Says best hand for the Job
By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja
As candidates jostle for the Director-General position of the World Trade Organisaion, WTO, Female Parliamentary in Nigeria, Friday, threw weight behind former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to occupy the number one position of the organization.
Their support for Okonjo-Iweala was made known in a statement signed by Rep Halima Tukur from North-West; Rep for serving Senate Female Caucus,Senator Uche Ekwunife; Rep for serving Female House of Reps Caucus, Rt Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha. Others are Sen Joy Emodi, C.O.N; Rep of members in Executive, Sen Rukayat Gbemisola Saraki; and Administrator for Group National Female, Parliamentary Caucus, Hon Engr Janet F.Adeyemi.
The Caucus described Okonjo-Iweala as the best hand for the job because she stands head and shoulder higher, and that the quest for gender and regional inclusiveness in the running of the organinsation equally favoured her candidacy.
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The statement reads in part, “The Nigeria’s Female Parliamentary Caucus has thrown its weight behind Nigeria’s candidate for the position of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
“Other candidates for the position are also qualified, Okonjo-Iweala stands head and shoulder higher,and the quest for gender and regional inclusiveness in the running of the organinsation equally favours her candidacy.
“The Caucus, which is a body of serving and past female Members of the National Assembly dedicated to pushing for good governance, inclusion of more women in leadership positions, and building international collaborations for gender mainstreaming.
“Having considered Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s pedigree, her sterling leadership qualities, her local and international profiles, achievements, and exposures as well as her dedication to the promotion of an all-inclusive international trade, we have no doubt that she is the best hand for the job.
“At this time and age of the WTO, the world deserves a WTO that is a win-win for every region of the world, a WTO that will help African countries especially and other countries in the South to reap substantial benefits from the world trading system through level playing field and aide for trade.
“We are talking about deepening multilateralism and in a way that doesn’t leave anyone behind or perpetually with the short end of the stick.
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“And of course, we are also calling on the WTO stakeholders to consider that no African has been appointed the DG of the WTO since it was founded over 25 years ago in 1995.
“There is no better time to democratise the driver’s seat of the WTO in the true sense of its name. More significantly, Africa now has in the Harvard-educated former Managing Director of the World Bank the best hand to take the organisation to the next level.”
The female parliamentarians also commended the effort shown by President Muhammadu Buhari and Federal Government for sponsoring her (Okonjo-Iweala) to occupy WTO’s Director-General’s position, therefore urged the government to press more by pulling all diplomatic strings to ensure her resounding victory.
Meanwhile, they called Africa’s support for her candidacy and ensure she realizes her ambition and for Africa to see her as its candidate and not just Nigerian candidate that would also positively impact on the economies of African countries if she is there.
