http://thesheet.ng/lets-talk-about-buhari-and-the-white-house-visit-tope-apoola/

America is by no means lesser than any nation in God's earth and Americans seize every opportunity to remind everyone that she is the greatest. The White House, reportedly built to impress, bear the ghostly reminiscence of her glorious past. This is no mere fancy. The calm protuberances of past presidents’ busts, the eerily simple furnishing of the Blue Room, the lightening purposed to put mortals in a trance could not but be the imagined goal of the great men and women over several decades- God bless their souls, who designed the palace of the world's moist important person. Americans, for all their postmodernist tendencies, understand sacredness and this forms part of the reasons, we can imagine, that President Clinton's spit on the face of sanctity, not the singular act of perjury or adultery, drew him outright impeachment. It was indeed difficult for the proud American mind to imagine their president surrender to a less excusable form of carnality. What manner of man defies the glorious sanctity of the chambers? The behaviour of the President, now old and distinguished, frustrated the architects of ethics in the rudest manner... a new low was recorded for the human- that he can possibly give in to flesh in the very presence of the divine. It was the intention of the fathers of the nation, evident from their works, to bring a heavenly presence to their presidents, to remind him of his vows and to bring a host of national saints to witness, that the humanity of whoever occupies the house may simmer for his glorious other self to glow.
This psychosocial struggle of the White House architecture may not have been directed at American presidents alone, but it is one engineered to preach the American gospel to visitors in the most subtle ways. Imagery after all speak more volume than a thousand words. How profitable will it be, if a man like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the controversial former Prime Minister of Iran could douse his anti-American stance in one visit. We do not have a record of how efficient this American diplomatic exhibitionism has been to Third World countries but we know of one clear case. Late President Yaradua on his visit to White House in 2007 lost all psychological defences contained in him to declare with his two hands up that the visit was the most fortunate event of his life. We have not forgotten the embarrassment that this honest declaration for the American god brought to the Nigerian citizenry. Eight years later, another pilgrimage to the White House has brought a familiar feeling. We can see it in the faces of our president and his team. A cynical mind is left with no alternative than to imagine that the American spell actually beclouded the minds of our leaders so much that they momentarily relinquished their graces, and brilliance to revel in the splendour which our big brother had in abundance and this is not a bad thing except that they seem to have forgotten their briefs while at it. I do not like to believe the fairly circulated story that the Nigerian contingent was asked to re-present their pleas but what we see in the body language of both sides except if the Presidential spokesman makes a speech, lends credence to that aspersion.
Now we must not forget to acknowledge the greatness of our own men. For all the tweets, tongue in the cheek sarcasm and memes, we cannot wish away the fact that they did not get to their exalted offices by being mediocre. President Buhari, a retired army General trained over thirty years ago at the American War College must have seen too much of opulence to be spell bound by one. Governor Oshiomole, a man whose articulation n the days of labour unionism easily give away as extraordinary is unlikely to loose all that he has learnt to a moment of diplomatic allure. The Owelle (i do not know why I think the title befits this man), our amiable Governor Okorocha who recently got his own dose of social media attack cannot be a mean man. Although we may be led, for his bloated stature, to think he is not abstemious hence undistinguished, we should not forget that this man must be great in many important ways for him to emerge governor in a state of innumerable men and women of towering accomplishment. We should not forget that these men must bear certain genes of evolutionary accord even for their children, as it has turned in recent times, to have emerged with distinction from world class universities. Without compromising the intellectual integrity of our leaders, one is persuaded to think that even the Okonjo Iwealas of this country might never surpass old achievements as long as they continue to step their feet in defective shoes.
Here calls a most important duty, not only for our dear country but also for every notion of hope, of llife- a duty to God. To slack in the service of this call is to create more despair in the minds of 170 million observers; a relatively significant fraction of the world’s population. I know without a single doubt that the personality of one man cannot in a civilized democratic world create change as much. I have arrived at the future of this present progression to see an increase in ethical nihilism in the fabrics of our nation's soul. More than a good president, what is needed is a good presidential institution, great executive institution and a collegiate of bureaucrats who operates not as bored machineries of government but instrumental radicals who are always looking out for the smartest way of getting things done. Mallam El Rufai, happily now aa governor too, alluded to this in his memoir, “The Accidental Public Servant” where he expounded on what he believed was the better methodology for fighting corruption. I do not wish to narrow this discourse to corruption but will mention in the case of corruption that people do not keep their hands away from the public treasury because they are moral but because they are very likely to get caught. God- the all knowing God did not trust humans to obey his injunctions of reproducibility as mere service to creation. He spurred us by inventing sex. The heart of man is inherently evil and the best of men could falter where there are no ready made courses which he could take. A single push can make our president grow vindictive. A well calculated distraction can divert him altogether from his own objectives. It is only institutionalism of a lofty stature that can possibly preserve the hearts of presidents and ministers and governors.
How unfortunate that the ruling party recognize there has never been a an example of good governance on the national scale. How preposterous that President Buhari aspires to be an example onto himself. The last man in whom this unnatural duty was reposed failed in his station and it took several hundred years for sufficient examples to be established for the benefit of human societies. There is a need for the construction of mental institutions to create standards to which every office holder especially in this acclaimed era of change must aspire. Americans played this truism with the invention of Uncle Sam, the United Kingdom did by the spirit of their monarchy. Examples abound among European nations. They arrived at their own ethos more readily because of their naturally shared traits and history. As for us, the benefits of modern times proffers hope that we could build one for ourselves too. When we have our own set of respectable ideologies, one which will pale our ethnic differences and create a mental bond for our country people, our leaders will keep their heads up and chest out not because they are proud, but because they are confident of the justness of their cause. They carry an aura of justice and become light even to the blessed White House. When they reject gay rights plea from their equally distinguished American host, they do so without hassles, not grudgingly or apologetically. Even if they go begging they carry their begging bowls elegantly for there are times when even the children of the wisest (the Greeks) need help. They do not grovel for they know they command a professional army that understands integrity. Their heart is full of gratitude for the manner of people that they are able to well around their table. They are proud of chairing an awesomely ethical institution and they consider their presence a good omen even for their host. They do not harbour unseemly agendas and they are evenly devoted to all regions of their county. When they go to the White House, the historic reminder of freedom and human dignity, they go with a gift and a contingent, not only of sweet tongued friends whose counsel they are very used to, but also of the artisans, the businessmen, the youths, and the innovators of their country for it is in them that the hope for finding aa new brand of institutionalism can be best formed.

Tope Apoola
Founder, LitCaf and author, ETHOS: What Africa may learn from the Trinity.

To copy and Paste is even problem

wat to say?

OP, there is nothing to wail about. Except that a hate filled clown like you cannot Copy and Paste properly.

Buhari will keep the Nigerian flag flying higher will some agents of Corruption who are pained that Nigerians kicked out the Failure - keep wailing.

So long a letter .Anyway,baba don go come with a good report.Case closed