Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: 15 Things Every Nigerian Should Know

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is truly a great woman whose has contributed immensely to her country and the globe at large. She deserved to be celebrated. However, there's no way Ngozi Okonjo Iweala can be exonerated of what transpired in the last administration in Nigeria. These facts are not easy to wish away just like that. Say it as it is. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's second coming to Nigeria as a minister of finance ended in fiasco. Every development economist knows that Monitoring, Feedback, and Review are key aspects of implementation of any policy. What happened to the ability to project and forecast into the future based on the economic realities on ground? The main reason the president made her the coordinating minister of the economy to advice him as deem fit.

Who would imagine that a whole VP of World Bank will manage one's economy for four years under oil boom only for one's foreign reserve to be plundered, commenced a systemic devaluation of one's currency, dollarized the economy, then borrow money to pay salaries of workers. She helped to clear a long standing debt, only to come back and supervise another borrowing spree as coordinating minister of the economy. We all knew the statement of the World Bank that led to the rebase of our economy in April 2014, as if largeness of the economy was their making rather than number of participants and volume of transaction (both largely dependent on Nigeria population). The economy that was already in doldrums before she left office

"A cash shortage caused by low oil prices has forced Nigeria to borrow heavily through the early part of 2015, with the government struggling to pay public workers, officials said Wednesday. "We have serious challenges. Things have been tough since the beginning of the year and they are likely to remain so till the end of the year," said Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. - http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/nigeria-borrows-to-pay-salaries-with-cash-crunch-worsening/

She went further forecasting the present situation after failing to prepare for it.
http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/detail.php?news=11232&title=Prepare-for-hard-times;-things-will-be-tough-till-the-end-of-2015,-Okonjo-Iweala-advises-Nigerians

Given the boom in oil like never before, she could have put our economy on strong foothold. If she's as clean as they want us to believe, does it then mean she is either incompetent or lacks integrity, as she could have resigned when she discovered the government was not serious, and there was no will by the political elites to save for the raining day?

_
ÀÌNÁ BÓLÁ

On Jun 18, 2016 3:18 PM, "'Ola Kassim' via USA Africa Dialogue Series" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> wrote:

My Esteemed Brother  Prof Tunde Bewaji:

I hate to invoke the 'Nigerian Factor' as an excuse for any one including myself considering the implication that one might appear to be settling for mediocrity.

 However there are indeed times, especially on core issues

when being realistic about the current state

of development in Nigeria requires that I hold my nose and invoke the excuse, as untenable and unacceptable it might appear to you and others.

The prevailing political, business and cultural environment in Nigeria is a difficult and challenging one to succeed in no matter how gifted and principled one could be.

The Nigerian Factor and our fear of failure

or frustration within the stifling conditions

of the work environment at home is probably responsible for the exodus of millions of

Nigerian professionals to other countries.

We must accept the fact that currently Nigeria is neither the USA,

the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan nor is she comparable to any

other developed nation with high standards

of accountability and in which the necessary

checks and balances in government operations remain for the most part

inviolate---even though

attaining these high standards should be our ultimate goal.

Nigeria, our motherland,  remains largely an

'Oga, Yes Sir' and an 'Oga at the Top' 

nation in which following verbal directions

of the boss is mandatory in all instances

including when such directives are against

the SOPs and sometimes when they are plainly illegal. 

This same attitude is also pervasive in the private sector. It has become our standard method of doing things. This is the reason 

it is called the Nigerian Factor. The Nigerian Factor is real!

As disappointed as one might be with

Dr Okonjo-Iweala for signing off on the Dasuki robbery note, the Diaspora 

should moderate our angst and disappointment

with the fact that this was probably Nigerian factor at play.

Nigeria is a fantastically corrupt nation.

As citizens of Nigeria it would be unrealistic to expect that only Saints could fill and serve in the most senior leadership

positions in Nigeria at this stage of our national development. 

We had high expectations for the positive

impacts that highly qualified Nigerians

with international experience like Dr Okonjo-Iweala and many other appointees

from the Diaspora would have on government operations in Nigeria.

Notwithstanding the constraints of the Nigerian Factor, some Diaspora appointees like Dr Okonjo-Iweala, Ambassador

Adeniji, Mr Aganga, Prof. Bolaji Aluko and

many others succeeded to a large extent in the discharge of their sworn duties,

while other Diaspora appointees performed much worse than than home based appointees. Some of the Diaspora office holders were even more corrupt than their home based colleagues.

I think we must give credit to whom it is

due even if we do not agree with some of

her decisions and actions. 

Notwithstanding the Nigerian factor, I believe that Dr Okonjo-Iweala served Nigeria well to the best of her abilities.

When other government ministers in the Obasanjo regime were

eagerly accepting the transfer of expensive federal government properties 

in Ikoyi and VIctoria Island in exchange for bargain basement payments for the properties, Dr Okonjo-Iweala stood out as one of the few ministers who refused to accept the luxurious mansion that was allocated to her.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala led the economic team that succeeded in obtaining substantial reduction (amounting to billions of US dollars) in Nigeria's debt to the Paris Club in exchange for a one time payment.

I could list many more things that Dr Okonjo- Iweala accomplished for Nigeria but time would not allow me to do so.

Let us agree that she succeeded to a large extent in her service to Nigeria and Nigerians, even if she made some mistakes!

Bye,

Ola

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 17, 2016, at 09:48, Ayotunde Bewaji <tundebewaji@yahoo.com> wrote:

There are times egbon Dr. Kassim does this bobbing and weaving - esprit des corps. Could any Chairman of American Treasury have allowed what happened under Okonjo to happen without facing the music? Objective my foot. Sorry egbon, l don't buy that.

On Friday, 17 June 2016, 4:52, africanherald via OkonkwoNetworks <okonkwonetworks@googlegroups.com> wrote:

An objective write-up.

Nwachukwu

-----Original Message-----
From: olakassimmd via OkonkwoNetworks <okonkwonetworks@googlegroups.com>
To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Cc: okonkwonetworks <okonkwonetworks@googlegroups.com>; NigerianWorldForum <NigerianWorldForum@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Jun 16, 2016 2:45 pm
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: 15 Things Every Nigerian Should Know

 

 

Dear All:

 

As a long term die hard fan of Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,

I wish her and her family well on this her 62nd Birthday anniversary.

Her husband Dr Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon was my classmate at UI Medical

School (Class of !975).

 

I sincerely believe that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is a rare gift to

Nigeria and that she has on aggregate served Nigerians well

to the best of her abilities in all the positions

she occupied during the Obasanjo and Jonathan led civilian

 administrations in Nigeria.

 

It is not easy being a saint in a room full of rogues.

It is also difficult to wine, dine and dance with swines in rat infected gutters

without getting some dirt squirted on one's clothing.

 

I am also aware that serving Nigerians comes at risk not only to one's physical safety 

but also one's reputation. Mrs Okonjo-Iweala's mother was once kidnapped over

 her daughter's role in advocating for a policy position during the GEJ

administration.

 

During her first tern as Minister of Finance, she started the idea

of publishing monthly allocations from the federal government

to all state governments and LGAs.

She implored Nigerian citizens to ask their state governors and

LGA Chairmen about what they were doing with their monthly allocations

from Abuja,

 

I have been on Mrs Okonjo-Iweala's side on most issues inclusive of

most of her economic

prescriptions for Nigeria and on her incessant warnings as Minister of Finance that

Nigeria needed to save for the rainy day when other Nigerian leaders

especially the state governors, were clamoring that the savings from

the excess crude fund be distributed to them to the last cent.

 

I was also one of those Nigerians who supported the decision to remove the

oil subsidy when she served as the Finance Minister so that the funds spent

on the  subsidy could be saved and spent on infrastructure projects.

 

A few years ago I spent some time promoting the idea that she could become

the first female President of Nigeria. I still believe she would make a great

President of Nigeria if she decided to throw her hat in the ring and contest.

 

However, as "No human being is perfect", Mrs Ngozi Oknojo-Iweala is also not a perfect

human being.

 

In all the years that she served Nigeria, I have only had one issue

on which I criticised and questioned her decision and her judgement.

 

I still find it difficult accepting Mrs Okonjo-Iweala's role in the Dasukigate Affair,

despite the fact that I sincerely believe that she most probably did not touch a kobo of

the $48 million USD, carted out of the CBN vaults in 11 suit cases

by Mr Dasuki, then National Security Adviser and his Deputy.

 

Seeing Mrs Okonjo-Iweala's signature on  that official document in which she minuted

(wrote) the following words in her handwriting:

 

"accountability to the President"

 

followed by her signature felt like a dagger through my heart. I personally felt betrayed!

 

I found it difficult accepting all the explanations and rationalizations provided by the pundits

about how she had no choice but to sign the document, since President Jonathan had already

given a verbal approval for what the world now knows was a massive heist and

ploy to defraud Nigerian citizens.

 

I have asked myself about what I would have done if I were in Mrs Okonjo-Iweala's position and I had the

opportunity as the last man standing in the way of the looters led by Dasuki who were

bent on stealing $ 48 million USD from the proceeds that were meant to purchase ammunition for

the Nigerian Armed Forces so the soldiers could more effectively prosecute the war against

the Boko Haram.

 

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala had the following options:

 

a) she could have insisted that the disbursement of the funds and the manner in which

it would be carried out be openly discussed and vetted at the Federal

Executive Council.

 

b) she could have refused to sign the memo and direct that President Jonathan sign off on

the disbursement.

 

c) she could have resigned her position as Minister of Finance and Co-Ordinator of the Economy

without necessarily providing any reasons for doing so.

 

The above steps are what I would have taken if I were to have been in Mrs Okonjo-Iweala's position!

 

Even though I doubt if Mrs Okonjo-Iweala could have stopped the heist that

we now know as Dasukigate if she had resigned her positions from the GEJ cabinet over this issue,

I would still have preferred that she kept her reputation clean by refusing to lend her official signature

to this crime against the peoples of Nigeria.

 

As I wrote above, no human being is perfect. It is human to err!

 

Notwithstanding, the above I still believe that  Mrs Okonjo-Iweala has left an indelible mark in the annals

of Nigerian public service and that she is a great ambassador for Nigeria and  an international icon.

As a citizen if Nigeria, I am proud of her achievements both in Nigeria and on the world stage.

 

I pray that the best is yet to come for her!

 

Bye,

 

Ola

 

 

 

 

---- Original Message ----
From: Olusola Daniel <olusoladaniel316@gmail.com>
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Jun 16, 2016 9:18 am
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: 15 Things Every Nigerian Should Know

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: 15 Things Every Nigerian Should Know

 

Top of Form

1.                  The immediate past Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is 62 years today.

Below are 15 Things you should know about her.
 
----
"When I became finance minister, they called me Okonjo-Wahala – or 'Trouble Woman.' It means 'I give you hell.' But I don't care what names they call me. I'm a fighter; I'm very focused on what I'm doing, and relentless in what I want to achieve, almost to a fault. If you get in my way, you get kicked".- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

1. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was was born on 13 June 1954, and married to Ikemba Iweala a Neuro-Surgeon.

2. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala graduated from prestigious Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts.

3. She earned her PhD in regional economic development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1981 and received an International Fellowship from the American Association of University women (AAUW) that supported her doctoral studies.

4. Okonjo-Iweala has had a two stints with the World Bank Group, first as the vice-president and corporate secretary of the World Bank Group before her first tenure as Minister of Finance in Nigeria and as Managing Director in 2007.

5. She was reappointed as Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy by President Goodluck Jonathan from 2011-2015.

6. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala led the team that negotiated an $18 billion debt write-off from the Paris Club in 2005.

7. Okonjo-Iweala also introduced the practice of publishing the monthly financial allocation to each state from the federal government in the newspapers. She played a major part in nigeria obtaining its first ever sovereign credit rating (of BB minus) from Fitch and Standard & Poor's.

8. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the daughter of a king, but that is not her CV. The Harvard-educated economist has risen to become one of the most respected economists in the world, she is an inspiration and a pride of Africa.

9. She is now a Senior Advisor at Lazard, a Global financial advisory and asset management firm.

10. She is a board member at African Risk Capacity, a Specialized Agency of the African Union (AU) to help Member States improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters, therefore protecting the food security of their vulnerable populations. 

11. She is the Board Chair at Gavi, an international organisation - a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries

12. In 2007, Okonjo-Iweala was considered as a possible replacement for former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz.

13. Subsequently, in 2012, she became one of three candidates in the race to replace World Bank President Robert Zoellick at the end of his term of office in June 2012.

14. On 16 April 2012 it was announced that she had been unsuccessful in her bid for the World Bank presidency, having lost to the US nominee, Jim Yong Kim. This outcome had been widely anticipated. However, this was the first contested election for World Bank president after the demise in 2010 of the Gentlemen's agreement that the US would appoint the World Bank president and Europe would appoint the managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

15. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is blessed with four children.

 

https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-15-things-every-nigerian-should-know.214412/

 

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