THERESA MAY’S VISIT TO NIGERIA
Sonnie Ekwowusi writes that Nigeria and Britain stand to derive mutual benefits from bilateral trade
Last week British Prime Minister Theresa May embarked on a three-day, three-African-country trade visit. The three African countries were South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. Officially, the purpose of the visit was to seek to reinvigorate the political, economic and cultural ties among the former three colonies of Britain even though in essence the visit was obviously a selling point for Brexit. Simply put, Theresa May came visiting to court the three African countries on trade relationships and economic dealings that would be of substantial benefits to Britain as she quits the European Union.
In Abuja, Prime Minister May was greeted with a tumultuous welcome. Thereafter she was driven to the Presidential Villa at Aso Rock where both Britain and Nigeria signed two bilateral agreements - defence and security partnership and economic development forum agreement. Thereafter Theresa May flew into Lagos where she met the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and the Nigerian business community before she departed to Kenya.
It is important to stress that prior to departing Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari assured May that he would conduct a free, fair and credible elections in 2019. It is hoped that President Buhari would live up to this expectation by truly and really organising a free and fair elections in Nigeria next year. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, one could say, gave the Professor Attahiru Jega-led INEC a freehand to exercise its freedom and independence in organising the 2015 elections. In contrast, nothing but suspicion has been trailing the new INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu and his newly appointed 14 resident electoral commissioners (RECs). Given the gerrymandering and electoral malpractices that marred the last Ekiti State gubernatorial election, Nigerians are still waiting for Prof. Yakubu-led INEC to demonstrate the much-vaunted transparency, impartiality and balanced interaction expected of them. With only four months to the 2019 elections, the political atmosphere is beclouded with tension, uncertainty and apprehension. Already the different political gladiators and power brokers have started issuing out warnings about the possible conflagration and Armageddon that may engulf Nigeria in 2019. Therefore in the coming months the Buhari government should douse the tension and allay the fear associated with the 2019 elections by assuring all with concrete evidence that the elections would not only be free and fair but would be manifestly seen to be so. It is only in a stable and peaceful political atmosphere devoid of conflagration that the bilateral trade relationship between Nigeria and Britain can flourish and both local and foreign investors can garner the confidence to invest in Nigeria. The general perception is that the Nigerian economy is the biggest in Africa. Unfortunately many Nigerians are reluctant to explore the trade opportunities that offer themselves to the maximum especially the trade opportunities with Britain. Now that Prime Minister May has visited Nigeria and entered into bilateral security and trade agreements with Nigeria it is high time our investors looked inward to explore the trade relations that exist between the United Kingdom and
IT IS HOPED THAT PRESIDENT BUHARI WOULD LIVE UP TO EXPECTATION BY TRULY ORGANISING A FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA NEXT YEAR
Nigeria. Instead of travelling outside the Commonwealth to look for business finance and investment, Nigerians should engage in bilateral trade relationship with the UK and thus could learn from UK best trade practices that could entice other nations. Undoubtedly both Nigeria and Britain stand to derive mutual benefits from a bilateral trade especially now that Nigeria boasts that she had wriggled out of economic recession.
Having said this, the Buhari government should not succumb to the allure of British-Nigeria bilateral trade relationship that would put Nigeria in economic and cultural shackles. It is unfortunate that many independent African countries are still living under the shadow and exploitation of their former colonial masters and other powerful countries. For example, prior to the passage of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act in 2014 former British Prime Minister David Camerons had issued a statement threatening that if Nigeria proceeded to enact the law she would lose developmental aid from Britain. Of course, Nigeria ignored Cameron’s threat and went ahead to enact the anti-gay law.
But Britain is undeterred. She continues to mount pressure on Nigeria and other African countries to legalise gay marriage. Just last April, Britain hosted a meeting of Commonwealth countries, including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. In that meeting, Prime Minister May told Nigeria and other Commonwealth nations to legalise gay marriage. She described the law banning gay marriage as “outdated legislation.” Apparently referring to Nigeria and other countries which had banned gay marriage, Prime Minister May pledged the support of Britain to any of the countries that was ready to revoke its anti-gay law. The logical question is: if President Buhari does not interfere in the manner Britain enacts her laws, why should Prime Minister May interfere in the manner Nigeria enacts her laws? In my humble view, Nigeria should just ignore May in the same way Nigeria ignored Cameron in 2014. Nigerian is an independent country. She is no longer under the tutelage of Britain. Therefore Nigeria must protect, preserve and promote her cultural heritage as a people in consonance with section 19 of the 1999 Constitution. All countries are not the same. Every country grows with its own identity and values. Gay marriage is not a Nigerian cultural heritage. If Britain does not want to give us development aid because of our affinity to our cultural identity, so be it.
On May 14, 2018, the Director of the Kenya School of Laws Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba presented a paper at the Rwanda National Security Symposium. The title of the paper was, “Africa is on the dinner table Eaten by Superpowers”. In the said paper, Prof Lumumba stated that Africa should not think that it is free from colonialism. Citing the tragedies in Somalia, Northern Mali, Cameroun, Southern Sudan and so forth which were exacerbated by western interferences, Prof. Lumumba regretted that the conceptual West thinks that it has the divine duty to dictate to Africans how they should govern themselves and conversely Africans believe that they the divine duty to listen to and obey the West.