Congressman Bimbo Daramola wrote:

#When a #Photograph #SPEAKS:

The chinese have a saying, that a picture can speak more than a thousand words.

When I saw this picture, coming at a time that the cyberspace is pouring torrentially with bad press about 82 Nigerians just busted by the FBI for cyberfraud, I heaved a sigh of relief.

I said to myself this picture is a good PR statement no matter how little, at least it says all Nigerians are not fraudulent, if one of us Dr. Akinwunmi could have the ears of the "unusual" President of the United States.

This picture says it. Whatever he may be saying and for POTUS to also be willing to listen is suggestive of the fact that Akinwunmi is bold, confident, and could hold his own against anybody in the world.

I am sure not a few people outside of Nigeria , maybe Americans who care to, most couldn't be anyway, would have asked who is that guy, and of course that question will lead to the biography of Dr Akinwunmi as the President of African Development Bank , and of course will end in he is a Nigerian, same Nigeria!!

This picture also shows contemporary relationship bonding strategy for maximum impact in international diplomacy, it's a contemporary tiny details of inching into indelible place in the consciousness of world leaders, these days world leaders try to give that sence of buddy buddy relationship, no arms length handshakes anymore, but hi--fives, back slapping, hand in hand walks etc, that is an effective way of bonding for maximum value .

This is the tenor of world leaders camaraderie

The days of "fear and trepidation" is gone, but this only happens when you are sure footed leader , knowledgeable and conversant.

I recall with nostalgia that President Olusegun Obasanjo had demonstrated this attitude of making other Presidents know that "you are not superior to me" severally, recall Presidents Bush 's trip, and many of his official foreign trips.

With that attitude, it impacted our national voice , place, standing and presence in global reckoning.

I recall that when I was shooting the documentary of Olusegun Obasanjo, I told him I have not been able to secure audience with President Nelson Mandela for his perspective . So President Obasanjo said we should be on that trip to Racism conference in Durban, and we will stop by to see the great MADIBA in Jo'burg.

We got to his residence and the great MADIBA walked out to receive him, backslapping and hugging like lost and found friends, and Madiba threw his hand round Olusegun Obasanjo's neck as buddies would, while he also wrapped his around his mid riff.

Needless to say, he just said MADIBA, this young man is working on a documentary and wants your perspective, President Mandela in his guttural voice Yes Yes I will be glad to, ending OLU is my friend and a great support for the struggle to free South Africa. That nailed it and the appointment got booked .

I recall that NTA was glad to use that picture couple of times to the refreshing psyche of Nigerians when we returned home, somehow pictures like that could accentuate our psychological state to know that our President or any of our nationals is that well accepted by other leaders around the world.

It will do us a little bit of good to see more of this bits and pieces of "image supporting" pecks from time to time going forward.

It kind of helps. At least for feel good effect that all the apples are not rottened.

#Congressman #bimbo #Daramola

29th August 2019.

Abuja,Nigeria.

tell dat to d Americans

It's jus in d heat of d moment.. Even d Americans know not all Nigerians are into fraud... D issue isn't even helped by moronic ethnic bigots who go about making derogatory comments becos of d ethnicity of d culprits but den dey forget dat it is d same issue we have been grasping back home here for years now; d problem of Yahoo Yahoo... We see how our young ppl these days in higher institutions abhor and celebrate fraud like it's a very normal thing.. Is it a South Eastern Problem alone? From Lagos to Ogun, to Most South western Universities down to Owerri, Asaba and Benin and most South Southern Universities, Gboys are now d modern trend but everyone wants to pretend it's a regional problem becos a syndicate was busted...

OK oh