"It is unthinkable that wisdom should ever be popular" - Johann Von Goethe, 1749-1832.
The most appropriate quotation for this article should have been taken from the Bible: "O foolish Galatians, who had bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth..." (Galatians 3:1.) But, right from the first day of writing columns for VANGUARD Newspapers, I had deliberately kept my religion under wraps.
There is virtually nothing in the Bible that had not been said by philosophers and others, hundreds of years before Christ was born and after his death. Otherwise, this article should actually have been titled 'O FOOLISH NIGERIANS!'
Until Christmas Day, 2025, I have had my doubts about the intelligence and wisdom of many of our "leaders of thought", operating offline and on social media.
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Trump's unilateral attack on Nigeria, eagerly disguised as collaborative venture, removed all lingering doubts regarding how totally unintelligent and foolish some Nigerians can be.
"If gold rusts, what then would iron do?" - Geoffrey Chaucer, 1342-1400.
A former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF/SAN, was reported to have called upon President Trump to come and bomb Benue State - without indicating where to be bombed.
There is probably no nation on earth where the chief law enforcement officer would not be counted among the most intelligent among the people.
At the very least, one would expect an AGF/SAN to understand that people's lives in any country or community cannot be wasted by a foreign power, on the invitation of misguided elements without proof beyond reasonable doubt. Yet, this Christian already had in mind those he wanted summarily executed without proof of guilt.
My article two weeks ago titled, 'MASSIVE DECEPTION ON TRUMP'S BUNGLED STRIKE', brought the second largest rejoinder since I had the guts to defend the young Muslim Nigerian who wanted to blow up a Delta Airlines flight from London to New York by planting a bomb in his underwear. While majority of columnists regarded him as a terrorist, I saw a mentally-disturbed person. My reason: why should a man who stood to inherit billions of naira want to kill himself without serious problems? He was the only person certain to die if the explosive had gone off. Over 90 percent of the rejoinders came from Christians - some threatening me personally; invitations to my daughter's wedding, previously accepted with promises to attend, were returned - some with nasty remarks. A few months later, the son of a wealthy Arab was also caught with a bomb in his luggage on board a flight to America. His lawyers pleaded insanity and he was sent to a mental home for six months - before being allowed to go home. The unfortunate Nigerian youth is probably still serving his sentence.
My article questioning the authenticity of Trump's and Nigerian official claims, while also pleading that Nigerians should rise against American intervention, elicited the same response from fellow Christians. None of them offered proof to defend official claims. Instead, they all agreed that the bombs, which landed in empty farms in Sokoto, as well as, residential buildings and a hotel in Offa, could not be called precision-bombing and endangered innocent lives.
Furthermore, with ISIS operating mostly in the North-East and North-Central, bombing North-West and Offa constituted a military blunder.
Still, the bungled strikes were fully supported - until I asked them one question: Would you have endorsed it if one of those bombs landed on your house or in your community?
The silence which followed reflected a great deal on the ability of some of us to think through complex issues such as these. At the heart of Trump's attack is the matter of motivation. The most important question which each Nigerian should be asking is: In whose interest is Trump embarking on this potentially disastrous, for Nigeria, that is, venture whose consequences might last for generations? Reframed, is Trump actually working in Nigeria's interest? For good measure, we might even ask: Is Trump working in American interest? Strange as the last question might be, it actually unlocks the answer to the question of motives. And, how can those be determined? Trump has provided the answer by taking steps in three other countries - Venezuela, Iran and Greenland. Nigeria, Venezuela, Iran and Greenland share several attributes in common. They are rich in oil and rare mineral resources craved by the US in its death-struggle with China; which has a stranglehold on Trump's country. Trump has no interest in any strategic resource-poor nation - Afghanistan, Myanmar - irrespective of the human rights atrocities committed there. His interest is transactional and rapacious. Our own Uncle Sam, at the launching of a book on January 15, 2026, in Lagos, dubbed him The President General of the Universe. Uncle Sam, an elder statesman in Nigeria, needed to be polite. A more apt description of Trump would be aspiring Global Mafia Godfather - who now goes around the world making other nations "offers you can't refuse". That is gangsterism; not global leadership.
IS ENDORSING RE-COLONISATION A SOLUTION TO NIGERIAN INSECURITY?
"There is no equality in the world of power; the masters calculate, at a usurious rate, their own blood" (Albert Camus, 1913-1960). Irrespective of whether the issue is insecurity in Nigeria or dictatorship in Venezuela, Nigerians, mostly Christians, endorsing Trump's intervention in Nigerian affairs, have not taken a close look at the saviour they are inviting. To start with, Trump is not even a Christian in any true sense of the word. Like conmen everywhere, he had seized on the sentiments of white and racist clergymen in America to carve out a solid base. He plays to their biases and they ignore all the evidence available, including convictions for sex offences, alleged cheating on taxes, serial lying and moral turpitude. Trump worships only two gods passionately - power and money - which are inextricably linked. Because he is not smart enough, despite alleged cheating several times, he is not among the top 1, 000 richest people in the world. Fortune, however, plays tricks with humans. For the second time, he now wields the greatest power in the world. Delirium of power has set in. If he becomes fully involved in Nigerian affairs, our President would become a glorified errand boy. There will be no power sharing. Why?
TRUMP HATES NIGERIANS IRRESPECTIVE OF RELIGION
"Better a declared enemy than a doubtful ally" - Napoleon Bonaparte, 1769-1821.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has introduced the following measures destined to impact Nigeria and Nigerians negatively:
· Cancelled USAID operations; thereby putting the lives of millions of black kids at risk globally
· Slapped 25% tariff on all imports to America from Nigeria.
· Introduced stronger immigration laws and created ICE resulting in deportation of more Nigerians than ever before
· US State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries - including Nigeria. 5, 000 intending Nigerian immigrants delayed and might be denied entry.
· US visa restrictions will certainly affect airlines, Air Peace especially - which flies mostly Nigerians.
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· Number of Nigerians deported from the US expected to increase this year.
· Trump's policies set to significantly reduce funds flow from the US estimated at $24 billion a year.
Given all these, it is difficult to understand how any Nigerian would even contemplate inviting Trump to return to Nigeria and bomb more places. A more sensible request would have been to ask for military supplies and intelligence support and for our President to say like Churchill, 1874-1965, said to America during WWII, "Just give us the weapons; and we will get the job done."
The $9 million lobbying expense money well spent
"A tempest in a tea pot."
Nigerians never cease to amaze me. The noise over the nine million dollars paid to lobbyists by the Tinubu administration is perhaps the best money spent in two years and eight months in office. To begin with, virtually every government employs and pays lobbyists - in addition to their embassy staff. Invariably, they are citizens of the country; who can help fast-track action when needed. At least 50 Nigerians are lobbyists (agents) for several nations in Abuja. Certainly, there is nothing unusual about it. In fact, it was shocking to me to learn that Nigeria is just getting its acts together in Washington.
Why a lobbyist now? Imagine if you can, an enraged bull or, worse still, a lunatic with hammer, in your shop full of fragile merchandise. Commonsense dictates that you treat the unwanted visitor with utmost delicacy and patience. Right now, nine million dollars is a cheap price to pay if it can keep our uninvited guest away permanently. Critics of that measure should think again.
Thank you, President Tinubu for thinking of it.
·Follow me on Facebook @ J Israel Biola
