The Federal Government on Thursday, October 29, reiterated its commitment towards ensuring that Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerges as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
This support for Okonjo-Iweala was made known via a press statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement signed by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, was titled, ‘Update on Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s aspiration to lead the World Trade Organisation’.
“Nigeria will continue to engage relevant stakeholders; to ensure that the lofty aspiration of her candidate to lead the World Trade Organisation is realised,” part of the statement reads.
The ministry noted that the former Managing Director of the World Bank had secured the support of the majority of the WTO members with only the United States opposing her.
It stated that a meeting of the General Council of the WTO has been scheduled for November 9, 2020, for the final decision on the election process.
It said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the third and final round of the selection process of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization was concluded on Tuesday, 27th October 2020; and the result was formally announced on Wednesday, 28th October 2020.
“The candidate from Nigeria, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has secured the support of the majority of the member countries; but is yet to be declared and returned the winner.
“This is because apart from winning the election; all the 164 Member States of WTO were expected to adopt the winner by consensus; in accordance with the rule of procedure of the WTO.
“It is important to highlight that Dr Okonjo-Iweala has secured cross-regional backing; with only the United States opposing the consensus.”
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Thursday, October 29, revealed that the looting of warehouses and shops by hoodlums were not necessarily caused by poverty but greed.
Femi Adesina made this disclosure during a TV interview; while insisting that the looting spree which occurred in days after the #EndSARS protest was propelled by greed and criminality.
He said he completely disagrees with the idea; that the pandemonium which accompanied the #EndSARS protests is a true reflection of the people’s hunger and anger.
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“I wouldn’t agree completely with that (that the looters are hungry) because criminality is criminality; would you justify armed robbery because the man was poor?
“Just as you can’t justify armed robbery because a man was poor; and then he took a gun to rob another person. You can’t also justify the lootings that are going on. It is pure criminality.
“It is not everybody engaged in that looting that is hungry; that is the truth. It is pure greed and criminality,” Femi Adesina said.
