Afro-American Relations: Nothing Will Change – Frank Ofili

Will Donald Trump second coming as American President bring any positive change to Africa? I doubt it.

In the run-up to the 2008 Presidential election in the US, it was generally believed across Africa that if Barak Obama, an African-American Democratic Presidential flagbearer from Illinois made it to the White House, Africa would benefit immensely from his administration. Obama won the race against John McCain of the Republican Party. Four years later, in the 2012 presidential election, he won a re-election against Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

For eight whole years, Obama was in the White House. What did his administration bring to Africa? Nothing! Except, perhaps, destabilisation of the Sahel region with the elimination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, US enemy No. 1 at the time. With Gaddafi’s elimination, Libya disintegrated, and hitherto idle arms found their way into the Sahel region and fell into the hands of then emergent terrorist groups like Boko Haram.

Obama not only snubbed Nigeria and many other African countries, but also actively blocked critical arms sale to Nigeria, thus, pushing President Goodluck Jonathan administration to adopt what seemed like an Oliver North methodology, with Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor as the anchor man, in its desperate effort to combat terrorism.

Lt. Col Oliver North – a US National Security Council staffer was the secret anchor of the Iran–Contra affair – a political scandal during President Reagan’s administration which involved illegal sale of weapons to Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime of Iran to encourage the release of American hostages then held in Lebanon. North diverted the proceeds of the illegal arms sales to fund the right wing Contra rebels who were combating the Marxist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua at the time. Official funding for the Contra rebels was prohibited then in the US. So also was arms sale to Iran. but North, some how, found a way around it.

In a move similar to Oliver North’s tactics, news broke in September 2014 that a Nigerian private jet caught in Johannesburg with $9.3million belonged to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who was then head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and close confidant of then President Goodluck Jonathan.

The aircraft with US registration number N808HG was one of two caught by South African officials on September 5, 2014, loaded with $9.3 million in several suitcases. One thing led to another, and it was revealed that the money was meant for weapons the occupants of the aircraft intended to purchase for the Nigerian government through black channel.

But I digress. Back to Afro-American relations.

At end of Obama’s administration in 2016 came Republican President Donald Trump. What did his administration bring to Africa in his first term 2016 – 2020? Nothing! To him, Africa was a “shit-hole” continent not worth his time, and Africa’s foremost leader then, Buhari, was “lifeless”, in a manner of speaking.

Democratic President Joe Biden was to deficit Trump in the 2020 US Presidential election. But again, what has his administration brought to Africa? Again, nothing! Biden has not even visited Africa yet even as his 4-year administration is winding down as I write. Of course, Africa is not worth his time. He prefers to relegate Africa to his lieutenants.

So, all things considered, would Trump’s second coming be any different towards Africa? Only time will tell.

But trust me, Trump’s second coming won’t bring anything to Africa. If his first coming did not, his second won’t fare any better as far as Africa is concerned.

Why is Africa at the nadir of American attention? Because most African leaders, aside the likes of Paul Kagame of Rwanda, do not know their right from their left. They are largely timid and afraid to assert themselves in their relationship with the West. They bring nothing to the table except inferiority complex. They don’t even respect their own people. And that perfectly serves American interest.

So, whether Democratic or Republican White House, America won’t have much to offer Africa, because her foreign policy, and by extension her national interest, is always self-centred. It is always America first regardless of the party in power. Trump is not the first American President to theorise America First. He just happens to be the first to vocalise it.

Unfortunately, African leaders are yet to realise this. You then wonder why the African obsession with who becomes President of the United States of America. You would think the person, or his party, would make any difference as far as Afro-American relations is concerned.

African leaders need to focus more of their attention on Africa, and Nigeria should take the lead.