In all the creative possibilities that Screen writers have tried to put together concerning the inviolable nature of the White House, none has come close to imagining that an actual bulldozer would sink its teeth deep into that structure that is most admired around the world. This is literally—-
‘White House Down.’
What we are witnessing in Trump 2.0 is a man who is testing everything traditional American; everything Social American; everything Institutional American; everything Legal American; and everything First Amendment Freedom of the Press American —-and no one seems to be able to stop him.
The Judges in Superior Courts, both Republican, and Democratic appointed seem to have run out of breath in dealing with myriads of issues that Trump is pushing, and taking a bite out of—-as he tests how far he can really go. He is biting and he is chewing away, and even he is wondering why the so-called guardrails for the preservation of the American Constitution, and democracy are not pushing back to stop him. Truth is, those who tried to push back depended on the Supreme Court to be able to stand behind them. These days, when they look back, they wonder if the Court will still be there when they look back the next time. So, for them, why take the chance therefore?
According to information filtering out of sources close to the White House, the President plans to name the new gold-gilded ballroom after his most favorite person in the world—-Trump.
The question arising from this entire conversation is this: If indeed there is a necessity for a Ballroom, is there no room to accommodate a stand-alone brand new building that could be the exclusive ballroom?
Did part of a historical edifice really have to come down?
If every president decides to indulge their own idiosyncrasies regarding the look of the building, and if there were no historical, ethical, traditional, or otherwise cultural considerations on the table, would the edifice not lose its significance?
What’s to stop another president, going by precedence—-from tearing down the entire building to build a Chinese architectural palace there because he is 5th generation Chinese American?
There are many reasons why communities or nations sometimes leave things the way they are—-essentially in a quest to preserve history, and to anticipate and forestall a slippery slope phenomenon.
Rare Earths, Chinese Dominance, and Tariffs.
What are Rare Earths?
They are minerals that are essential for modern technologies like smartphones, electric vehicles, and defense equipment. Despite their name, they are not truly rare but are difficult and costly to extract and process because they are dispersed throughout the Earth’s crust and are often mixed with other elements.
Rare Earths group includes 17 elements: scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium).
China, through its long term strategic thinking initiatives has built relationships that ensure dominance in the control of these minerals across the world. So, when America began to shout about tariffs, China just pulled out a joker— “We will also restrict the exports of Rare Earth minerals.”
America has made some pivot on the tariff threat.
The message is clear—‘We no longer live in a world with only one superpower.’
The two countries must sit down to negotiate as equals.
There is no doubt that Trump is obsessed with China. In turn, China makes it a policy for America to draw ‘First Blood.’ When they do, they have the power to reply in equal measure.
What is interesting about the new geo-political landscape is the fact that China, and Russia hated each other for a long time largely because of the wide gulf in their interpretation of “The Communist Manifesto” propounded by Karl Max and Friedrich Engels. And so, when Nixon met with Chairman Mao Zedong in 1972, they sought among other things to forge a rapprochement between both nations as a bulwark against a threatening Russian bully next door.
How times change.
Today, the former bully bows to China’s economic and military might.
The subject of this discourse goes beyond mere power, it is in the enduring collective knowledge entrenched in the Chinese society to hold long term positions on strategic issues.
During his 1972 meeting with Nixon, Chairman Mao Zedong told Nixon that the issue of taking Taiwan could wait, with one account quoting him as saying, “We can wait, maybe even a hundred years.” This was a strategic move to allow for a broader alliance between the U.S. and China against the Soviet Union, acknowledging that the military settlement of the Taiwan issue would be separated from the political one, and they could “kick it down the road.”
It was a bold declaration against a beleaguered American president whose country was hemorrhaging in Vietnam in a never-ending war where the Vietnamese were being aided by the Chinese who were determined not to allow America prevail in its hemisphere—-a Chinese version of the ‘Monroe doctrine’ which stated inter alia that no European power may dream of establishing a foothold in any portion of the Americas as this would be considered an act of aggression.
This brings us to another argument regarding immigration. Imagine if a far-thinking American president would just redefine the Monroe doctrine to embrace the concept of a ‘Marshall Plan’ type of investments in the American hemisphere to stem the tide of immigration. There would be no need to build walls on the Southern border.
Nigerian National Security challenges.
Back, front and center, the biggest worry on the minds of Nigerians at home or in the diaspora is the issue of security. To this end, the recent developments in Bornu State where Governor Zulum is crying out that hoodlums are using drones in their attacks must worry every Nigerian. The question to be asked really is: Why has it taken so long for the Federal Government to think through the decision to deploy drones all these years?
Do we forbid to live free of fear in our own country?
I was 21 when I bought my first car. I drove across Nigeria from Lagos through the East to the North and back all by myself. There were no potholes, I was not afraid. There were no kidnappers, and no bandits.
Our situation today in Nigeria ought to call for reflection. How did we get here? How did we allow the indolence, neglect, and utter disregard, and disrespect of the large population of the North by the Northern oligarchy to lead us to this passé?
Country of Particular Concern.
This is a designation that no country wants, especially a developing country like Nigeria. When the United States does this to a country, many bad things begin to happen especially regarding foreign direct investments. The killings of Christians in Kaduna through the last 30 years beginning with Zango-Kataf and continuing under El Rufai as governor should long have earned Nigeria this status. However, it’s better late than never. We can only hope that the United States Government will not be too preoccupied with its own domestic problems to follow through with this policy. The problem is that once this designation takes a hold as law, sanctions will follow, and with sanctions, we all hurt as a country. Historically, sanctions have never helped the people they are meant to protect. Nigeria can respond to this situation by passing a bill for State Police immediately. That is a better response than denying that the problem exists. Everywhere you look these days, the new set of people who do the odd jobs of maids, guards, farming, etc, are Christians from North Central States whose families have been wiped out and whose villages have ceased to exist.
State Police Now.
A Coup or What?
Speculations are rife that there was a coup attempt recently. Is it true or is it not true? Our sources at Aso Rock are not saying anything. We will therefore leave the matter where it belongs—in the realm of speculation. If however, there is some truth to it, then, it may be pertinent to ask this question: How far and where did 39 years of military rule by a certain group of people from a certain part of the country lead us? If anyone has any answers, I would love to listen.
Be that as it may, one may then want to ask the pertinent question—-on the face of everything that we know, why should anyone or any group of people feel so aggrieved that they believe that the only option available to them is a coup d’ etat?
What will a coup seek to address or change in the polity?
Can we address some of those burning issues that a so-called coup would possibly seek to solve?
One of those issues might be grand scale corruption versus Nation building. Can both work hand-in-hand?
Any time one travels abroad, one tends to look for a pothole on the road.
One also tends to want to iron clothes and get them ready before NEPA ‘takes light.’
In a hearty conversation with a much admired and much loved younger friend, he had this to say: “Corruption is not the problem. There’s corruption everywhere—-in the United States, (you need a really good lawyer to free you); in China, (you will be executed if you are convicted); in the Middle Eastern countries, (you may only steal if you are a prince otherwise your hands will be chopped off).
He continues:
“In all the above listed countries, they still manage to get things done at a very high standard.”
“Corruption is not the problem. Competence is the issue,” he concluded.
I will be thinking about this conversation for a long time.
Another issue that a potential coup might seek to address is power rotation—-the idea that power has stayed too long in a particular region to the exclusion of other regions. This issue must bring everyone to the table. We cannot on one hand be shouting—merit, while we also scream — power rotation between North and South while at the same time, there is no constitutional stipulation to that effect. If for the purpose of enduring peace, we decide to adjust, and adapt our system to include how power should rotate among six geopolitical zones, by all means, we must address the issue in a Constitutional Conference which explicitly addresses not just North, and South but especially the zone to which it must go. I believe that this kind of agreement should go a long way in addressing what a coup might seek to address.
It is also hoped that whenever that conversation comes up, Nigerians must also decide whether it is right, fair, and just for any section of the country to adopt State religion while they still seek to benefit from VAT from alcohol sales that they ban in their own States. Everything must be on the table. No one region of the country owns the country more than any other region. If the military cannot conquer bandits now, why do they think they can do it better when they are burdened with their own new era of grand corruption?
Nation building is a continuum.
We must evolve a long term view therefore, in order to achieve stability in the polity.
A Cosmopolitan Benin City Rising.
Sources close to the government of Edo State say that people should be looking out for concrete achievements by the Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo by June 2026. By that time, they say the 1-mile long bridge on Ikpoba Hill should be ready. They also say, that the State is looking to building the most sophisticated traffic, and transportation system in Nigeria.
Edo Line is already running for example. We will all wait and see. When the time for the fulfillment of these ideas comes, we will let the world know. For now, as Egogonews has opined in the past, the people of Edo State want some quick wins. The Governor should instruct the Ministry of Works to embark upon patching inner city roads as we enter the dry season.
Until we meet again next week, goodbye, and good luck.
#StatePoliceNow
