Editorial
President Trump’s Threat And President Tinubu’s Reaction
Our elders say, “There cannot be smoke without fire.” They also say, “Unless there’s a hole in the wall, the lizard cannot go into the wall.”
The recent threat by President Donald Trump to send American soldiers to Nigeria is fueled by the killings in the Benue and Plateau states, especially with over 500 people killed Benue state in one day – the death of one soul should naturally raise concerns.
We urge President Tinubu to rein in his media aides in the back-and-forth statements to the threat of President Trump to send American soldiers to stop the activities of terrorists in Nigeria.
Tinubu should engage the services of the doyens of international diplomacy, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi and Chief Emeka Anyaoku, to collaborate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to engage with the relevant United States authorities to resolve this matter.
The media aides of the president, Bayo Onanuga, Daniel Bwala, Reno Omokri, Fani Kayode, etcetera, and especially the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, who, like Onanuga, Omokri, Bwala and Kayode, went beyond his extant job responsibility to join the fray to comment on the threat of President Trump. President Tinubu should stop these men from further exacerbating the already inflamed matter. Rather, Tinubu should appoint the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, to make statements on his behalf and the government.
Instead of engaging in tough, hard stance language that will further aggravate the matter, President Tinubu should leverage on holding discussions with President Trump to seek military aid and assistance to confront the terrorists.
Communication and statements to President Trump must be made in conciliatory, diplomatic language tone, not in the fashion of the grandstanding, huffing and puffing, hot air, bravado attitude of President Tinubu’s media aides!
The adoption of quiet diplomacy and strategic dialogue are essential in engaging President Trump and the US Senate in addressing the underlying issues that fueled the threat of President Trump.
Finally, enough of the grandstanding, bravado, huffing and puffing of the Onanugas, Bwalas, Kayodes, Omokris, etcetera, on the matter.