PRESIDENTIAL GAFFE

Sometimes in 1987 or thereabout, a middle-aged lady, who happened to be our neighbor, came to our Flat, with her daughter (or granddaughter) in tow. Her daughter (or granddaughter) should be around 3 year-old at the time. They came in the evening – the time they knew my Dad would have been back from work.

Hmmm. Ask me what were their mission?? The woman came to report me to my Dad that, her daughter said I cut her hair !! *smh

My dad, of blessed memory, didn’t allow me to even say anything. Like a fiery Human Right attorney, he sprang into action and defended me as if I have briefed him about what happened, prior to mother and daughter visit. There was hot exchange of words. Trust my dad; he was up to the task. He matched the woman toe to toe and went eyeball to eyeball with her. The woman (and her daughter) left with their heads bowed, talking figuratively!

But, you know what?? Till my old man departed this world, in 2013, he never asked me if the allegation was true or not. *smiles*

Of course, I didn’t do what the woman accused me of. I have always been a good boy. *Smiles*

My Interpretation:
What my father did is called LEADERSHIP !! He did that, because I have GOOD REPUTATION!!

Now, let’s come down to President Buhari’s Telegraph interview.

I have read the interview, especially the part that touched on Nigerians collective integrity.
Did Baba call Nigerians criminals? Not exactly. But he implied it!
Was Baba referring to all Nigerians ?? No.
Was Baba saying the truth about “SOME” of those unscrupulous Nigerians? Emphatic YES !!!!!
Was that the right place to say all those “truths” : Emphatic NO !!!!!

This is my opinion:
At the international scenes, nobody is interested in you spewing “the truths” about your native country. Your spewing “the truths” would not earn you or your country more respect. In fact, it is a grotesque exercise in self ridicule.

The only thing that works at such places is TACT & DIPLOMACY! It is patently absurd for the Chief Image Maker of a country to go to foreign nations and be spewing some negatives, in the name of the truths, about his country. Whatever the stereotype and the narrative the foreign media and their imperious owners have about such country gain traction when it is being reinforced by the country’s C.E.O. It is what you call your dog that neighbours and passersby would call it. Yoruba people say: You, first of all, chase the fox away, before you come back to rebuke the hen. Nobody tell home-truth in a foreign land. You come home, to tell the home-truth !

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Netherlands, India are among the top Ten heroin trafficking countries in the world, but you don’t see their Presidents and Prime Ministers hopping from one foreign nation to another telling some stories of how useless, senseless and indiscipline, their nationals are. (*Apology to Fela Kuti aka Abami Eda). Of course, that would reduce their international engagements to farcical display of intellectual emptiness.

Well, we know President Buhari doesn’t possess the eloquence of diction or the poetry of imagination of the likes of Obama or Uhuru Kenyatta of this world. We don’t even give a flying toss about that!! But then, he should (with due respect) try and read up books and learn few things about Tact and Diplomacy. Or better still; let him go for a crash course (within Aso Rock) on International Law and Diplomacy. Let him do this for the sake of millions of Nigerians eking out honest living in foreign land and who are on the receiving end of his many “diplomatic” gaffes.

Adedayo FATOKI