ABUJA — Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination for
President of the World Bank was, yesterday, endorsed by the House of
Representatives, which also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to
intensify campaign for her election.
Meanwhile, Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke in Abidjan, yesterday, said, she
would fight to win the position of the World Bank President, after
getting fresh endorsement from the Economic Community of West African
States, ECOWAS.
African Union, it would be recalled, had on Monday in Addis Ababa,
endorsed her as its candidate for the top job, while ECOWAS Heads of
States in Abidjan, also declared their support for her.
Mr Austin Ugbaboru, member of the House of Representatives, raising a
matter of urgent national importance, noted that Okonjo-Iweala was one
of the best export materials Nigeria ever had.
“Our Minister of Finance, Dr Okonjo-Iweala, as we are all aware, is
vying for the position of President of World Bank. This is the first
time that a Nigerian will be vying for this position and it is pertinent
for us as a House to endorse her candidature, so that the whole world
will know that she has our support because she is eminently qualified to
hold the position.”
Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke in Abidjan said: “Let’s give it a good
fight, with a level playing ground, we still stand the chance to win.
“President Jonathan endorsed my candidature and sent me immediately
to the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, where I was received and a
communiqué was issued. I was also at the extra-ordinary meeting of the
ECOWAS Heads of States in Abidjan and the family declared to support my
candidature as well.”
