Europe and the United States are full of white folks who resent foreigners - especially black and brown ones - and want to put a stop to both legal and illegal immigration.
This is why I don't understand why a significant number of Nigerians voted for Donald Trump or cheered him on from afar. Given that he is aggressively leading the anti-immigration movement in America and always threatening to build a wall to keep darkies out, is it not the height of self-hatred and folly to regard Trump as an asset?
Do his Naija acolytes not realise that left to him, no Nigerian would ever get a US visa again and those who are already in-country would be turfed out or pushed into a corner and marginalised?!
There are quite a few Trumpian whites in Europe too; but guess what? Many immigrants (including some illegals!) make valuable contributions to American and European societies and economies.
When I am in London, almost every Uber taxi I enter is driven by a non-white. When I go for medicals, the hospitals are full of non-European staff. It's the same story on public transport and in care homes, supermarkets, restaurants, etc.
Sometimes, you need to withdraw your labour to be appreciated; and left to me, foreigners in the US and UK would all go on strike for a day or two. And, trust me, all those bigots who want them out will have a change of heart when almost everything grinds to a halt!
Free Dele!
When Chief Afe Babalola, the eminent Senior Advocate of Nigeria, philanthropist and native of Ekiti State, petitioned the police to arrest Dele Farotimi, the highly vocal human rights lawyer, earlier this week, I doubt that he anticipated the uproar that would ensue OR the amount of support the victim of his ire would attract.
Farotimi - whom I admire and have fulsomely praised on this page in the past - is outspoken and iconoclastic. I don't agree with everything he says, but I love his eloquence and intellectual energy...and the fact that he isn't scared of anyone and doesn't hesitate to criticise powerful miscreants. In a country full of cowards (this columnist included), he stands out from the crowd.
OK so Farotimi has deeply angered Babalola, who is bitterly accusing him of libel and cyber bullying. But even if Farotimi is guilty as charged, a seasoned legal luminary like Babalola knows very well that defamation and online harassment are classified as civil wrongs rather than criminal offences in the Lagos State statute book.
In any case, I don't believe that Babalola's complaint is the real reason why Farotimi was dragged out of his office, Gestapo-style, by Rapid Response Squad operatives then unceremoniously bundled into a car boot and driven to a correctional centre in Ado Ekiti.
I strongly suspect that the authorities don't really give a toss about Babalola's whingeing and are simply using it as an excuse for punishing a rebel who supported Peter Obi's presidential candidacy and has been a pain in this government's neck and thorn in its side.
Whatever motivated Farotimi's abductors, it quickly became clear that their heavy-handed attempt to traumatise and disgrace him had backfired spectacularly.
He already had a substantial fan club and it is now growing by the hour. His enemies have, in a nutshell, turned him into a hero and poster boy for Nigerians who are disgruntled about a wide range of issues, including corruption in high places and economic hardship.
Distinguished organisations and individuals - including Amnesty International, Afenifere and the Nigerian Bar Association - have rushed to demand his immediate and unconditional release
Social media platforms are awash with supportive posts from Farotimi defenders and enraged condemnations of the undemocratic Cyber Crimes Act - which Amnesty International has described as "one of the most repressive legislations frequently used to gag freedom of expression and prevent accountability."
Meanwhile, his book titled NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM is selling briskly on Amazon and is number one in the elections category.
I'm also hearing that a nationwide and global protest is planned.
Babalola's reputation is taking a huge hit.
Ironically and contradictorily, he generously donated 10 million pounds to London University's King's College, to advance human rights in Africa and fund education of African students.
King's College is said to be concerned about this furore. It is being pressurised to return the money to its tarnished benefactor and the last thing it needs is placard-waving protestors on its doorstep.
I urge Chief Babalola to back down and withdraw from the mess he has orchestrated. He is over 90 years old and has done many good things and does not need this horrible image-destroying hassle at this late point in a career that has been essentially distinguished.
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Donu's world
I have a YouTube channel. It's called DONU'S WORLD.
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