Former Minister of External Affairs and ex-Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has paid tribute to former United States President Jimmy Carter, who passed away last December 29, 2024, aged 100 years, describing him as a remarkable, highly principled and moral man who regarded power as an opportunity to enhance and improve the lives of several people in the public domain.
Prof. Akinyemi, who is also the Founder and President, Academy of International Affairs (AIA), said this in a statement, titled: “A tribute to President Jimmy Carter,” copy of was made available to newsmen, recalling quickly the honour of hosting the late US President during his historic visit to Nigeria in 1978, while he was serving then as Director General of NIIA.
He said President Carter’s speech at the National Arts Theater, during the visit, echoed a vision of mutual respect and partnership between the United States and Nigeria, calling for a shared commitment to fostering bilateral ties and addressing common challenges.
According to Akinyemi, the late 39th US President was not enamoured of power in itself, but saw it as a means to improve the lives of others, noting that it was remarkable that Carter did not win the Nobel Peace Prize as a sitting president of his country “but won it after he left office because of his commitment to enhancing and uplifting the lives of poor people all over the world.”
“The news of President Jimmy Carter’s passing provides an opportunity for me to pay tribute to this remarkable man.
“In 1978, as the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, I had the honour of hosting him during his historic visit to the sub-Saharan Africa, the first by a sitting US President.
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“President Carter’s speech at the National Arts Theater echoed a vision of mutual respect and partnership between the United States and Nigeria and called for a shared commitment to fostering bilateral ties and addressing common challenges.
“President Jimmy Carter was a highly principled and moral man who regards power as an opportunity to enhance the lives of several people in the public domain. He was not enamoured of power in itself, he saw it as a means to improve the lives of others.
“It is remarkable that he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize as President of the United States but won it after he left office because of his commitment to enhancing and uplifting the lives of poor people all over the world,” he stated.
The former minister, however, expressed the belief that the late former President Carter’s life shall continue to give hope and direction to those who occupied public office, saying that public office was meant to serve, and not to empower or enrich the office holders, just as he noted that they were office holders who should play the role of peace makers.
Speaking further, Akinyemi said that the lasting lesson that everyone would learn from the life of the former US President is that one could still get recognition even after office by going around doing good rather than going around running down his or her country or running down his or her successors, adding: “That’s the lasting image. That’s the lasting lesson that we should all embrace.”
“His life should continue to give hope and direction to those who occupy public office. Public office is meant to serve, not to empower or enrich the office holders.
“May his public life continue to give hope to those in power and those they are ruling over. That they are office holders who play the role of peace makers.
“The lasting lesson that all of us will learn from the life of Jimmy Carter is that we can get recognition even after office by going around doing good rather than going around running down one’s country or running down one’s successors. That’s the lasting image. That’s the lasting lesson that we should all embrace,” the former minister said.
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