Former governor of Anambra State and vice presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 general elections, Peter Obi, has applauded the appointment of a former Minister of Finance and World Bank Managing Director, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as a member of the South African Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
South Africa is faced with yet another economic recession and President Cyril Ramaphosa has promptly set up an economic team to profer solution to the crisis.
In a statement by his media adviser, Valentine Obienyem, Obi said Iweala’s appointment was like putting a square peg in a square hole in the restoration of South Africa’s troubled economy.
Obi congratulated Iweala, describing her as “an exceptional personality and first-class ambassador of our country Nigeria and one whose commitment to a better society remains outstanding.”
The PDP vice presidential candidate said he recalled Iweala’s efforts at saving the Nigerian economy but lamented how the efforts “came to nought when the Nigeria Governors’ Forum refused her fervent cry to save the huge sum in Excess Crude Account in our Sovereign Wealth Fund for the rainy day and future of our children.”
“She (Iweala) was vehemently opposed and the forum even went to court to force her to share the money. We called her names then, but look at the deteriorating situation we found ourselves today,” Obi said.
He commended South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointing the former finance minister to turn around the nation’s dwindling economy.
In the face of a dwindling economy, Ramaphosa had in September 2019 inaugurated the Presidential Economic Advisory Council to turn around the economy.
The South African economy had during the week entered recession, thereby losing the title of Africa’s biggest economy to Nigeria.
At the second meeting of the advisory council held during the week, Iweala said via her verified Twitter handle @NOIweala on Saturday that the council discussed sources of growth for the South African economy and win-win economic interactions with the continent.
