CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

It is 9:30pm GMT, Sunday 20^th March 2016, and I’m sitting down in my parlour at home, glued to CNN, and watching the 44^th president of the United States walk the talk.

For a man who came into power with the slogan “change we can believe in”…….notwithstanding the perpetual grandstanding by the republicans, he has indeed brought about change that Americans, and indeed the world can believe in, locally and internationally.

POTUS has indeed lived up to the very definition of change, which is “a departure from the status quo”

The status quo for the American government has been to play their role as the ‘POLICE’ of the world by using aggression, and brute power. And whenever that approach failed, the US would incite a regime change, or use the UN to impose every imaginable ban applicable to bring the perceived enemy down to its knees.

Pursuant to living true to his promise, Obama has adopted an approach of negotiations, more negotiations, stooping to conquer, openness, trust, and sometimes, as in the case of Russia, North Korea, and to some extent, Syria, simply temporarily ignoring the errant country until such an opportunity arises for a non-aggressive solution..

When the process of normalization of relations, and lifting of bans against Iran started, the Republicans kicked against it, many US allied countries screamed blue murder, but Obama knew what he wanted to achieve, and therefore would not be disturbed, distracted, or discouraged by the internal and external opposition.

The fears of the various oppositions were very valid, except they did not see how it could be achieved without firing a shot.

Obama did it!

When on 17^th December, 2014. the Obama Government agreed to end enmity with Cuba and normalize relations, there were perhaps only a handful of people globally who believed that the president son of a Kenyan would see the agreement through.

The doubts were well founded. The enmity had been on for 50 years. Successive American governments had unsuccessfully tried to change, or rather, overthrow the Cuban government. The last American leader to visit Cuba did that in 1928, almost 90 years ago!

One would expect that if this kind of landmark agreement was to happen, it would be on the terms of the American government. 

Afterall, they were the ones doing the forgiving. 

They were the ones offering the Cubans a new lease of life. 

They were the bigger of the two, and naturally the prouder.

Right? Wrong!

The Cuban government has still remained as communist as it has always being.

The Castros are still in power.

The Cuban human rights record has not improved since the December 17 announcement.  

While the US embargo is still on, as only congress has the power to change that, Americans are free to go into Cuba to start business.

The Starwood group has led the way by being the first multi-national to come in to invest in the country, a trend that would no doubt spread in the coming days.

By accomplishing this feat, Obama’s doggedness has once again won the day. And has shown that indeed, where there is a will, there is a way. And that, the change he brings is one the world can believe in.

Back home in Nigeria, Nigerians also voted for Change. Unfortunately, Nigerians failed to notice, that the incumbent government did not promise that the Change they were bringing was one anybody would believe in. 

Perhaps that is why, 10 months down the line, Nigerians are still finding it hard to believe in the

promised Change!