By James Orji
Former President George W. Bush of the United States of America, USA has paid tribute to General Colin Powel, the first black Secretary of State. Powel, died few hours ago of COVID 19. A retired Army General, he was widely respected for his bi-partisan approach to national issues.
He was one of the top Republicans to first support Joe Biden during last year’s Presidential contest against Republican Donald Trump, which the former won.
A statement from his family said he died of COVID 19 complications, after being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He was fully vaccinated.
“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American,” a statement issued by the family said, adding that “we want to thank the medical staff… for their caring treatment.”
Former President Bush, in his tribute said Powel was “a family man and a friend” who “was such a favourite of presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom – twice”.
The demised former Secretary of State was a moderate Republican who broke ranks with his party to endorse Barack Obama in 2008, became a trusted military adviser to a number of leading US politicians.
Born in New York to Jamaican immigrants, Gen. Powell rose rapidly through the Army to become the youngest and first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs. His climb was helped by a string of jobs as military assistant to high-level government officials and a stint as national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan. Charming, articulate and skilled at managing, he had a knack for exuding authority while also putting others at ease.
As the Pentagon’s top officer, he played a prominent role in restoring a sense of pride to the nation’s post-Vietnam military and began the reshaping of American forces after the end of the Cold War. His famous prescription for the use of force, dubbed by journalists the Powell Doctrine, called for applying military might only with overwhelming and decisive troop strength, a clear objective and popular support.
His selection by President George W. Bush in late 2000 to be secretary of state transformed Gen. Powell from soldier to statesman and made him the first Black person to lead the State Department. But his four years as secretary proved his most difficult assignment.
A pragmatist and a strong believer in international alliances, Gen. Powell often found himself the odd man out in an administration dominated by neoconservative ideologues who were dubious about the usefulness of the United Nations and NATO and all too ready to employ U.S. military power.
Other than his well-known reservations about military intervention, Gen. Powell, as he often acknowledged, was not given to grand principles. He saw himself primarily as a problem-solver and expert manager.
He was 84 years old.
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