What Obama gets in foreign gifts—including this rather cheeky one from ex-Nigeria president Goodluck JonathanLOTS
of Americans spent this Black Friday scrambling to get good deals on
holiday gifts, but few of them can expect the haul President Barack
Obama gets, including from a clutch of African leaders.
The US
government’s official Federal Register just published its annual list of
gifts to federal employees from foreign governments for 2014, and it
reveals that being president has its privileges. Or maybe not so much,
considering that ethics restrictions require federal officials to
deposit the loot for which they don’t want to personally pay at the
National Archives or another arm of the federal government.
According
to the records, Obama appears to be taking a pass on all of the foreign
offerings—including one that Nigeria’s ex-president Goodluck Jonathan
gave without batting an eyelid.
The late Saudi King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz lavished the president and his family with six gifts with more
than $1.3 million. They included a men’s watch for the president, which
was estimated to cost more than $18,000, and a “diamond and emerald
jewellery set including earrings, necklace, ring, brooch, and
wristwatch” for Obama’s school-age daughters, Sasha and Malia, that came
to $80,000.
Various Chinese officials were also generous:
President Xi Jinping gave Obama two computer tablets during a time his
government is believed to have been carrying out large-scale hacks of
American computer systems, including the database of federal employees.
Many
gifts are traditional formal offerings — fountain pens, vases, cognac,
and the like. Others demonstrate patriotic pride, including French wines
or traditional garb of a given country, with African particularly keen
on gifts depicting wildlife. In the past, though, Obama has also
received whackier fare, including 20 baseball caps with his face on
them, as reported by Yahoo.
Some reflected the gift-givers:
Prince William gave Obama a signed and framed portrait of himself.
Estimated value: $888. Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan, a former folk singer,
gave “audio and video recordings” of herself performing to First Lady
Michelle Obama.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan gave
the president a book entitled, Goodluck Jonathan—Champion for Women.
The gift from Jonathan, who since lost an election, came when his
administration was being heavily criticised for its handling of the
abduction of hundreds of school girls in the country’s remote
north-east.
The resulting ‘BringBackOurGirls’ campaign went
international, drawing in even First Lady Michelle Obama. The majority
of the girls are yet to be rescued.
Michelle Obama tweeted a
photo that shows the First Lady holding a sign that says,
“#BringBackOurGirls,” in reference to the missing Nigerian schoolgirls,
on May 7, 2014.Algeria’s ambassador to the US Abdullah Baali
also delivered six boxes of dates, and 12 bottles of wine, which while
received in December 2013, are included in the year due to late receipt
of information related to them. The Algerians also gave a ceremonial
dagger.
Cape Verde president Jorge Carlos Fonseca gave a
painting, and an autographed book titled ‘Kiki Lima’ with an estimate
value go $1,055.
The Ivorian government also gave a painting, Le
Joueur de Cara, and a bronze staff, with a value of $1,035. Swaziland’s
Mswati gave a chess set worth $445 while deposed Burkina Faso leader
Blaise Compaore in July 2014 gave a 16” brass and copper statue of a man
playing a stringed instrument and a framed copper relief, both worth
$880.
Libya PM Abdalla Alteni gave a multi-coloured carpet and an engraved platter both worth $600.
Paintings
are a hit—Togo president Faure Gnassingbe also gifted Obama one in
addition to three pieces of traditional clothing, all worth $1,940. DR
Congo’s Joseph Kabila and The Gambia’s Yaya Jammeh and Mauritius PM
Navichandra Ramgoolam also handed in paintings.
Mrs Obama also targeted
Madagascar
president Hery Rajaonarimapianina gave a gold pin “in the shape of a
bull’s head with three eyes made of gemstones” and a scarf, both worth
$696.
The Comoros gave two boxes of carved wood and various
spices and oils, in addition to the staple painting while Mali’s
Boubacar Keita gave two black masks.
Mrs Obama also received
gifts, including a carved apple and book, Visions of Africa: KOTA, from
Gabon First Lady Sylvia Ondimba. Mswato gave her bowl made from recycled
glass, and two customised glass mugs, in addition to more drinkware.
Compare gave her table linen and a rug while Ghana First Lady Lordina Mahama gave Kente cloth and a book.
The
First Ladies of Senegal and Mali also weighed in with gifts ranging
from gold pins to rugs and painting. Jammeh, not to be left behind, also
gave her a painting.
Most of the gifts were worth under $2,000,
but African leaders have not been shy in gifting Obama—Gabon’s Ali Bongo
Ondimba in September 2011 gave the president a “14” blue mask sculpture
by Daum” valued at $52,695.
The justification for accepting each
gift, provided in the Register, is that “non-acceptance would cause
embarrassment to donor and US Government.”
The Obamas don’t
appear to have bought any of the gifts, meaning they went to the
National Archives and Records Administration or, if perishable, were
“handled pursuant to United States Secret Service Policy.” (It’s not
clear exactly what that means, but US government ethics guidelines say
foodstuffs and similar items “may, with approval, be given to
charity, shared with the office, or destroyed.”)
