LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REFUNDS 145 FORMER SUBSCRIBERS OF EGAN HOUSING ESTATE
Except for a few tough changes here and there, the White House under Trump will ensure that its international politics, better known as diplomacy, is not just about saving the world, but also about making it have access to overseas economies, fossil fuels, mineral resources and the blue economy
Some days back Donald Trump returned to the White House, unarguably the most popular house the world over. Its last occupant, Joe Biden, wanted Trump far away from this all-important house. Against all odds, Trump got it and since his swearing-in, America and the world know that a new Sheriff is in this house that is not ordinary.
In just a few days, we have seen clear signs that we are back in the era of unnecessary rancour, harsh immigration policies, denigration of the developing world, and going against traditional allies. It is like a return to his first four years and some believe it would be worse.
On day one, he signed executive orders sanctioning mass deportations of anyone in the U.S. illegally, cancelling birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented or non-permanent immigrants, instructing the Justice Department not to enforce TikTok ban for 75 days, eliminating all federal government DEI programmes, recognising only male and female genders, upending a Biden-era rule that allowed passport applicants to state their gender as “X”, implementing a federal hiring freeze, terminating remote work arrangements and withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organisation, citing a “mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Trump’s first term was a tempest of trouble-making, not a haven for troubleshooting. He wove discord into the fabric of his presidency, sparring with nearly everyone and befriending few. His inner circle brimmed with white supremacists and those who prospered under his policies, while many African Americans felt cast into the shadows. Europe, once an ally, became estranged. Africa he dismissed with crude disdain, branding it a “shithole”, while treating China with the suspicion reserved for outcasts.
Immigrants became the scapegoats of his rhetoric—targets of both misgiving and mockery. Mexicans, in particular, bore the brunt of his contempt, with barriers rising as symbols of division. Families were sundered by an immigration policy so heartless it drew the ire of a nation; over 500 children, as The New York Times reported, were adrift, their parents deported to the unknown, the bonds of family severed by bureaucratic neglect.
In his first term, defiance of Trump brought swift retribution. Cross him, and the verbal lash would not spare you. Reporters bore the brunt of his ire, as press conferences devolved into arenas of recrimination. CNN, in his lexicon, meant “fake news,” while The New York Times, The Washington Post, and even Fox News—once a loyal ally—were cast as villains when they no longer served his ends. Loyalty, to Trump, was a transient virtue. Only his interests stood eternal, and betrayal, real or imagined, earned scorn dressed in the sharpest language.
He eroded long-standing alliances, weakening NATO and provoking allies, while heaping admiration upon autocrats such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. The era was unprecedented, a watershed moment in American history. Some claim it was a mistake never to be repeated but, in the capricious tides of democracy, absolutes are rare. Even fools, when cloaked in populism, can ascend to power, and the dance of history rarely offers guarantees.
White supremacists reveled in the freedom of his tenure, unshackled from shame. Their hubris culminated in the January 6 Capitol riot—a nadir of madness and a stain on the nation’s history. They chanted for blood, demanded the heads of Vice President Pence and Speaker Pelosi, and shattered the sanctity of democracy’s chamber. Among them were law enforcement officers, active-duty military, and veterans—symbols of the very order they defied. The Capitol now stands guarded by towering barriers and the watchful eyes of the National Guard, a fortress against the chaos unleashed by those who sought to upend the republic.
Yet, his first term was not without achievements. Trump reshaped the judiciary, seating three Supreme Court justices and over 200 federal judges. He delivered sweeping tax cuts for corporations, spurring economic growth that rivaled the Obama years and drove unemployment to historic lows—before the pandemic swept these gains away. On the global stage, he normalized relations between Israel and four Arab neighbours, and drew down U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. But as one commentator noted, these feats were “dwarfed by what Trump got wrong”.
In this fresh term, the economy is expected to do better and prices of commodities significantly reduced.
My final take: Except for a few tough changes here and there, the White House under Trump will ensure that its international politics, better known as diplomacy, is not just about saving the world, but also about making it have access to overseas economies, fossil fuels, mineral resources and the blue economy. He will still maintain the tradition that uses treaties and deals to ensure America has easy markets for its goods abroad, and will also see to it that the World Bank and such America-promoted financial institutions champion what is in America’s interest.
Let’s talk about Olatunji Ololade
I missed the chance to write this when Olatunji Ololade clinched the 2021 prestigious Fetisov Journalism Awards (FJA) in the Outstanding Contribution to Peace category. His victory came with a unique silver statuette, meticulously handcrafted in Switzerland, and prize money exceeding $100,000.
Ololade’s ‘The boys who swapped football for bullets’ outshone formidable contenders like Haris Rovčanin and Albina Sorguč from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ali Al Ibrahim (Sweden) and Khalifa Al Khuder (Syria), who claimed the second and third spots.
He just added a new feather to his cap, a doctorate degree. For those who know Ololade, his intellectual depth isn’t in doubt. Every discussion of his drips with uncanny insights. What makes this feat remarkable is the fact that Ololade didn’t start his higher education with a varsity degree. He started with a National Diploma from the then Ogun State Polytechnic. A Higher National Diploma, NIPR Diploma, postgraduate diploma and Master’s Degree later followed, feats he achieved while in active journalism and writing fantastic reports.
From our TELL days in the mid-2000s, this prose stylist’s great promise was only unclear to a few. No wonder his years in The Nation have yielded laurels upon laurels that made him the newspaper’s most decorated and one of Nigeria’s best. At the last count, he has an astounding tally of about 40 journalism prizes.
Such consistent triumphs earned him the endearing moniker, “Serial Award Winner”—a title I proudly coined for him in 2014, the year he bagged the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year MSD Health and Medical Reporting Award for his poignant story, “This marriage will kill me – Tragedy of Nigeria’s child brides.”
That same year, Ololade swept numerous other prestigious awards, including the Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) prizes for Human Rights Reporting and Entertainment Reporting, and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) prize in Health Reporting. His investigative prowess also earned him finalist spots for the Kurt Schork Memorial Award in International Journalism in both 2014 and 2016.
One of his most courageous undertakings was a groundbreaking five-part investigative series co-anchored with Kunle Akinrinade. This exposé detailed the devastating environmental pollution caused by LafargeWAPCO Plc in its host communities. Despite relentless pressure and attempts at bribery, Ololade’s unwavering integrity shone through as he and his colleague revealed the human and ecological toll of the cement giant’s operations. Their work not only won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Investigative Journalism in Health Reporting, but also set a standard for journalistic courage and tenacity.
In 2023, Ololade revisited the Lafarge story, this time in a compelling three-part series that forced the government to take decisive action. This is the hallmark of his work: journalism that doesn’t just inform but transforms.
Through his Special Report pullout and Reality Bites column, rendered in poetic-prose and ingenious storytelling, he compels readers—and governments—to confront pressing national issues.
Ololade’s journey is a testament to the power of journalism that dares to speak truth to power. He is more than a journalist; he is a custodian of conscience and a champion of justice.
Congratulations, the man with exceptional ability. Let the celebration begin with #fromondtophd.