Yar’Adua was right to give the UN a miss

Updated: Friday 02-10-2009
Nosa Osaigbovo

PRESIDENT Umaru Yar’Adua has no fond memories of the United States. It is not a place he is eager to return to. It is a destination of dread. The president did not go to New York to address the General Assembly of the United Nations because he feared another mauling by the media.

President Yar’Adua was pilloried in the press for the awestruck statement he made in the White House after a visit to the then American president, Mr. George W. Bush. He said he would never forget the visit to the White House until his last dying breath. Some Nigerians took raging exception to the president’s hymn of humility. They called him a bumbling bumpkin, a village boy dazzled by the lights of the city. His critics said the president had disgraced Nigeria.

But Benjamin Disraeli, a leading British cabinet member who later became prime minister, had expressed similar sentiments at Oxford University after he was awarded an honorary degree. It was one rainy evening in 1853, almost 100 years before President Yar’Adua was born.

Disraeli told a large group of admiring students: ‘Gentlemen, within these classic walls I dare not presume to attempt to thank you, but, believe this, never will I forget your generous kindness.’

Disraeli was very confident even as a young man, though he was a Jew in a country where Jews were by law non-citizens only 50 years before his birth. Those who sought citizenship had to convert to Christianity.

President Yar’Adua does not have the oratorical polish and flourish of Disraeli. But dull delivery is not a crime. Oratorical power is nature’s gift and cannot be grabbed by those who do not possess it. And there is something dishonest about oratory. Oratory can be used to drive demagogy.

Disraeli the orator, the devastating debater, made a huge hash of his maiden speech in parliament. He told the members amid the tumult of derision: ‘I have begun several things many times, and have often succeeded at last. I will sit down now, but the time will come when you will hear me.’ And the time came.

President Yar’Adua was right not to go to the United Nations to be heard. Many delegates may not have sat through his speech. Almost every word that President Yar’Adua utters is punctuated with a cough. This is not his fault. Disease remains an unconquerable force in spite of amazing medical advances. Tens of serious diseases still make man’s life a misery. Those who laugh at President Yar’Adua because of his illness have lost their humanity.

Some of those who have criticised President Yar’Adua for not going to the United Nations to deliver a speech would have poured scorn on him if he had gone there and put up a poor show.

President Yar’Adua feels at home in Saudi Arabia, so why shouldn’t he go there once in a while? He does not have to make speeches there and he will not hear the screeches of protest against his rule.

Nigeria does not have the equivalent of the American Camp David. Mr. Yar’Adua needs a presidential geteaway, a Camp Comfort, as Aso Rock appears to be a fortress under siege.

The president’s escape route is to leave office at the end of his first term. He should not seek re-election; he has not been a success as president. Persistence in the absence of ability and in the face of frailty will make him a faint footnote in Nigeria’s political history.

And leaving office will remove the need for him to go to the United Nations to make speeches and give him the freedom to go to Saudi Arabia as often as he wants.

The only think that is left for us as a nation is GOD INTERVENTION. the president and his leutanants shuld barry there head with shame.

@ The Viper.-
Tom and Jerry would have been better as advicers. At least, they'll make you laugh. What these 'assholes' do makes one go cold and weak. Sometimes I hear and see somethings and get goose pimples,wondeing if I'm the only one seeing what I see. From my little experience watching home movies directed by Mumuscus,let me predict what will happen next. I could almost bet on this. - There will be serious public condemnation of this diplomatic blunder. Over the next few days, temperature will increase. In the midst of the heat, another clown will be sent to the media to make even more diplomatic blunders. The cycle continues. Then they will look for a distraction( like increase in fuel price,they have learnt to 'know' that Nigerians love distraction). Our focus changes, more puppet shows. The END (part 109884674789)

pusji:

The only think that is left for us as a nation is GOD INTERVENTION. the president and his leutanants shuld barry there head with shame.

Its like God is tired of helping us but until we help ourselve.

Obasanjo was globetrotting about, running to Washington, England , South Africa. Any little meeting, before you look up, you'll see OBJ. At the end of the day, what did he achieve for Nigeria? George Bush will sneaze, OBJ will catch cold. It was as if Bush was his prefect. Yar Adua is the exact opposite of OBJ.

 To be frank, Yar Adua has some valid points. Nigeria has done alot for the UN peace keeping force by ending It's troop, at least we deserve that recognition. I think we should go back to the drawing board and have a rethink. Nigeria's image is seriously tainted, and it is not Yar Adua's fault. He inherited it that way, but unfortunately i don't see the best he's doing to solve it anyway. Hilary Clinton came to Nigeria and was bitching; avoiding the red carpet reception is indeed disrespectful and undiplomatic. I don't see any maturity in it. But then, many of us supported her.

If Yar Adua had alot the charisma, then his actions would made more sense. As it is, Nigerians have lost confidence in their leaders because of years of disappointment. It seems the president has a game plan. Let's wait and see.

Embracing anti-American ideologies is not the solution to the glaring problems we face as a nation.

vislabraye:

 Obasanjo was globetrotting about, running to Washington, England , South Africa. Any little meeting, before you look up, you'll see OBJ. At the end of the day, what did he achieve for Nigeria? George Bush will sneaze, OBJ will catch cold. It was as if Bush was his prefect. Yar Adua is the exact opposite of OBJ.

 To be frank, Yar Adua has some valid points. Nigeria has done alot for the UN peace keeping force by ending It's troop, at least we deserve that recognition. I think we should go back to the drawing board and have a rethink. Nigeria's image is seriously tainted, and it is not Yar Adua's fault. He inherited it that way, but unfortunately i don't see the best he's doing to solve it anyway. Hilary Clinton came to Nigeria and was bitching; avoiding the red carpet reception is indeed disrespectful and undiplomatic. I don't see any maturity in it. But then, many of us supported her.

If Yar Adua had alot the charisma, then his actions would made more sense. As it is, Nigerians have lost confidence in their leaders because of years of disappointment. It seems the president has a game plan. Let's wait and see.  

You do make a good point. . . . If this tantrum lead to those poor soldiers Obj readily committed
to thankless peace keeping missions, then something good would have come out of this THING.

But to be suggest or even be hopeful there is some modicum of a coordinated cohesive policy
is to be wildly optimistic, when it comes to this government.

Even if it was a form of protest, should it not have occurred to at least one of the kunu clotted officials
in Aso Rock, substituting a university opening ceremony in Saudi Arabia for a general assembly
meeting when your own schools are shut would play badly at home.

Perhaps it did. . . . and they just shrugged it off anyway.

Talk about irresponsible leadership in Nigeria

Clearly the president is (O.Y.O) on your own . who cares if he's protesting .

and to think that he's looking for a permanent seat for Nigeria in the United Nation's security council, i would say that this so called "protest" is coming at a bad time .

Well if you ask me , i think he just didnt show up for health reasons.

the guy called yaradull won't stop fooling himself!

but it's surprising that most folks are even thinking that the mere fact that we contribute troops to peace-keeping ops should be enough for the West to tolerate a weak & visionless government or for the govt to embrace failure as its main objective cos they contributr troops!!
me thinks one of the cardinal problems of nigeria are nigerians themselves and i feel they'd continue to pay for their docile attitude in full except they collectively unite & chase this evil ruling cabal down away & into hell then shall respite comr their way.

dfanthom:

the guy called yaradull won't stop fooling himself!

but it's surprising that most folks are even thinking that the mere fact that we contribute troops to peace-keeping ops should be enough for the West to tolerate a weak & visionless government or for the govt to embrace failure as its main objective cos they contributr troops!!
me thinks one of the cardinal problems of nigeria are nigerians themselves and i feel they'd continue to pay for their docile attitude in full except they collectively unite & chase this evil ruling cabal down away & into hell then shall respite comr their way.

Wow, I never knew that Nigeria was a puppet state to the West.

The truth of the matter is that Yaraweak is very weak, and not comfortable with competitiion in the International arena, Like the saying if you don't participate you would perish, Nigeria would lose more if we do not participate in internation arena like the UN, etc

What a right decision from a sick President man, on a second thought, may be he lost confidence in himself, you know, like having complex

sandee575:

Embracing anti-American ideologies is not the solution to the glaring problems we face as a nation.

Yeah, America is the beacon of hope to the world, NOT! I'm sorry, but I don't buy into this pro-American bulls%@t. Nigeria has its own interests, both foreign and domestic, and that is what we ought to focus on.

Helllo Nairalanders,

This fool, Oke wole is a bigger fool. He is just seeking for favour from Yaru Dull and the PDP Clowns[/color][color=#990000][/color][color=#990000].

the first shocker was when Obama shunned Nigeria in his first visit to Africa and rather, chose to make uncomplimentary remarks about the country while in Ghana.

Guilty concience. Obama did not directly target those comments to Nigeria. How come Yaradull assumed that Obama was speaking to him.

We now know why? He was sick and needed medical attention.

agabaI23:

We now know why? He was sick and needed medical attention.

Off course 99% of Nigerians and even foreigners especially seconday school student knows that the man YAR A'LIAR  as I have said number without times is a shameless  LIAR. 

However, lies can go on for a thousand years, the truth will catch up in one day. This lie was only just over 2 months ago, and the wind has blown we have seen the fowl bum.

What pains me most is that this man YAR A'CLUELESS claim to be a good muslim that prays 5 times a day and go to mecca. If I were to be informed tommorrow that he killed someone I will never doubt it, because his pattern of behaviour and life mirrored that of a cool cold calculated assassin. I REFUSED TO BE FOOLED BY HIS APPEARANCE OR PROPAGANDA MACHINES OF THE PDP including Madam Rebranding!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha aaa Naija calling the shots and talking tough, wonders shall never end,