I didn’t indict Jonathan over ‘savings’ statement – Okonjo-Iweala

 

The immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Friday denied indicting the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan on its inability to save for the rainy day.

 

The former minister said in a statement issued by her Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu that while the Jonathan administration was willing to save for Nigerians, the plan was opposed by the state governors at the time.

She said the 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.

 

The statement reads in part, “Some recent media reports have distorted comments made by former Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala regarding how lack of political will negatively impacted national savings over the past few years.

 

“Contrary to the slant, Dr. 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.

 

 “The governors’ criticism of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s many calls for the country to save for the rainy day are 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.

 

“So the issue of Okonjo-Iweala indicting the Jonathan administration over this very public issue simply does not arise.”

 

Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja

PUNCH NEWSPAPER.