Former Nigerian High Commissioner to Australia, Ambassador Adegboyega Ariyo, has expressed optimism that the new United States President Donald Trump will help return the nation’s stolen funds stashed away in some Western countries.
Ariyo spoke yesterday as a guest speaker at Diplomatic Dialogue, an intellectual discourse organised by the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
The discourse was entitled: “Donald Trump’s Ascension to American Presidency: Implications for Nigeria, Africa and the World.”
Ariyo, who also served as Nigerian High Commissioner to Namibia and Head of Diplomatic Corps to the Southern African country, said there are some positives the Trump Presidency portends for Nigeria and other African countries, contrary to fears being expressed in some quarters.
The ex-envoy said if Trump carries out his threat to send many Africans back to their home countries, many Nigerian professionals and intellectuals who have abandoned their homeland in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece will help develop their country.
But Ariyo explained that Trump may not carry out many of the threats he issued during the American presidential election campaign because he has to carry along some institutions like the Congress, the Pentagon, the intelligence community along before taking decisions.
He noted that some of Trump’s advisers who have African background like a Nigerian he appointed, Bayo Ogunlesi, would mellow him down in taking decisions that affect the continent.
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Mellow Trump down. I think not. If there is a clear win for America, perhaps. Otherwise Africa is on its own. African leaders has better wake up.