Nigeria, Rotary must prepare for new World Order, says Akinyemi

Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that Nigeria and Rotary International must be prepared with the changes in the World Order.

He said with the current wars in different parts of the world, it was an indication of changes in the old World Order. Akinyemi spoke at the 41st yearly District 9110 Imagine Rotary conference, tagged “Koseleri,” held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

He said that Russia-Ukraine war had rendered the United Nations (UN) ineffective, not owing to any fault of the global body but to the fact that the effectiveness of the body under the Old Order was predicated on co-operation between United States (U.S.) and Russia.

The former minister, who insisted that the reverse is now the case with power shift of the super powers, said that global affairs is characterised by power syndrome, saying that countries and organisations must pursue equity.

He said: “The war, while not engineering the split in the world, has deepened the cleavages and speeded up the drive for a new world order. Would the mandate of Rotary be compatible with the mandate of the new World Order? To interrogate this, we would have to speculate on the parameters of the new order.”

“Firstly, the new order, and we must keep this in mind, is going to be a restructuring of the old order. Wars break up not necessarily because they are planned. Most wars break out as a result of miscalculation.

“Right now, we are in a period of transition where there is a descending global power, which is the United States, and an ascending global power which is China. During this period, we will have a period of instability as the United States fights for its corner, China/Russia fighting for its corner and the regional powers fighting for their corners”.

“The most dangerous time during a transitional period is when there is uncertainty as to who is up and who is down. Who has overtaken whom.

“It is not only Rotary that will be caught in the crossfire of allegiances, several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and small regional powers will also be under pressure for alliances. The drive for a new World Order involves the struggle for a place at the table where decisions are taken,” he said.

Also speaking, the Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones, said the Club would continue to pursue peace and transformation of lives. Jones, represented by Sam Worentutu, insisted that the organisation would continue to encourage clubs to execute projects that will make meaningful impact on the society, saying: “We (Rotarians) need to explore additional ways to develop the environments.”

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, represented by his Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Razaq Obe, commended the deliberate and vocal action in eradication of polio. He promised that governors would support Rotary in its projects.

The District Governor, Rotarian Omotunde Lawson, said the Rotary year was a game-changing year, characterised by strategic partnerships of invaluable impact to Rotary and communities they served.