- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said her statement about former president Goodluck Jonatha's administration has been misquoted
- Okonjo-Iweala declared that she did not indict the Jonathan's administration
- She said she was only referring to the opposition of some governors against him
Former minister of finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said she didn’t say former president Goodluck Jonathan lack political will to save funds under his administration.
The Cable reports that Okonjo-Iweala regretted that her statement had been misquoted.
She on Thursday, December 28, said “zero political will to save in the last administration” was responsible for some of the challenges facing the country.
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The former minister, however, on Friday, December 29, in a statement issued by her media aide Paul Nwabuikwu said she was referring to the opposition of some governors to the efforts of the immediate past administration.
The statement read: ''Some recent media reports have distorted comments made by former finance minister DNgozi Okonjo-Iweala regarding how lack of political will negatively impacted national savings over the past few years.
''Contrary to the slant given by these loud headlines, 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.
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''The governors’ criticism of Okonjo-Iweala’s many calls for the country to save for the rainy day is 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 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.''
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that former president Olusegun Obasanjo disclosed why he head-hunted Okonjo-Iweala and made her minister of finance during his administration.
Obasanjo made his comments in his new book, “Making Africa Work”, which was also co-authored by Greg Mills, director of Brenthurst Foundation; Jeffrey Herbst, president of Newseum and Dickie Davis, a retired major general.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Saturday, 30 December 2017