Harnessing benefits of Buhari’s US visit

After President Muhammadu Buhari’s historic four-day visit to the United States, DGossip247 reviews the trip and its possible impact on the bilateral relations between both countries

Barring all hitches, Nigeria would begin to reap the numerous benefits of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent three-day visit to President Barak Obama of the United States of America in the next few months. Critical areas where better strategies are being formulated to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries are diplomacy, trade relations, security, especially as regards the war on terror.

For this reason, Buhari had on his entourage during the trip some state governors – Rochas Okorocha, Imo; Adams Oshiomhole, Edo; Tanko Al-Makura, Nasarawa; Kashim Shettima, Borno, and Abiola Ajimobi, Oyo. Others were Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emiefele and permanent secretaries in the ministries of Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs as well as Industry, Trade and Investments.

The visit, reception, publicity, accolades and promises which emanated there in attested to the level of goodwill, trust and confidence President Obama has in the new government in the country.

Besides meeting with Obama, Buhari and his 32-man team also had audience with Vice President Joe Biden and conferred with the US Attorney-General, Loretta Lynch; the US Secretary of Treasury, Jack Lew; the US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker and the US Trade representative, Michael Froman on United States support for his administration’s war against corruption as well as fresh measures to boost Nigeria-United States trade relations.

Already, the trip has paid off with the World Bank’s promise to release about $2.1 billion interest -free loan for the rebuilding of the warravaged North-East, besides a $300million grant to the country for the immunisation of kids against deadly childhood diseases. Also, Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation pledged to join the battle in concert with Dangote Foundation.

Coming after the general elections which witnessed the defeat of the Goodluck Jonathan’s government, during whose tenure Nigeria- United States relations sank immeasurably, the visit and expectations are expected to open a new vista in all areas on national development.

Hitherto, the Obama administration made little fuss about the need for serious improvement in the manner the nation was ran, curb impunity in governance, corruption and the expediency in prosecuting the war on Boko Haram which had left over 20,000 dead in Nigeria. Beyond this, however, is the imperative of examining the status quo in the various sectors and the prospects.

The economy

Given the near collapse of trade relations between both countries, with trade volumes (export and import) falling from $22 billion in 2008 to less than a billion dollars in 2014, there is no gain-saying that America is no longer Nigeria’s big trade partners. Investment watchers have attributed that to America’s discontinued purchase of Nigeria’s oil, commencement of local refining of America’s crude and the former’s divestment into alternative energy sources.

Nonetheless, America remains Nigeria’s strategic partner with the presence of such oil explorations and producing giants as ExxonMobil and Chevron. To shore up investments volume, President Buhari addressed the United States Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council for Africa before leaving Washington DC. Buhari did not fail to woo them to see various investment opportunities especially in the on-going privatisation of government entities, soon to extend to the aviation and solid mineral sectors.

Already, power generation and transmission, agriculture, gas, manufacturing and telecommunication sectors have been thrown open for private sector participation. He assured the business forum organised by the United States Chamber of Commerce and The Corporate Council on Africa, of the creation of “necessary environment for future investment in Nigeria.”

Against the backdrop of its status as the most populous nation and largest market in Africa with vast human and natural resources and abundant young skilled workforce. He said his Nigeria was “a proud candidate to become the destination of choice for United States investments in Africa,” and promised to “work assiduously to welcome new investors to tour country.”

War on terror

Buoyed by US decades of experience in fighting terrorism, especially since the September 11, 2001 attacks, and its involvement in squaring up with the Taliban in Pakistan, it was obvious that soliciting support for the war on terror would top Buhari’s agenda. Buhari’ spared no efforts in intimating Obama with the progress made by the regional operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force against the insurgents.

He articulated the release of $21 million to the efforts, even as he acknowledged US’ $5million donations for which Obama hailed him for working to restore “safety, security and peace” to Nigeria.

Obama commended what he called Buhari’s “very clear agenda in defeating Boko Haram and extremists of all sorts inside of his country. And he has a very clear agenda in terms of rooting out the corruption that too often has held back the economic growth and prosperity of his country.”

On his part, Buhari expressed readiness to negotiate with the Boko Haram insurgent and terrorist’s organisation to pave way for the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, if genuine and confirmed leaders of the militant sect came forward and convince the FG of the current conditions of the girls, their location and the sect’s willingness to negotiate.

Buhari pointedly tasked the United States government to assist Nigeria in its current efforts to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents operating in the North-Eastern part of the country, lamenting that a blanket application of the United States Leahy Law denied Nigeria access to sophisticated arms and ammunitions from the United States. The law states that where a country’s army is involved in human rights abuse, the United States should never sell arms to such countries.

Buhari made the call in his chat with newsmen at the United States Institute of Peace co- hosted by the US Institute for Peace, the Atlantic Council, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

Striking the inhibitions to successful execution of the war, he said: “Unwittingly, and I dare say, unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the US Government has aided and abated the Boko Haram terrorist group in the prosecution of its extremist ideology and hate, the indiscriminate killings and maiming of civilians, in raping of women and girls, and in their other heinous crimes.

The President urged the US government to ignore the allegations of human rights violations against the Nigeria Armed Forces and review its stand on providing assistance to the military in order to defeat the insurgents as quickly as possible. He alluded to current initiatives at combating the activities of Boko Haram, wherein the new government has sought and obtained the support of neighbours, other international friends and partners.

“Regrettably, the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the United States on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations leveled against our forces has denied us access to appropriate strategic weapons to prosecute the war against the insurgents.

He said the objective was to get the over 200 girls kidnapped about 450 days ago back, alive and returned to their families and rehabilitated. Despite the accolades he gave Buhari for his efforts, however, Obama failed to commit his country to specific military or other assistance in the area of sales of weapons.

Loot recovery

In tandem with his anti-corruption mantra, Buhari’s talks with Obama on recovery of stolen funds in the neighbourhood of $150billion stashed away in various countries was of interest during the visit.

The disclosure that about a million dollar worth of oil was stolen daily by ministers of the past administration was shocking and his ability to enlist the assistance of the United States in tracing and tracking the money was a major achievement. He said: “Some former ministers were selling about one million barrels per day. I assure you that we will trace and repatriate such money and use the documents to prosecute them. A lot of damage has been done to the integrity of Nigeria with individuals and institutions already compromised.”

Lamenting the level of corruption, Buhari told a gathering that “Corruption in Nigeria has virtually developed into a culture where honest people are abused… 250,000 barrels per day of Nigerian crude are being stolen and people sell and put the money into individual accounts,” “Following 16 years of bad government by the Peoples Democratic Party which ran down the oil refineries and had the treasury in their pockets,” but he expressed confidence that the United States and other developed countries were helping them to trace such accounts and return the funds to the country.

The President, who expressed skepticism on the existence of oil subsidy during an interactive session with Nigerians in Diaspora, which has gulped trillion of naira, said if subsidy was removed, transport, housing and food prices would go out of control and the average worker would suffer untold hardship. Expectedly, observers are optimistic about the ability to trace such funds, even though they were laundered and layered in all manners of phony investments.

With the assistance of the International Police Organisations, the American National Intelligence Agency and sundry other security agencies, the nation may soon enjoy the repatriation of billions of dollars akin to what obtained at the dawn of democracy in 1999.

The President had earlier met at the same venue with a group of young professionals in the United States and assured them of his government’s resolve to fight corruption, remain steadfast and invest heavily in education which he said was the answer to taking the youth out of poverty and ignorance.

Interestingly, Buhari rejected, point blank gay marriage, an issue which featured during the visit. As he took off from the country, the Christian Association of Nigeria had warned against the dangers of any acquiescence in this regard, stating it is permissive and manifestly unscriptural.

The President said “sodomy is against the law in Nigeria, and abhorrent to our culture.” Former President Goodluck Jonathan had in January 13, 2014 signed the anti-gay marriage bill into law.

The law prohibits gay marriage and same-sex relationships and prescribes a 14-year prison term for offenders. Jonathan’s action was a defiance of western governments’ pressure, where they urged Nigeria to respect gay and lesbian rights.

The law, which also proscribes membership of gay rights groups, was passed by the National Assembly in May 2013 but Jonathan had delayed signing it into law.

Reflecting on the benefits of the trip, security expert and former Director of the State Security Services, Mr. Mike Ejiofor is one analyst who believes America was not forthcoming with assistance to Nigeria especially by lifting the wild ban on sales of arms to the country for the prosecution of the war on terror.

Acknowledging that the US has been collaborating with Nigeria in the areas of “training of military personnel, sharing of intelligence and monetary assistance,” Ejiofor, who is also a lawyer, however, believes that the tour and discussion Buhari had with Obama and some American congressmen will open a window of opportunity to revisit the law.

“The Leahy Law of the United States which prohibited sales of military weapons to countries whose soldiers are accused of human rights violations has to be revisited. It was on the basis of that that arms embargo was placed on Nigeria’s military.

There is an unproven allegation of human rights violations against our forces in the battle against the insurgents. In his view, Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Jide Owoeye, said that since the visit was at the instance of Obama himself, it will promote better trade and investments relations between the two countries.

“By describing Buhari as a man of high integrity,” he said, “the American President’s was a way of marketing Buhari to the American business community, and galvanizing them to work with their Nigerian counterparts.”

Insisting that the trip will open a vista for better diplomatic, economic and military relations, Owoeye, who is the Pro-Chancellor of Lead City University, Ibadan, added that it will also enhance political rapprochement. He said besides the endorsement by the American President, Buhari’s anti-corruption stance will also build the confidence of the country in Nigeria.

“Buhari’s promise to cut down on corruption and his integrity will shore up military assistance to Nigeria, because no country will sell its sophisticated weapons to a country it cannot trust,” he said.

While trade volumes between both countries, especially in the area of oil export from Nigeria, owing to America’s recent peace deal with Iran which will possible increase inflow of Iranian oil into the US, Buhari’s visit will no doubt raise Nigeria’s image in the international arena.

As Nigeria waits for Washington, consolidating on these interim gains is vital for sustainable maximum economic, military and diplomatic benefits to both countries.