a health insurance scheme designed to insure millions of poor Americans who were previously uninsured. He dismantled the clean act regime to prevent polluting American environment through carbon emission from coal-burning power plants and automobile emission. He also withdrew from the Paris climate protocol globally entered into to save the global environment from continued degradation and abuse. Trump’s rather than stellar performance in the recent G-7 annual meeting of the most powerful economic powers in Canada during which he insulted his host, Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister and colleagues almost made the USA a laughing stock in the international community. He even went to the ridiculous extent of saying Russia should be brought back into the group despite Russia’s aggressive tendencies in Europe and the Middle East. He may yet attack the United Nations Organisation as obsolete, ineffective and inefficient. He has already withdrawn America from UNESCO and treats the WTO with contempt. He is against multilateral diplomacy generally preferring to deal with countries on unilateral basis.

    The security architecture that had guaranteed peace since the end of the Second World War attracted his attention. He felt NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was somehow obsolete and that it was a burden America was no longer prepared to bear. He felt members were not paying the 2% of their budget they had agreed to pay and that unless they paid it, America was no longer going to provide additional money to run the organisation. Founding members of NATO were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the USA. Greece Turkey, West Germany and Spain later joined. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the countries formerly in the Soviet sphere notably Hungary,  Rumania, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and the rump of former Yugoslavia with the exception of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia  have joined NATO.

    So also have the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. It seems Trump sees no point in these states of Eastern Europe joining NATO. He recently wondered whether under article 5 that states that attack a member in Europe will be regarded as an attack on all – would mean USA going to war if tiny Montenegro is attacked following its accession into NATO. He seems to be on the same page with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in opposing NATO’s expansion eastwards to the Russian border.

    His apparent wish for friendly relations with Putin despite  the latter’s aggression in seizing Crimea  from Ukraine and military promenade into Georgia and Eastern Ukraine and aggressively backing Bashir al Azad in Syria has raised eyebrows in the west and  among his Democratic critics in the USA. His recent kowtowing before Putin in Helsinki, Finland has led to questions about his collusion with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election in the USA.

    In spite of no rhyme or rhythm in his policies, no one can deny that Trump has made some breakthroughs in USA relations with North Korea. He has met Kim Jon Un, the leader of the hermit state and signs are that there is some positive movement in USA- North Korea relations. His attempt to restart talks with Russia is a welcome departure from recent frosty relations between the two most powerful nuclear powers in the world. He has also forced all members of NATO to commit themselves to adequately funding the organization as well as increasing defence spending. He has forced Canada and Mexico to review the NAFTA so that the three countries can see some beneficial dividends from its operation.

    At home, Trump has put in place tax reforms to benefit mostly the rich and the middle class which has led to the growth of the economy to unprecedented 4.1% and unemployment rate down to 3.9%. The question to ask is if Americans are happier under Trump than his predecessors. The answer is a resounding NO. He has polarized the country and has made racism acceptable at home and abroad by fanning the flame of nativism and nationalism. There is no doubt that his policies at home are predicated on making America white again rather than accepting the reality of a multi-racial America.  He is however right to control illegal migration to his country. No country can allow hordes of undocumented immigrants to flood its country as is being done in the USA’s southern border with Mexico. His sexism and moral turpitude and unethical business attitude in the past are unusual burden for an American president to carry as head of state of “God’s own country”. Hs Middle East policy of arming the Arabs against Iran and unquestioning support for Israel may yet lead to war.

  • Implications of Trump presidency for Africa

    Implications of Trump presidency for Africa

    With the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America, there are indications that the country’s relationship with various regions of the world would change. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines how his administration will affect US-African relations.

    WITH the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, a new chapter has opened in United States-African relations. His emergence raised fundamental questions about what is likely to change in America’s role in the world; every region of the world, including Africa, has been pondering over how it will impact on them.
    The fear of African countries was aggravated by the silence of the then Republican candidate on Africa throughout the campaign. He did not give any indication about his policy direction as far as Africa is concerned. While Trump’s campaign had focused heavily on US relations with Russia and China, he didn’t talk about Africa from a policy perspective.
    The US relationship with Africa has strengthened significantly under the presidency of Barack Obama, as evidenced by initiatives such as the first US-African Leaders Summit and the US-Africa Business Summit in August 2014, with over 1,000 participants in attendance.
    Under Trump, there may be changes; if his general comments during the campaign are anything to go by. Trump had said in one of his campaign outings that if he were to become president, he would seek to renegotiate all of the US foreign trade deals. He prefers bilateral trade agreements (BITs), rather than multi-party agreements, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has been a critical programme for US-African relations since the era of former President Bill Clinton.
    AGOA was signed into law in 2000. It offers incentive for African countries to export their products to the US. In 2013, AGOA imports into the US totalled $26.8 billion. While Trump has voiced out his opposition to the TPP, he is yet to comment on AGOA. But his declaration “to put American first” casts doubt over the continuance of AGOA and other favourable trade arrangements with Africa. Experts in international trade have predicted that AGOA may be subject to particular scrutiny under Trump, as it promotes African imports to the US without simultaneously promoting US exports to Africa. Multi-party agreements like AGOA contribute to the trade deficit that Trump has criticised repeatedly. Thanks to AGOA, the US has had a trade deficit with sub-Saharan African for many years. In 2014, the US exported $25.38 billion worth of goods to sub-Saharan African countries, while importing $26.75 billion. The deficit was more pronounced in 2013 prior to the dip in the commodities market, with $39.29 billion in imports and $23.94 billion in exports.
    In the area of foreign aid, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) committed $10 billion to sub-Saharan Africa in 2014 alone. USAID is the only platform through which the US supplies assistance to Africa. Other programmes, such as the Peace Corps, the State Department, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Department of Agriculture provides significance assistance to non-profit organisations, small businesses, governments and individuals across the continent.
    This, according to experts, is likely to change under Trump’s presidency. They premised their argument on his promise that he would lower the amount of foreign aid that the US sends abroad; though he has not specified how he would implement the cuts. Africa is the largest beneficiary of US aid. A sudden decrease in aid would undoubtedly have a significant disruptive impact on many countries on the continent, such as Rwanda which relies on it for about half of its budget.
    Trump’s immigration policy is likely to be anti-Africa. He has, for example, repeatedly announced that as president, he would ban all foreign Muslims from entering the United States, at least temporarily. This policy would undoubtedly alienate many ally countries on the continent. It is not clear if Trump would extend the ban to Muslim Heads of State, of which there are several dozen. Around 30 per cent of sub-Saharan are Muslims, while the North African countries are predominantly Muslims. For instance, 50 per cent of Nigeria’s population is Muslim, including President Muhammadu Buhari.
    In addition, Trump has vowed to increase standards for the admission of refugees and asylum seekers. He cited abuses of the refugee-immigration system as impetus for his policy. Strict enforcement of this policy through scrutiny of potential refugees will significantly affect some population of Africans. African countries such as Sudan, Eritrea and Congo are among the 10 top countries seeking US refugees.
    Besides, voluntary immigrants from Africa have accounted for an increasing number of immigrants to the US in recent years. According to records, in 200o, there were 881,000 African-born immigrants living in the US, compared to the 1.8 million in 2013. Many Africans enter the US through the diversity visa programme, which requires a high school education or equivalent, or two years experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. This policy, which encourages legal immigration from countries other than the sending countries of current immigrants to the US, may likely be reviewed by the Trump administration.
    Last year, the US Census Bureau reports that the country exported 43.44 billion worth of goods to Nigeria and imported $1.92 billion, making it a significant trade partner. In 2013, the office of the United States Trade Representative notes that Nigeria was 40th largest good export market and the 30th largest goods market for the US. Besides, Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, and has significant political economy on the continent. Although US-Nigeria relation strengthened under President Obama, a policy such as the ban which Trump has threatened to introduce would wear on the budding partnership.
    A United Nations diplomat, Robinson Thomas, has advocated greater security cooperation between the Trump presidency and African countries. He said: “We expect the greatest continuity in US-Africa relations in the area of security co-operation, specifically on counter-terrorism, with Africom likely to emerge as the central pillar of the new administration’s engagement with the continent. Created in 2007, Africom has already been expanded under Obama and Trump’s consistent rhetoric on tackling Islamist terrorism makes it extremely likely that counter-terrorism operations in Africa will receive priority funding as other overseas spending is reduced.
    Thomas added: “The reduced relevance of Africa under Trump combined with past expressions of support for the tactics of leaders such as Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad raise concerns over the degree to which the US will in future provide checks on questionable practices by allies, such as disregard for human rights.
    “Certain governments may further seek to position themselves more overtly as allies in this fight in order to secure other funding or to use the same tactics for what is effectively internal repression of dissent. Furthermore, Trump’s call during the campaign for restrictions on Muslim immigration to the US has alienated many Muslim Africans, and any closer cooperation between the US and African allies particularly where domestic tactics are seen as heavy-handed are likely to further drive recruitment for terrorist groups. How this play out will vary by country, as local issues tend to dominate as drivers of recruitment and strategy for such groups.
    “We expect the projection of American soft power in Africa to look very different under Trump compared to previous administrations. Support for civil society, and programmes such as Power Africa, are likely to have funding cut, partially to be redirected back at home. While this is unlikely to directly impact on American business, it does leave even more space for competing ideas on what is an appropriate model for African development and the values on which that is based. Authoritarian-led development models have received a lot of attention in recent years off the back of strong growth in Ethiopia and Rwanda, and industrial policy has seen resurgence as a tool for economic transformation”.
    A Nigerian scholar in International Relations, Dr Chidi Okafor, said Trump presidency will plunge the US into unprecedented territory and presages which may turn out to be the biggest overhaul in US foreign policy since the Second World War. He said Trump’s opposition to multi-lateral trade deals and abrasive policy stances, including a proposed ban on Muslim immigrants, threats to kill the families of terrorists and a plan to build a wall on the Mexico border have provoked concern among international allies.
    Okafor said: “Trumps frequent diatribes against globalisation, focussing on a rigged system that delivers prosperity and jobs to other countries at the expense of the US hints at a radical departure from the country’s post-war international consensus. With Trump’s often spontaneous utterances veering wildly from isolationism to heavy-handed interventionism, many have confidently predicted the likely impact of a Trump presidency on African relations.
    “Trump’s consistent opposition to multi-lateral trade deals could endanger the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a landmark piece of legislation introduced in the Clinton era which gives African countries tariff free access to the US market. Barack Obama signed off on a 10 year extension to the Act aimed at creating 350,000 African jobs. The Act enabled US trade with sub-Saharan African of $52.1 billion in 2014. Trump has yet to single out AGOA, but his frequently expressed opposition to free trade deals, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed by Clinton and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, introduced by Barack Obama is likely to concern African states involved in AGOA.”
    On climate change, Okafor said the disposition of Trumps will affect Africa. According to him, Africa is likely to be the continent most affected by climate change, with huge impacts on water and food security. “But Trump does not believe in climate change. He has said he will cancel the Paris climate change agreement and cut federal climate change programmes.
    “This position is likely to result in hastening the impacts of climate change on the rest of the world, most especially Africa, while at the same time derailing international efforts to help the world’s poorest countries with new environmental challenges,” Okafor concluded.

  • Trump presidency signalling a new world order?

    Trump presidency signalling a new world order?

    As Donald Trump gets sworn in Friday, January 20 as the 45th U.S. President, Americans and the rest of the world wait with bated breath for the arrival on the global scene of a phenomenon. Trump has been able to marry two differing personas – being an enigma and an open book. An enigma, given his unorthodox, unpredictable political campaign strategy that shattered the myth of political correctness while his verbal canons in freely expressing his mind makes him an open book. What opponents and critics fail to acknowledge, to their utter shock given the electoral outcome, was that aspirant and candidate Trump brought humanism into the political process rather than the synthetic impersonality of the professional politicians he routed at primary and election stages. Trump’s election truncated the emergent political dynasty of the Bush family, which produced President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993), President George W. Bush, the son (2001 -2009) with a second son, Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida state, primed for the Republican ticket and eventual White House occupancy but who was humiliatingly forced out early in the primary race by Trump’s triumphs. The other stymied, emerging dynasty is that of husband, President Bill Clinton (1993 -2001) seeking to have his wife, Hillary Clinton, installed as U.S. President. A fallout of Hillary’s shock defeat was that some reputations in other countries suffered collateral damage, notably, in Nigeria, that of Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, whose indiscrete brag of tearing his Green card should Trump win turned him into a subject of taunting in the social media. There is the other one called Prophet T.B. Joshua, who had emphatically predicted a Hillary Clinton victory but had to kiss dust. Lucky guy, though – he did not suffer much social media vilification like Prof. Soyinka and his Synagogue remains a religious Mecca.
    Back to Trump. He also brought into the election campaign the pragmatic realism of the businessman man that he is, as against the manipulative coning and double speak of the professional political class. For instance, he says America will no longer play Father Xmas in trade relations with other countries. His campaign’s breath of fresh air was rewarded by voters.
    Now, as Trump assumes the most powerful political office in the world, what are the expectations? Will he be able to walk the talk of his campaign pledges? Can he affirm: “Yes, we can”, to borrow Barack Obama’s 2008 riveting, rhetorical slogan? An American president contends with many thorny issues – national, regional and global. The challenges for Trump cover these three levels. At the domestic level, bringing back manufacturing jobs which have migrated to cheaper labour regions of the world will pose a serious challenge, given that capitalists are devotees of maximization of profit. Mending frayed race relations among America’s rainbow population and particularly with its seemingly targeted Black community that has borne the burden of police brutality is another dicey issue. His perception as a racist may aggravate the problem, with dire consequences for domestic law and order, where he fails to reassure restive sections of the population. The Black Lives Matter movement, in reaction to indiscriminate police killings of unarmed Black suspects, may assume a militant dimension if President Trump is seen to stoke the embers of hate.
    Immigration, a very controversial issue during the election campaign, has national, regional and
    global dimensions given the fact that America is the most cosmopolitan country in the world. To stand at the junction of Lexington Avenue and 32nd Street in Manhattan, New York City, at lunch time is to see, literally, a parade of the world’s ethnic nationalities pass by – all colours from all over! So, immigration is a most contentious issue, fuelled by Trump’s inflammatory denigration of some particular immigrant communities – Mexicans and Muslims – as rapists, criminals and terrorists. He sees Blacks as hooked on sex and drugs while other immigrants are dubbed economic refugees fleeing from the impoverishing looting by political leaders of their respective countries. Of course, there is some truth to Trump’s charge of mind-boggling public treasury looting in many countries, including Nigeria, so his being pilloried on this charge is unjustifiable. However, reality has compelled him to forgo mass deportation of illegal immigrants, estimated at 11 million, to ejecting only the criminal elements among them. America needs illegal immigrants as they provide cheap labour. Unlike professional politicians, Trump seems determined to particularly stem the tidal wave of Mexican immigrants with his promise to build a wall along its border with Mexico. Mexicans, estimated at over 30 million, constitute the largest immigrant group in the U.S. and, with other Latinos, are changing the population demographics in many states like Texas, New Mexico, Florida and California. The Mexican leaders say they won’t pay for the wall as demanded by Trump. That is a mere bluff. Although Trump has stated that appropriation would be sought from Congress as early as April to fund the wall, Mexico’s economy is so dependent on access to the American market that it cannot afford a trade war with the U.S. which Trump can declare as a bargaining chip in seeking payment, even if contributory, to the cost of the wall. Canada, which does not have an immigration issue with U.S., has entered into dialogue with Trump to plead against his pledge to dismantle the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed under President Bill Clinton which puts America at disadvantage.
    While much of the foregoing relates more with American domestic and regional matters, it is Trump’s foreign policy positions, especially his inclination for rapprochement with Russia, which have potentials for a New World Order of healthy rivalry among the super powers that may usher in an era of global peace. President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton see Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, as enemies while Trump sees them as potential partners towards achieving world peace. There is logic in Trump’s reasoning – Obama and Hillary Clinton’s engagement of Putin as an enemy to be confronted anywhere, as currently playing out in the battle for Syria, has not brought peace to that country while worsening the security situation in the region and for American interests worldwide. In tweets on Saturday, January 7, Trump had maintained his stance on building a “good relationship” with Russia. “ Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, only ‘stupid’ people or fools would think that it is bad”, he tweeted adding that his approach would allow the adversaries to work together to solve “some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD !”. The on-going heart-rending, devastating war in Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, the anarchy in Libya, the terror attacks in Iraq and Turkey, the refugee crisis in Europe and other sundry violent militancy across many nations dictate a coming together of the super powers for an enduring world peace. Rapprochement between America and Russia would prevent terrorists and other dissident groups from playing off one power against the other. So, hopefully, U.S. – Russia rapprochement’s prospects for global peace, in tandem with candidate Trump’s pledge not to play the police man of the world, may be a President Donald Trump’s gift to the world.

    •Dr. Olawunmi writes from Bowen University, Iwo. Osun State.

  • Our fears of a Trump presidency

    Our fears of a Trump presidency

    Nigerians in the United States speak to Gboyega Alaka on their fears and anxiety come January, when Donald Trump will be sworn in as the country’s the 45th president.

    Barely hours after American real estate mogul and Republican Party candidate, Donald Trump, was declared winner of the November 8 presidential election, an immigrant American Muslim, Maha Abdul Gawad wrote on her facebook wall:

    “My first racist encounter after our new joke of a president. As I am (sic) at Wallmart today, a woman came up to me and pulled my hijab off and said, “This is not allowed anymore, so go hang yourself with it around your neck not on your head.”I am traumatized”

    Another Muslim Student at San Jose University narrated to the police how a man attacked her from behind at a campus parking garage, pulling at her hijab and chocking her.

    At San Diego University, California, another Muslim woman was reportedly followed by two men, who made comments about Trump and the Muslims before robbing her of purse and car keys.

    Pockets of other incidences of harassment against Latinos and Africans have also been reported, inevitably heightening the fears most immigrants and Muslims had nursed about a possible Trump victory. It also gave a glimpse into what to expect, should things actually deteriorate.

    President-elect, Donald Trump had ridden to victory against all odds, on what many have termed the most racially divisive and volatile electioneering campaign in the history of modern America.

    Amongst Nigerian immigrants, the fear has been palpable, especially amongst those whose stay in the country may not be legal, due to expired visas, lack of residence permit and other such legal jargons.

    A Nigerian American-born software engineer in Arlington Texas, King Lawrence Owonikoko confirmed that there are xenophobic apprehensions amongst immigrants, insisting that the Republican Party and indeed the white supremacists in the country knew what they were doing, when they voted in Trump, “a white supremacists that is no longer behind the sheets,” as president-elect.

    He however said that it may not be right to say that Trump’s election is the cause of intimidation or harassments on immigrant blacks or Hispanics, insisting that “Trump being elected as president has not started nor stopped any harassment. Racists/racism has existed since dawn time.”

    Owonikoko admitted however, that Trump’s victory has made it to be “more prevalent.”

    He also agreed that Nigerians, who don’t have their stay or whose permit has expired, face the risk of deportation.

    On whether Trump’s victory could lead to more police brutality, he said, “Yes, especially with (the current) ‘stop and frisk.’”He said the tactic, which allows officers to stop people for no reason, is deployed more against the blacks and some Hispanics. He also expressed fears that this may lead to “more brutality and death.”

    Another Nigerian, who used to be a journalist in Nigeria, but now lives in Dallas, Texas, declared that the fear of a Trump presidency is indeed palpable, especially now that it is inevitable. He said, “I have not been harassed, but I do have fears that he will deport illegal immigrants. The man, going by his campaign, is a tyrant.

    Mustapha, who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, said he suspects that racism is going to be the order of the day, especially on the backdrop of Donald Trump’s campaign. If the white majority could vote Trump in despite his racist and divisive campaign, it then means that he was expressing their aspirations and are therefore in sync with him, he said.

    Already, he said he has heard nearly ten cases of harassment on Africans, Hispanics and other coloured immigrants in the past weeks since Trump was announced president-elect.

    At the moment, he does not know of any Nigerian expressing anxiety over possible deportation, stating however that his case is different and that he does not run any such risk.

    About police brutality, Mustapha said immigrants, especially Nigerians are keeping their fingers crossed, saying that for now, nothing of the sort is happening

    Basirat Balogun who lives in Texas however said she has no fears of aTrump presidency or any kind of xenophobia, being a United States citizen. Her fear, she said, is that “There are 98% chances that America will go to war under a Trump and this will affect the economy.”

    She also said “There is a 98% chance that Trump will deport people without their proper papers.”

    Another Dallas, Texas-based Nigerian immigrant, who’d rather not give his name, for fear of drawing attention to himself, said he will not necessarily term the situation as fear, but “concern for the unknown.”

    As a US citizen, he said he knows his right. He however said any racist or white supremacist, who chooses to misbehave, will face the consequences according to the law.

    He also warned that any immigrant, whether citizen or illegal, would have to be careful and act accordingly, to avoid unnecessary attention.

    On whether Trump’s victory could lead to increase in police brutality on blacks, he said, “As stated above, we are disappointed with the outcome of the election, but there are laws in place to protect all, irrespective of colour, religion or background.”

    “The important thing for all,” he said, “is to understand the law and be courageous enough to bring any unfair treatment to justice.”

    On harassment, he said he has yet to see or hear of any such case, except for those being bandied on the social media.

    Mutiu, who only recently arrived Newark, New Jersey, said he is not aware of any fear of xenophobia yet; although he admitted that Nigerians, who don’t have their papers, are partially afraid, as they do not know what awaits them from January.

    He also said he is not aware of any physical or verbal attacks yet in his area, save for those he has been reading in the media.

    Asked if there are fears amongst immigrants in Newark of a possible spiral in police brutality, Mutiu said, “That’ll be probably in the white-dominated states, where blacks are in tiny minority.”

    Another fall-out of the Trump election is the displeasure several Nigerians in the US have expressed over derisive comments being posted on social media about their plight. They wondered why fellow Nigerians, most of whom some of them had helped financially in their times of need, could be turning around to make a joke of their dicey situation, wondering what they stand to gain, if they are deported back to Nigeria.

    In a video that has now gone viral, a well-groomed gentleman of Nigerian origin, for about five minutes, spoke on the ‘unfortunate’ development. He directed his anger at Nigerians, who are making a joke of the scary situation and wondered what they stand to gain by deriding their own people. He also wondered what they stand to gain if Nigerians in the US were sent home.

    Even before the election, the phobia for a possible Trump presidency had been potent, and few, if any of the millions of immigrants in the country, thought it would ever materialise.

    Not so Trump however, who seemed sure of his chances and went ahead with his divisive campaigns. Not even the outcomes of the various debates and media surveys daunted the New York born billionaire.

    Viewed retrospectively, it may be said that Trump knew the mentality of those he was directing his campaign at, and accordingly, satisfied them.

    Indeed Trump had reportedly said in an interview he gave to People Magazine in 1998, that “If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They are the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.”

    Although Hillary Clinton had won the popular vote by 59,236,903 to Trump’s 59,085,787, Trump was ultimately elected via the Electoral College, with 290 to 232 and is set to be sworn in come January 20, 2017.

    -Additional reports by Sanni Lateef