A former security adviser to the American president, John Bolton, has alleged that President Donald Trump had wanted to stop $1.5 billion annual aid given to Nigeria.
In his new book titled âIn the Room Where It Happenedâ, Bolton alleged that the president also said funding for military operations in Afghanistan and Syria should be cut but wanted funds released for the US-Mexico border wall.
He said President Trump wondered why America was still providing aids to Africa and âmade it clear he wanted out of Africa altogetherâ.
According to him, Trump complained of how Nigeria receives $1.5b annual aid from the US and still refused to buy its agricultural produce.
âFollowing more chatter, Patrick Shanahan (then US Defence Secretary) turned to the cost reductions that maintaining the counter-terrorism capability would entail. But before he got too far, Trump broke in to complain about Congressâ refusal to fund the Mexico border wall.
âThen he was off, âWhy canât we just get out of Syria and Afghanistan? I never should have agreed to the other two hundred (in Syria), and itâs really 400 anywayâŠâ Then after literally 45 seconds back on Afghanistan, Trump asked, âWhy are we in Africa?â
âHe soon made it clear he wanted out of Africa altogether, expounding for some time on our $22 trillion national debt, followed by the problems of our balance-of-trade deficits, followed by complaining, again, about how Nigeria received $1.5bn annually in foreign aid, as he said the President of Nigeria had confirmed to him in an earlier visit, even though they wouldnât buy US farm products.â
Trumpâs administration had made attempts to prevent the release of the book which was yesterday.
The book depicts Trumpâs foreign policy as âreckless and driven by personal interestâ among others.
