Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who worked under him as Finance Minister was a different proposition from the Okonjo-Iweala who managed the economy under immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan.
Okonjo-Iweala continues to divide opinion. While lauded for some stellar work under Obasanjo, she’s been accused of mismanaging the economy in a similar beat under Jonathan. And her first Boss in the corridors of power thinks he knows exactly why:
Okonjo-Iweala was given a free rein and wide berth under Jonathan.
“Take Ngozi (Okonjo-Iweala), who worked for me. And who worked competently for me. Because I know Ngozi’s weaknesses, but I know her strong points. Her strong point is technical competence. But Ngozi needs to be led and to be supervised. Now will you comment on Ngozi who worked for me as the same Ngozi who worked for Jonathan? Will you? But it’s the same person”, Obasanjo said in an interview with Premium Times.
“She derailed because….when Jonathan even said he wanted her, I said ‘I hope you can manage her.’ And Ngozi herself sent me a text (and) I told her times have changed”, Obasanjo said.
A world bank sired economist, Okonjo-Iweala took on too much powers under Jonathan, with the portfolio of ‘Coordinating Minister of the Economy’ thrusted on her.
Obasanjo says Okonjo-Iweala was pre-disposed to throwing tantrums if one didn’t put his foot down.
He cited a particular instance where Okonjo-Iweala refused to be posted to another Ministry and tendered her resignation which Obasanjo said he readily accepted before she could send people to beg him.
“I’ve touched reform. I’ve touched almost everywhere except Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So one day, I was in my office and the Head of Service, Yayale (Ahmed), came in. He said ‘look, you are looking not happy, what is the matter?’ I said I am worried about two ministries and the ministers who can do the work I wanted to be done there in these two ministries are already doing good work where they are. And he said ‘talk let me see.’
“I said education and foreign affairs. And he said ‘who are the ministers that you think can do the job.’ I said Oby (Ezekwesili), Ngozi, and El-Rufai. He said ‘what is Oby doing for you now?’ I said Oby is doing Solid Minerals. He said ‘Sir, in all sincerity, I know you don’t like to rank ministries, but will you say Ministry of Solid Minerals is as important as Ministry of Education?’
“I said yes I don’t rank ministries, they are all important. He said, ‘Can’t you take any of these three to do education and then get somebody else to do solid minerals?’ So I took Oby there. Now in the Ministry of Finance we had got debt relief, so I could afford to take Ngozi to Foreign Affairs. That’s all. And then she had Nenadi (Usman) who was the minister of state. She’s not a buffoon.
“And then, which is also part of her weakness, she came to me and said, look, since it’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she will like to take International Finance along with it. I said talk to your sister with whom you are working and I don’t see anything wrong with that provided you work out a relationship. But she didn’t accord Nenadi the recognition and the consideration that was necessary. I then said the ministry of International finance should go back to Finance and that happened. She said she couldn’t act. She put in a letter of resignation. And she had done that before, and before she could come and get people to come and beg, I announced acceptance (of her resignation)”.
Obasanjo said Okonjo-Iweala had tendered her resignation once and took it back. “I know her character”, the former Nigerian leader said.
Obasanjo added: “She just felt if she cannot have her way, with me…. If I am the one in charge, then it has to be what I see as what is the best interest of the nation”.
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has screamed himself hoarse with regards to how Mrs Iweala ran the Nigerian economy aground. The pair have traded bitter words in the media bordering on authorized withdrawal from the Excess Crude Account and fiscal recklessness.
States went broke under Iweala and several more were unable to pay salaries and meet other financial obligations.
In her defense, Okonjo-Iweala often said powerful State Governors never listened to her when she preached fiscal discipline; during the window when the international price of oil was still up there.
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