Former President Goodluck Jonathan has for the first time risen above the noise of criticisms on his administration by the President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pass a positive judgment on his tenure.
Jonathan used the opportunity of a congratulatory message to two members of his administration that moved to top international jobs to deliver his subtle response to wholesale condemnation of tenure by the incumbent administration and its party.
For Jonathan, the emergence of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, and Ms. Arunma Oteh as Treasurer/ Vice President of the World Bank demonstrated that he had a good economic team.
Dr. Adesina, who was Dr. Jonathan’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, was recently elected the President of African Development Bank, a position Nigerians had unsuccessfully bidded for in the past.
Ms. Oteh was was the Director-General of Securities and Exchange Commission.
Jonathan, in separate letters of congratulations to both Dr. Adesina and Ms. Oteh which he personally signed, described them as high achievers and Nigeria’s worthy ambassadors.
Agric Minister, Akinwumi-Adesina
To Adesina, the former President wrote, “Given your exemplary record of performance, while serving as the Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in my cabinet, I have no doubt that you will deploy your energy and the bank’s resources to ensure that Africa experiences a new era of accelerated development.
“You were not only a critical voice in my economic team, you also walked the talk, and earned the praise of our countrymen and women, by ensuring that Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in food production became an achievable dream.
“I am particularly pleased with your emergence as the AfDB boss; a development, I believe, has come as a reward for having served your country meritoriously. It also attests to the fact that my Administration had a good team that managed the affairs of the country.”
The former president also extolled the virtues of Ms Oteh. “I am delighted that you are going to your new job, fresh from the experience of having led the recovery and growth initiatives of the Nigerian Bourse in the wake of the decline, occasioned by recent global economic recession and financial crisis.
Arunma Oteh
“I am particularly pleased that you are being rewarded and elevated on the world stage, after serving your country meritoriously, at a time I was the President. This is a clear testimony to your capacity, high
integrity, and tenacity of purpose. It is also a vindication of the decision of my Administration to stand by you, believing in your abilities and competence, even when questions were being raised in some quarters over your choice.
“I am convinced that the experience you gathered as Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria (SEC) gave you deep insights on how to tackle the peculiar challenges of a developing nation.
The World Bank can draw from this to ensure that its future partnerships with emerging economies in Africa and other parts of the world are anchored on policies that will lead to sustained growth and
development, which is a sine qua non for lifting millions of people in the developing world out of mass poverty.”
