President Barack ObamaBy Paul OhiaPresident Barack Obama of the United
States is billed to begin his second tour of Africa at the end of June
with visits to South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda.He will however make a
stopover in Nigeria, during which he will hold bilateral discussions
with President Goodluck Jonathan and other top government officials.The
initial plan for the African tour was for Obama to spend two days in
Nigeria, but owing to insecurity occasioned by the terrorist activities
of the Islamic militant group, Boko Haram, the plan was reviewed and he
is now expected to spend a few hours or one day in the country.Sources
from the presidency added that security situation during Obama’s visit
would be paramount and if there is any reason to doubt Nigeria’s
unpreparedness to host the US president, his visit to the country might
be cancelled outright.Obama’s maiden visit to Africa took him to Ghana
in July 2009 during which he met with President John Atta Mills, now
deceased, and delivered a speech at the Ghanaian parliament in addition
to touring a former departing point of the trans-Atlantic slave trade,
the Cape Coast Castle.The non-inclusion of Nigeria on his itinerary in
2009 was widely regarded as a snub and a subtle criticism of the
country’s leadership, a perception, which the then Secretary of State,
Mrs. Hillary Clinton, dismissed.She had said Obama’s choice of Ghana was
“meant to tea-up” US relationship with sub-Saharan Africa, and the
choice should not be interpreted in any other way.During his visit, the
two nations are expected to discuss issues centred on trade relations,
security and human rights.
TOA MAONI YAKO HAPA
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