By Kenneth Atavti
The social media was in a frenzy with a statement credited to the President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump which allegedly referred to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari as “lifeless” and that he would not like to meet somebody like him again.
Financial Times quoted three sources as saying that Mr. Trump told his aides that he never wanted to meet someone as lifeless as Buhari again.
It would be recalled that both leaders met in April this year which was celebrated by the Presidency and Buhari’s supporters who saw the visit as an endorsement of the All Progressives Congress, APC led federal government with Buhari as President.
“No matter how Nigerians take our own country, this is hugely an important country and this recognition is being manifested in this visit”, Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu had then said about the visit.
However, President Buhari punctured Trump’s claim insisting that he is fit and capable to run for the 2019 elections and oversee the affairs of the country for four more years despite Donald Trump’s disrespectful comments which he described as “hate speech.”
The Buhari Media Organisation, BMO in the statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Maduekwe, its Chairman and Secretary respectively, made available to Nigerian pilot, noted that this was not the first time the US President was making such derogatory remarks about World leaders, and thus President Buhari would not be distracted by such.
“We are aware that President Trump’s disrespect for World Leaders is not new; his comments on Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, calling him ‘meek and mild’; his reference to Germany’s Leader, Angela Merkel’s actions as ‘insane’, or his outlandish Tweet at the UK’s Theresa May, and more recently, the alleged remarks he made after meeting President Buhari.
“It is indeed not the first time President Trump would be heard to lower the standards of respect for his colleagues on the World Stage. We are not surprised; we know that this age-long character of the US President would not change anytime soon. But it is important that we put it on record that President Buhari remains fit and sprightly, even for the next decade”, they added.
“We recall that during President Buhari’s visit to Trump in the White House, the US President commended the successes that the Buhari administration had recorded especially in the fight against insurgency and the war on corruption.
“The US President was full of admiration for Nigeria’s President during the visit, thus such outlandish remarks as reported by the Financial Times are not just to be taken with a pinch of salt but are untrue in themselves”, the group observed.
The group further noted that President Buhari has continued to show fitness and capacity to run the country post-2019; it went further to highlight that though the President’s 800 metres walk, where he acknowledged the cheers of members of his constituency, was not intended at showboating, it was an unscripted reference point that further proves a fit and lively President.
The BMO noted that President Buhari would not be distracted by this report, whether it was indeed said or in fact unsaid, but would in his character continue to remain focused on his mandate to deliver on his promises to the Nigerian people.
It would also be recalled that sometime last year, there was a controversy over Trump’s alleged description of some African countries as “shithole”.
The Washington Post said he made the remark at a private White House meeting on January 12 but the American leader denied making such comment.
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