Govs Join Economic Team as Okonjo-Iweala Returns

Posted by admin Governors, National Politics Thursday, August 18th, 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan has named two governors in his National Economic Management Team as the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was sworn in before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting Wednesday.
Jonathan, who named the 24-strong team to be inaugurated Thursday, is the chairman while Vice-President Namadi Sambo is the vice-chairman. Okonjo-Iweala is the co-ordinator.

Honorary Adviser on Agriculture and Governor of Adamawa State, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), and Honorary Adviser on Finance and Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, were also named members as state chief executives joined the team for the first time in what the president said was to help coordinate policy at federal and state levels.
Members include: Ministers of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudden Usman; Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga; Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji; Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; Agriculture, Dr. Adesina Akinwunmi; Works, Chief Mike Onolememen; Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i; and Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu.

Also in the team are Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawal Ngama; Minister of State for Health Mohammed Ali Pate; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Chief Economic Adviser, Prof. Nwanze Okidegbe; Special Adviser on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Prof. Sylvester Monye; and the Directors-General of Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu; Debt Management Office, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo; Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr. Emeka Eze; Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ms Bola Onagoruwa; and Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Mr. Ahmed Mansur.
Others are Honorary Adviser on Economy and President, Nigerian Economic Society, Dr. K. S. Adeyemi; and Chairman of IBTC Stanbic Bank, Mr. Atedo Peterside.

Speaking after Okonjo-Iweala took oath of office, Jonathan thanked her for accepting to serve, especially for not insisting on collecting dollar-denominated salary, adding that other African heads of state were wondering how she agreed to return.
He said: “Let me thank you for accepting to come and serve because considering the position you were holding at the foremost World Bank, it is difficult for you to come back to serve as minister in a country. And I am saying this with all pride because when your name was made known by the media, anywhere I went, heads of state and government were wondering why you would even agree to come back.

“They were appreciative of me especially the African presidents that I did well to pull you back home to help to solve African problems because they know your worth at the World Bank.
“Let me also thank the World Bank particularly Robert Zoelick (its president) for allowing you to come, for cooperating with us and promising to support us.
“People wonder why we want her back. We want her back not just to manage the ministry of finance but we are opportuned to have her as somebody who is quite vast in economic issues.”

Jonathan said Okonjo-Iweala was coming back to a familiar territory, having established the economic team as her brainchild during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime before it taken over by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“This time around, we are expanding the economic team because we believe the country is one. Yes, the states have their own economies but if there is no proper coordination in the management of the economy, between the Federal Government and the states, we cannot go anywhere as a nation. And that is why in the economic team this time around there will be some governors as members but Ngozi is brought in to coordinate all economic activities of the Federal Government and of course by extension help the states.

“Let me formally announce to Nigerians that she has accepted to serve just like any other minister and indeed others who came from the Diaspora have not asked us for dollar salary. They are going to receive salaries and allowances like others in the cabinet. They are coming to serve the country and are not coming for personal aggrandizement,” he said.
Jonathan pledged to give the ministers a free hand, and to underscore the importance of the economy, each ministry will after the Sallah celebration take turns to brief the cabinet on where the ministry is and where it is heading to.
He also used the opportunity to congratulate Nigerians for the successful launch of two satellites, NigeriaSat 2 and NigeriaSat-X, built by Nigerian space engineers, which he described as a new chapter in his transformation agenda.

-ThisDaywp_posts