Nigerians have lost faith in governance, says Okonjo-Iweala

Nigerians have lost faith in governance, says Okonjo-Iweala

 

Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says Nigerians no longer believe that government can do anything for them.

Indeed, the WTO DG, who spoke virtually at the inauguration of the 100-member Abia transition council on Friday, said the citizens, especially people in the South-East, where she came from, had lost faith in governance.

She also urged Abia State governor-elect, Alex Otti, to run a clean and transparent administration.

Okonjo-Iweala asked the incoming government to focus on “disruptive strategies rather than traditional operational systems.”

“I told the governor-elect that everything we’ll do will depend on this governance,” she said.

The WTO DG was also quoted by NAN as saying, “Nigerians, especially from that side of the south-east, have lost faith in governance. They no longer believe the government can provide anything for them.

“They provide for themselves boreholes, electricity and every other thing for themselves. Although that is entrepreneurial, on the other hand, that is not how to run the place.”

She further advised Otti to run a “better and cleaner, transparent governance” that should be exemplary to everyone.

Okonjo-Iweala expressed the hope that through Otti, “there is a unique chance to set Abia on the right side of development and modernisation, through digital disruptive technology”.

She said the governor-elect should think of how to make Abia function in line with the modern world and join the train into the future of humanity.

Okonjo-Iweala also asked indigenes abroad who have the capacity to assist by returning to the state, so as to recover the state and upgrade development.

On his part, Otti thanked everyone, who honoured the invitation to be part of the council, for joining him to “create a new Abia”.

Otti said he was a bit surprised by the jubilation that followed his announcement as the winner of the governorship election.

He said Okonjo-Iweala has told him repeatedly that “she does not envy him”.

The governor-elect added that his 42-page manifesto contains his plans for the state and would be a guide for the transition council to do its assignment.

“But the good news is that we are prepared to do that work and I have a lot of hope that I can draw from your expertise,” he said.

He said Aba was chosen for the inauguration because of his plans “to attack the deterioration” there headlong.

Chairman of the transition council, Vincent Onyenkpa, described the council’s task as “very daunting but meant to help Otti achieve the miracle he was expected to perform in the state”.

In March, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Otti as the winner of the Abia governorship election.

Otti polled 175,467 to defeat Okey Ahiwe, his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 88,529 votes.

 

Nigerians have lost faith in governance, says Okonjo-Iweala