FRIDAY, 17 JUNE 2011 00:00 HORATIUS EGUA, ABUJA

Strong indications emerged yesterday that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, current managing director of the World Bank and former minister of Finance during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, has finally accepted to serve in President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

A top Presidency source told BusinessDay on Thursday in Abuja that the World Bank’s managing director accepted the offer last week, on condition that she returns to the Finance ministry to help the government manage the nation’s economy.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president has also agreed to her terms to direct the economic team which the president himself is to chair.

Okonjo-Iweala met with President Jonathan on Thursday at the Plaza Hotel in New York for over an hour before the latter returned to the country after a high level meeting of the United Nations (UN) on HIV/AIDS.

“President Jonathan is happy that Okonjo-Iweala has finally agreed to serve in his government.

Her coming on board will help stabilise the government and with her wealth of experience at the World Bank, the government will enjoy a lot of goodwill from the international community,” the source told our correspondent.

Late President Umaru Yar’Adua had laboured frantically to get the former minister on board his government but failed to convince her to relinquish her job. However, she succeeded in recruiting Mansur Mukhtar for the government.

“This is really good news for Nigeria,” the source said; adding that “working with the likes of Olusegun Aganga, the immediate past minister of Finance, would be great for the country.

“Aganga is another credible individual that will boost the economic direction of the government and having Okonjo-Iweala and Aganga will be wonderful for the government.

“President Jonathan is going to surpass the economic achievements of Obasanjo because his choice of these two great minds is unbeatable,” the source stated further.

Though it was not clear at the time of filing this report where Aganga would be moved to, BusinessDay investigations revealed President Jonathan was considering a very strategic ministry for the former minister where he could contribute greatly to the economic development of the country.

It was further gathered that the president may merge ministries and create new ones that will focus more on investments and industrialisation drive of the country.

Meanwhile, contrary to media reports, some of the ministers allegedly screened by the State Security Services (SSS) were yet to appear before the security outfit.

Three of the nominees, who spoke to BusinessDay on Thursday, said the reports were untrue and that nobody had invited them for screening.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/23208-okonjo-iweala-accepts-to-serve-in-jonathans-government

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo pls dont come sahara reporters and the SW media will rubish your career pls remain where you are ,look what they did to dora.

We (you know whom, yes?) win, yet again (message for Tinubu4life and fstranger, the bleeping morons)

Others can keep humping and puffing empty air, while we gather the sheaves, to their eternal chagrin

adejoro75:

We (you know whom, yes?) win,yet again again (message for Tinubu4life and fstranger, the bleeping morons)

Others can keep humping and puffing empty air, while we gather the sheaves.

pls this is not good news they will rubbish her image .

she is going to get screw up big time.


with all this bomb , by borom haram, she better stay with orld bank. she will be stupid to leave. when will the next nigerian get there. she should not leave world bank. she is better off , staying there, than leave world bank,

or are they kicking her out of world bank. nigeria will lost out if she leaves world bank.

Goodnews.

Is she the only qualified person that can be made finance minister out of 140m people, Abeg leave her at the world bank,at least we know that we have a nigerian at that level.If she leaves there now,only God knows when another nigerian will rise to that level.

If you want to increase a seed, you plant it. Let her take the job. She and Nigeria will be better for it. He experience will help her perform wisely and live above whatever rubbish the dirty politicians and press throw at her. Kudos to GEJ for his foresight. I hope she is eventually appointed.

Undoubtedly a successful career woman but i wait to see how she will succeed with a profligate boss who has been held by the "balls" by moneybags. One of them has to bow & its usually not the boss

she is good option for nigeria, ready to serve in the ministry she know best , Dora case was different cos she got confussed along the line, so good luck to our incoming minister of finance

Besides, she will be serving in the area of her competence and not where you can easily rubbish her (e.g. Ministry of information)

You mean we are dumping Aganga like trash now?

Well, did she ask for Dr. Mansur Muhtar too?

I am sure she did. We know who actually does the work and who gets all the credit.

From the US Cable a la Wikileak:

15. (C) Mansur Muhtar ) Minister of Finance. Muhtar, a graduate of Harvard University, was Director General in the Debt Relief Office under Obasanjo, where [size=15pt]he managed Nigeria's debt portfolio and played the major role in the negotiations that led to Nigeria's exit from the Paris and London Clubs of creditors[/size]. He most recently has been a senior economist with the Africa Development Bank.
COMMENT: A senior U.S. economist who worked closely with him at the Africa Development Bank described him as &by far the best Executive Director at the bank ,  s[size=15pt]mart, articulate, and gets the big picture.8 He is reportedly the brain behind former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala' success[/size].

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5685067-146/wikileaks_cable_aondoakaa_is_a_thug.csp

I just hope this is not just another rumor or assumption. Lets watch and see

adejoro75:

We (you know whom, yes?) win,yet again again (message for Tinubu4life and fstranger, the bleeping morons)

Others can keep humping and puffing empty air, while we gather the sheaves.

See what the US ambassador wrote to the White House about another Ibo woman:

26. (C) Deziani Allison-Madueke -- Minister of Mines and Steel Development. Allison-Madueke is from Bayelsa State and was born December 6, 1960. She holds a B.Sc. in architecture from Howard University and an M.B.A. from Cambridge University. She is married to a Rear Admiral who was a former Chief of Naval Staff. She previously served as Minister of Transportation. She also was External Affairs director for Shell Petroleum Nigeria.
COMMENT: [size=18pt]She is viewed as ineffectual and did a poor job in her last Ministerial position as Transportation and Aviation Ministe[/size]r. She reportedly openly expressed disappointment with her new portfolio. She is also remembered for having wept in public at the state of disrepair of the Lagos-Ore Expressway while serving as Minister of Transportation.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5685067-146/wikileaks_cable_aondoakaa_is_a_thug.csp

Now compare that to what they wrote about a Yoruba man:

16. (C) Aderemi Babalola -- Minister of State for Finance.
He is from Oyo State and holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan and a Masters of Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos. He began his career with Price Waterhouse, Lagos, and from 1991-2001 worked for Zenith International Bank, rising to the position of General Manager of the Lagos Branch. From 2001-2005 he was Deputy General Manager of First Bank of Nigeria, and in September 2005 was appointed Executive Director, a position he held until his appointment to Minister of State in 2007.
COMMENT: Babalola is extremely competent, knows his portfolio well, and had defacto led the Ministry under previous Finance Minister Usman. During the interim period of Yar'Adua's decision-making on the new ministerial slots, Babalola served as the supervising Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Who is more qualified than she. She single handedly exposed Obasanjo on d excess crude account withdrawal and courageously resigned before her name could be rubbished. Let Goodluck be commended rather than condemned.

Collins420:

Who is more qualified than she. She single handedly exposed Obasanjo on d excess crude account withdrawal and courageously resigned before her name could be rubbished. Let Goodluck be commended rather than condemned.

We'll commend Goodluck when he does something about the reckless slaughter of Nigerians in bomb blasts right under his nose.

And no, offering our tax money to murderers in the name of 'Amnesty' is not a sensible course of action.

There are litany of threads on that issue Sir Texx. You may vent your anger and rage on any of them, but on this particular thread we are commending GEJ on a wise decision he just took. Stay on topic or . . .

Odunnu:

There are litany of threads on that issue Sir Texx. You may vent your anger and rage on any of them, but on this particular thread we are commending GEJ on a wise decision he just took. Stay on topic or . . .

This thread is about a RUMOUR that Okonjo Iweala has agreed to serve in the GEJ cabinet. it is not about praising GEJ.


Stick to priorities please!

Lol.
Lets talk about this 'rumour' then since we are on the thread. Do not distract us.

Odunnu:

Lol.
Lets talk about this 'rumour' then since we are on the thread. Do not distract us.

lol. Insufferable lady!

I'm pretty sure i'd like you it we ever met offline.

We nid the likes of Ngozi Iweala in 9ja

If its true its a fantastic development. If she could succeed under a very authoritarian OBJ she definitely will have a bigger impact under a more conciliatory president GEJ and if she could bring back Mansur again then the steady degeneration into unwanted external debts once againcould be stemmed. Yes there are other choices amongst the 140 million good people of this country but the fact is that very, very few are proven at this level. They can be engaged as under secretaries for a latter date. Aganga for economics, Iweala for finances and Mansur for debt - the best combination we can possibly have for our present challenges.

Ystranger:

See what the US ambassador wrote to the White House about another Ibo woman:


Now compare that to what they wrote about a Yoruba man:

your brain (if you have any) may be helpful, use it
compare gender, courses studied, universities attended, previously held portfolios

she is from Bayelsa state; how come IBO?

Finally,

Odunnu:

You may vent your anger and rage on any of them, but on this particular thread we are commending GEJ on a wise decision he just took. Stay on topic or . . .

This is realy goodnews for nigeria,i jst hp they don't rubish her image.

Uncle JONA should wake up to the realities of Nigeria we need decisive actios from the commander in chief not we know them go and catch them prosecute them that others may learn. Uncle JONA Okonjo is good but she cannot be paid in dollars. There are technocrats in Nigeria that would be willing to work for free look within. Everybody should not be paid for any little service offered just like our selfish lawmakers .Uncle JONA WAKE UP OF PRESENT REALITIES OF NIGERIA BEFORE BOKO HARAM HIJACK THE GOVERNMENT FROM YOUR HAND. A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE

I think it's good news.

I dont see anything bad in his choice, cmmon this woman has done well both at her job and one time ministry of finanace, so i dnt see anything wrong!!!, Jonathan shoukld eve be happy

Thank you for sharing this information ,i learned about it .thank you  

I think she is a nice choice
But i just hope she dosen't derail along the line like a host of others did

Good name, they say, is better than money

oladuro:

Uncle JONA should wake up to the realities of Nigeria we need decisive actios from the commander in chief not we know them go and catch them prosecute them that others may learn. Uncle JONA Okonjo is good but she cannot be paid in dollars. There are technocrats in Nigeria that would be willing to work for free look within. Everybody should not be paid for any little service offered just like our selfish lawmakers .Uncle JONA WAKE UP OF PRESENT REALITIES OF NIGERIA BEFORE BOKO HARAM HIJACK THE GOVERNMENT FROM YOUR HAND. A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE

true talk.

but on a second thot, goodluck is making effort to secure services of credible people who can do the right thing while in office.