Erstwhile Minister of Finance, Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Friday, debunked media reports which quoted her as
blaming the country’s present economic situation on the zero political will of
the immediate past government, to save for the rainy day. Read more below....
Okonjo-Iweala, who served under the
immediate-past administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, said some
media organisations distorted her comments, regarding how lack of political
will negatively impacted national savings over the past few years. A statement
by her Media Adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, said: “Contrary to the slant given by
these loud headlines, Dr Okonjo-Iweala did not indict the Jonathan
administration in which she served. “Rather, she was referring to what many
Nigerians already know: the strong opposition by some governors to the Jonathan
government’s efforts to save in the Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign
Wealth Fund sabotaged this important national priority. “The governors’
criticism of Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s many calls for the country to save for the
rainy day are still fresh in the minds of Nigerians. “It will be recalled that
this opposition culminated in the Governors taking the Jonathan government to
the Supreme Court in furtherance of their position that the Federal Government
had no right to “compel” them to save. “Several knowledgeable persons including
former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi have confirmed these facts. “So,
the issue of Okonjo-Iweala indicting the Jonathan administration over this very
public issue simply does not arise. “‘We urge the media to always consult for
clarification whenever the need arises.”
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