Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left), advisor to the US President
Ivanka Trump (centre), US President Donald Trump and Indonesia's
President Joko Widodo attend an event on women's empowerment during the
G20 Summit in Osaka on June 29, 2019. PHOTO | BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI | AFP
Donald Trump behaves more and more like an African president
with each passing day. Ivanka Trump has been in the headlines for being
America’s new diplomat because she was seen seated at the front row
during a photo op in Osaka, after bilateral meetings that she had
attended with President Trump.
Mostly, such meetings
are attended by heads of state and diplomats – you know, people who have
a background in foreign policy. For this case, it would be Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo.
President
Trump has been all over the headlines, including the front page of the
North Korean government-run newspaper for meeting with Kim Jong Un.
There
was wonder as to why the individual who heads the National Security
Council, John Bolton, missed the trip to North Korea, yet Ivanka was
present, gleefully behind the scenes as this historic event unfolded.
For
presidents to have close family members in high-level positions linked
to State House is not unheard of. We have seen presidents hire their
brothers to head certain departments or ministries.
Most
African governments will have the president’s support staff headed by a
family member. The thing, though, is that African presidents end up
among the wealthiest people in the world. They may not enter power that
way, but they all leave power in that fashion.
Wealth accumulation is intertwined with our politics. Look at
Kenya, where some voted for a president based the fact that he comes
from a wealthy family, so the corruption in the administration would be
reduced... Yet, research demonstrates that this is one of the most
corrupt administrations we have witnessed in our time, with one scandal
after the other.
Wealthy
people have similar characteristics: They find it very difficult to
trust, so they surround themselves with people that they trust and it
says a lot about the wealthy — that they can only trust people who have
the same blood that runs through their veins.
Hence,
many end up working with children, siblings and in some cases spouses,
while most people have to build relationships with strangers in the
workplace and hope for the best.
Because they trust few people, they listen to very few advisers and individuals who hold these positions end up being familiar family members. In some cases, even those family members have no say when it comes to forming an opinion – some leaders just do not listen and go by their own gut feelings.
Because they trust few people, they listen to very few advisers and individuals who hold these positions end up being familiar family members. In some cases, even those family members have no say when it comes to forming an opinion – some leaders just do not listen and go by their own gut feelings.
But
just how was President Trump able to hire his firstborn daughter? Even
with the Federal Anti- Nepotism Law passed in 1967, because president
John Kennedy appointed his brother Robert Kennedy as Attorney General;
Trump was able to circumvent the law due to the definition of the word
agency, which can be translated to department.
Since Ivanka is working under the White House, it is not considered an agency.
Ivanka
was never vetted for the position by the Senate, she also has no form
of oversight and no background in foreign policy and international
relations. And when you look at her job description, it is quite vague,
leaving her the freedom and flexibility to be involved with anything she
feels like.
Positions that have no criteria are not
unheard of here. Almost sounds like chief administrative secretary, new
positions to assist Cabinet secretaries in Kenya. There was a bit of
confusion as to where in the hierarchy they would stand and how they
would work.
The positions were announced, some given
vague job titles such as “with no portfolio” as part of description.
Positions dished out like awards for good behaviour in supporting a
political campaign, and sticking it out.
Trump actually thought of appointing Ivanka to head the World Bank, because he thought that she was good with numbers.
There
are several appointed individuals in our current government that hold
positions that they have no educational background to back up. They are
even vetted, but still sail through because vetting is a form of
activity not to investigate and interrogate the capabilities of an
individual but just part of the process.
The Fourth of
July this year was celebrated military style in the United States. That
is how most of us celebrate our independence days — with a display of
the military might.
Nerima Wako- Ojiwa is executive director of Siasa Place. Twitter: @NerimaW
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