Obasanjo in a
condolence letter to the wife of the late Ambassador, Arese Carrington, said
Carrington helped in easing the move to democratic rule in the country.
Nigeria’s
former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how late former US Ambassador
to Nigeria, Walter Carrington leaked information of his planned arrest by the
regime of despot leader, Sani Abacha to him in 1995.
According to
him, Carrington offered him political asylum in the United States of America
during his trip to Copenhagen to attend the World Social Summit as Human
Development Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme.
He said he
turned down the asylum offer despite its tempting and assuring nature.
“Carrington was one of the responsible,
matured and respected voices to take Nigeria out of the unwholesome situation
it had found itself – permanently in crisis, regularly threatened with
disintegration, devoid of democracy, and economically plundered and mismanaged.
“Indeed, I
recall, sometime in 1995, that on one of my trips to Copenhagen to attend World
Social Summit as Human Development Ambassador of the United Nations Development
Programme, I received the most touching of the warnings, pieces of advice and
offers to me from Amb Carrington.
“He called me
in Copenhagen and told me categorically that I was going to be arrested on
returning home and, therefore, advised me not to return home.
“But he did
not stop it there, he offered me political asylum by his government in the US.
That was both touching and assuring, but I decided that, tempting and assuring
as the offer was, I would not take it. I came back and was arrested and
imprisoned by Abacha. No doubt, his generous assistance to my family while I
was a political prisoner makes me forever indebted to him.
“When I was
in prison, he was one of the few foreign Ambassadors who regularly visited my
wife to encourage her and to find out how I was doing in prison. I can proudly
say he was a true friend and brother,” Obasanjo narrated in the letter.
The former
president sympathised with Arese over the loss, saying that Carrington was the
most outstanding diplomats of our time in the world.
“I must say I
received the news of the demise of this great brother and friend with mixed
feelings of sadness and gratitude to God.
“I was sad
because we will miss his contribution to the building of a new world of his
dream and an Africa of our joint dream but I am grateful to God for his life
well spent in the service of God and humanity. Throughout his spectacular life,
Amb. Carrington was devoted to something greater than he was.
“He was
committed to improving humankind through the fairness, kindness, optimism and
intelligence he brought to bear on all his undertakings, and through the
righteousness, humanness and harmony he promoted in the US as a human rights
activist and indeed across the world.
“He came to
Nigeria with love, ate and drank Nigerian delicacies and drinks, showed a
significant demonstration of oneness by walking the aisle to tie the nuptial
knot outside nationality bounds with one of our illustrious daughters and that
is you, and he was loved and appreciated by the people through giving him a
Yoruba name “Omowale” and naming a street after him in Victoria Island, Lagos.
“It is right
that people from around the world at this point in time have been generously
pouring encomiums on your late husband. I am, therefore, using this medium to
add my voice to theirs in recognising his outstanding commitment and devotion
to the advancement of humanity.
” We
celebrate his life well spent in the service of humanity and we will continue
to project his principles and values in contributing to governance, security,
and sustainable development of the African continent. His legacies will live on
and continue to touch many lives and generations to come. Indeed, it gladdens
my heart to know not only Nigeria and Africa, but many nations around the world
had a friend in him,” he said in the letter obtained by The Punch.
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