Afolabi Gambari
Between Nigeria and France, as emblematised by President Bola Tinubu’s eighth visit to France since assuming office on May 29 2023, there should now be what from old times was referred to as “exchange is no robbery”. Chroniclers have reckoned that in all eight visits, the Nigerian leader has spent a total of 59 days in Paris, that is, if the official presidential statement of April 16 disclosing that the president left Paris and was on his way to London is reckoned.
It is on record, however, that Tinubu’s counterpart in France, Emmanuel Macron, has visited Nigeria only once in the corresponding period. It can then, therefore, be asked: what is in France that would make Tinubu frequent the place while Macron has not reciprocated the gesture in equal measure?
When President Tinubu departed Abuja for France on April 2, an official statement told Nigerians that he would be in the European country for a “two-week working visit” during which he would “evaluate the mid-term performance of his administration and review significant achievements”. The statement also said he would “take this opportunity to assess the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning in anticipation of his administration’s second anniversary”. Furthermore, the statement said, “This period of reflection will inform plans to deepen ongoing reforms and accelerate national development priorities in the coming year”.
According to the statement, the “initiatives” listed above were underscored by “recent economic advancements” as “highlighted by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s report of a substantial rise in net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11 billion, reflecting the administration’s fiscal reforms since 2023, when net reserves stood at $3.99 billion”.
To be sure, hardly anything has happened since May 29, 2023, that has not had far-reaching effects on the generality of Nigerians; the more for negativities than the positives that have been projected non-stop, even though most of them are yet to be felt. So, what positives could not have been seen or felt such that they would require being “reviewed” in far-away France?
The statement fell just short of saying Mr. President would not cede power to anyone, not even while he was away for two weeks, as his stay in Paris would be ‘home away from home’. “During his absence,” the statement emphasised, “President Tinubu “will stay actively involved with his team and will maintain oversight of governance activities”. In conclusion, the statement said: “He will return to Nigeria in about a fortnight.” In the language of diplomats, the phrase “in about a fortnight” left an open-ended message – a matter for concern.
By April 16 when it was apparent that the “two weeks” notice neared its expiration, the presidency, which had not issued any release on the “working visit”, issued a fresh release in which it stated that the president “remains fully engaged in Nigeria’s governance even though he is away in Europe”. It also assured that “the president’s absence from the country remains temporary and in line with the communicated timeframe of approximately two weeks”. Although France had been declared as Mr. President’s destination in the April 2 statement, aforementioned, the April 16 statement said the president “left Paris for London at the weekend and has maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country”.
To assuage frayed nerves, the statement assured: “The President’s commitment to his duties remains unwavering, and his administration continues to function effectively under his leadership. We appreciate the public’s concern and assure all Nigerians that governance proceeds without interruption.”
In a terse statement on April 21, however, Tinubu’s Senior Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said on his X handle: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will return home today.” But whether he returned or not was no longer the issue. The real issue, for sure, bordered on accountability. The last two weeks in the country have been anything but palatable: hundreds of innocent people have been massacred in Benue and Plateau states by suspected herders who are not only on the loose but also seem bent on perpetrating genocide. On the whole, no fewer than 200 people have lost their lives. To be fair, Onanuga said the president had “maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country”. But it was too obvious to be stated that the matters needing urgent attention at home had proved far more vital to national well-being than the agenda stated for the president’s “working visit” to France and it amounted to sheer abdication of responsibility for him to insist on staying away for the two weeks duration of the visit. After all, rather than the mayhem in Benue and Plateau to abate, it only escalated in human toll, despite his directives to the security chiefs, as Onanuga stated.
Beyond opposition politics, the reactions of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party presidential candidates in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi, to Tinubu’s absence are well in order. Atiku said: “Nigerians are yearning for real leadership, someone who is present and actively engaged.” Obi also said: “Mr. President should suspend whatever he is doing in France and return home to address these disturbing issues.”
Back to the “exchange is no robbery” aphorism: would President Macron have ever insisted on remaining in Nigeria on a two-week “working visit” while any part of France burns and his spokesperson would continuously issue releases assuring the French people that Macron is giving directives to his security chiefs from Nigeria on how to calm the situation? No need to go any further to affirm that Macron will not contemplate such, let alone act it out. So, if Macron would not, why should Tinubu?
Between Nigeria and France, as emblematised by President Bola Tinubu’s eighth visit to France since assuming office on May 29 2023, there should now be what from old times was referred to as “exchange is no robbery”. Chroniclers have reckoned that in all eight visits, the Nigerian leader has spent a total of 59 days in Paris, that is, if the official presidential statement of April 16, disclosing that the president left Paris and was on his way to London, was reckoned.
It is on record, however, that Tinubu’s counterpart in France, Emmanuel Macron, has visited Nigeria only once in the corresponding period. It can then, therefore, be asked: what is in France that would make Tinubu frequent the place while Macron has not reciprocated the gesture in equal measure?
When President Tinubu departed Abuja for France on April 2, an official statement told Nigerians that he would be in the European country for a “two-week working visit” during which he would “evaluate the mid-term performance of his administration and review significant achievements”. The statement also said he would “take this opportunity to assess the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning in anticipation of his administration’s second anniversary”. Furthermore, the statement said, “This period of reflection will inform plans to deepen ongoing reforms and accelerate national development priorities in the coming year”.
According to the statement, the “initiatives” listed above were underscored by “recent economic advancements” as “highlighted by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s report of a substantial rise in net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11 billion, reflecting the administration’s fiscal reforms since 2023, when net reserves stood at $3.99 billion”.
To be sure, hardly anything has happened since May 29, 2023, that has not had far-reaching effects on the generality of Nigerians; the more for negativities than the positives that have been projected non-stop, even though most of them are yet to be felt. So, what positives could not have been seen or felt such that they would require being “reviewed” in far-away France?
The statement fell just short of saying Mr. President would not cede power to anyone, not even while he was away for two weeks, as his stay in Paris would be ‘home away from home’. “During his absence,” the statement emphasised, “President Tinubu “will stay actively involved with his team and will maintain oversight of governance activities”. In conclusion, the statement said: “He will return to Nigeria in about a fortnight.” In the language of diplomats, the phrase “in about a fortnight” left an open-ended message – a matter for concern.
By April 16 when it was apparent that the “two weeks” notice neared its expiration, the presidency, which had not issued any release on the “working visit”, issued a fresh release in which it stated that the president “remains fully engaged in Nigeria’s governance even though he is away in Europe”. It also assured that “the president’s absence from the country remains temporary and in line with the communicated timeframe of approximately two weeks”. Although France had been declared as Mr. President’s destination in the April 2 statement, aforementioned, the April 16 statement said the president “left Paris for London at the weekend and has maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country”.
Apparently, to assuage frayed nerves, the statement assured: “The President’s commitment to his duties remains unwavering, and his administration continues to function effectively under his leadership. We appreciate the public’s concern and assure all Nigerians that governance proceeds without interruption.”
Beyond opposition politics, the reactions of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party presidential candidates in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi to Tinubu’s absence are well in order. Atiku said: “Nigerians are yearning for real leadership, someone who is present and actively engaged.” Obi also said: “Mr. President should suspend whatever he is doing in France and return home to address these disturbing issues.”
In a terse statement on April 21, however, Tinubu’s Senior Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said on his X handle: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will return home today.” But whether he returned or not was no longer the issue. The real issue, for sure, bordered on accountability. The last two weeks in the country have been anything but palatable: hundreds of innocent people have been massacred in Benue and Plateau states by suspected herders who are not only on the loose but also seem bent on perpetrating genocide. On the whole, no fewer than 200 people have lost their lives. To be fair, Onanuga said the president had “maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country”. But it was too obvious to be stated that the matters needing urgent attention at home had proved far more vital to national well-being than the agenda stated for the president’s “working visit” to France and it amounted to sheer abdication of responsibility for him to insist on staying away for the two weeks duration of the visit. After all, rather than the mayhem in Benue and Plateau to abate, it only escalated in human toll, despite his directives to the security chiefs, as Onanuga stated.
Back to the “exchange is no robbery” aphorism: would President Macron have ever insisted on remaining in Nigeria on a two-week “working visit”? At the same time, any part of France burns, and his spokesperson continuously issues releases assuring the French people that Macron is giving directives to his security chiefs from Nigeria on how to calm the situation. No need to go any further to affirm that Macron will not contemplate such, let alone act it out. So, if Macron would not, why should Tinubu?
