•By KAZEEM OYENIYI
IBADAN – FORMER Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines and veteran broadcaster, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Chief Bode George, have cautioned President Bola Tinubu against visiting former U.S. President Donald Trump following Trump’s recent threat of military action against Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.
The duo, who spoke separately on Eagle 102.5 FM Ilese-Ijebu’s current affairs programme Frontline, monitored by New Telegraph, described Trump’s statement as a “manifestation of disrespect for Africa” and advised the Nigerian government to focus on fixing the nation’s internal security and social systems instead of seeking external validation.
Ambassador Farounbi described Trump’s remarks as “a clear show of disregard for African nations,” warning that President Tinubu should not rush to hold talks with the former American leader.
According to him, “Nigeria’s president represents the soul of over 200 million people. He should not visit anyone who once called African nations ‘shithole countries.’ We must act like a sovereign nation that values itself, not one begging to be recognized.”
Farounbi blamed successive governments for failing to manage Nigeria’s image abroad, noting that Catholic bishops and human rights groups have repeatedly presented statistics of Christians killed by militants before the U.S. Congress and European Parliament without an effective diplomatic response from Nigeria.
He lamented that Nigeria had for years operated without a substantive ambassador in Washington, which allowed foreign lobbyists to define the country’s image negatively.
“Our story was never told officially, and such diplomatic negligence allowed others to portray Nigeria as intolerant and unsafe,” he said.
On his part, Chief Bode George described Trump’s statement as “an early warning shot,” urging Nigerian security agencies to take it seriously.
“As a Naval officer, I interpret it as a warning shot. I was shocked when President Trump made that statement, and when the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence followed up, I knew it was serious,” George said.
He noted that while religious tensions exist in parts of Nigeria, the situation in the Southwest remains largely peaceful due to interfaith harmony.
“In Yoruba land, every household has Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists. The issue isn’t religious; it’s about social injustice and poor governance,” he said.
George advised the Federal Government to strengthen internal security by creating state police and tackling unemployment, which he described as the root cause of rising criminality.
He also criticized the prolonged absence of Nigerian ambassadors in key countries, including the United States.
“For two years now, Nigeria has had no ambassadors. If they were there, they would have explained our internal situation to the American government,” he said.
The PDP chieftain further warned that hunger, unemployment, and political instability were driving public anger.
“There is hunger in the land, and therefore, there is anger in the land. Many graduates remain jobless. This hardship is not religious — it is social and economic,” he said.
George urged the Tinubu administration to see Trump’s comments as a wake-up call to reform governance and rebuild national unity rather than as a religious indictment.
Both Farounbi and George agreed that Nigeria must defend its sovereignty and dignity by addressing insecurity, poverty, and diplomatic negligence, rather than reacting impulsively to foreign threats.