By Ayo Kehinde
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs has lambasted the government of the United States for invading Venezuela and arresting it’s President, Nicholas Maduro and wife.
He described the behaviour and body language of President Donald Trump and his advisers as dangerous to the peace of the world.
“Is this not the way Hitler started or Mussolini in Italy. We pray this man will not lead us to a third world war. It is only China that has the capability to challenge Trump,” he said in an interview with ARISE TV, Morning Show on Monday.
He said the Venezuelan invasion and arrest if it’s President is not a good way to start a new year.
He has violated the chapter of United Nations, UN, and there is no justification for that at all.
“The President of Venezuela is not a good fellow but then there are many bad fellows in the world and nobody gave the US the power as policeman of the world. Now, with Trump’s s invasion, nobody will prevent Russia from going into Ukraine to pick up President Zelensky or China going into Taiwan to pick up their president. No, no, this is condemnable.
“But I understand why some countries in EU will be speaking muted. But this is a throwback to piracy age. Those of us in this part of the world, Africa, who are not strong should enough should at least speak out. I feel offended by the US government display of pictures of the man in handcuff and blinded folded. Trump has behaved like a cowboy.
Yes, some or most of the Venezuelans are happy about the development but then it is the Venezuelans themselves that should have removed their Presiden, not a foreign power. Those jubilating may come to regret it. Trump has said he would rule the place. Is that what Venezuelans want.?
“We should never give a super power the right to go into any country and removed a constituted authority. I am not surprised this has happened. It is all about oil.
” I was expecting this to happen and it is unfortunate nobody could do anything about it.”
The former Minister who was also Director General of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, argued that the aggression against Venezuela has once again raised the question of sovereignty.
He said, “We often talk about sovereignty, but sovereignty that is not backed by power is nothing but legal sovereignty.”
He absolved the United Nations of any form of complicity in the invasion of Venezuela.
“Let me absolve the United Nations here. The UN was not established to countermand a superpower. It wasn’t. It was to cooperate with superpowers to stop. other superpowers from causing havoc. That is why the veto power is there.”
He also called on Nigeria to evolve a more proactive and realistic foreign in the days ahead
“As apartheid was coming to an end some of us wanted Nigeria to have a good foreign policy, that would help us respond adequately to situations as we are witnessing today; how we should react to the US that is showing increasing interest in the affairs of our country and now Israel that has shown interest in Nigeria. We need a more robust, progressive policy.’
