By Prof.Bekeh Ukelina
Imagine a once-powerful giant, a Goliath capable of winning any battle. Now, imagine that same giant so infirm that he cannot lift a finger to swat a fly.
This is the tragic story of Nigeria. Once the self-styled “Giant of Africa,” our nation now sits in the Intensive
Care Unit: sick, helpless, and heavily indebted. We are currently too militarily weak to repel the bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, and separatists who have invaded our land. The leadership we once provided to the continent has vanished.
A few weeks ago, the United States followed through on Donald Trump’s threats to target terrorists and protect Christians within our borders. In the early hours of
Christmas Day, Sokoto State was bombed .
Shockingly, the Nigerian government
expressed pride in “cooperating” with the operation. In a truly sovereign nation, allowing a foreign power to carry out independent military strikes on your soil is a confession of failure. This act alone should disqualify President Tinubu from seeking a second term. The primary responsibility of any government is to provide security; yet, despite the
billions of dollars voted for defense annually, it took American bombs to make Nigerians feel a semblance of safety.
In my conversations with Nigerians across rural and urban areas, both Christians and Muslims, I was stunned by the sentiment. Many actually welcomed an American
“invasion.” When I asked if they feared the U.S. might seize Nigeria’s resources, the response was consistent and heartbreaking: they wouldn’t mind, as long as they had peace. This is the cry of people who have lost all faith in their own leaders. They are willing to trade everything, even their national wealth, for the basic right to live without fear.
The shift in our foreign policy is equally revealing. The Nigeria of old, the one that stood with South Africa to block the establishment of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) no longer exists. Following Trump’s removal of Maduro in Venezuela, the Nigerian
government has remained eerily silent. A few decades ago, Nigeria would have been the first to condemn such an intervention. Today, Tinubu is walking on thin ice with the Trump administration. Fearing the “wrath of Trump,” his government chooses silence over principle.
Given Tinubu’s deep unpopularity, one has to wonder how Nigerians view the recent events in Venezuela. I suspect many would be perfectly fine with the U.S. taking him back to Chicago. However, there is a limit to this desperation. Nigerians are a proud people; while they crave security, they would be deeply uncomfortable with the idea of
Trump running the country directly or turning Nigeria into a “United States Overseas Territory.”
We are at a crossroads. We want peace, but we are currently paying for it with our pride and our sovereignty.
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