Former Nigerian President, Olusegun obasanjo, has revealed that during his presidency from 1999 to 2007, criticized the continuous prejudice exhibited by some Nigerians towards the Igbos, which he referred to as “Igbophobia.” Under Obasanjo’s administration, Chukwuma Soludo served as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the current Director-General of the World Trade Organization, was the Minister of Finance.
Okonjo Iweala and ex president Olusegun Obasanjo Speaking at an event in Anambra State on Saturday, March 25, to commemorate Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s one year in office, Obasanjo commended Soludo’s performance, stating that he never gave him any wrong advice while serving as his economic adviser.
According to Obasanjo, he was so impressed with Soludo’s work that he appointed him to lead the apex bank, making him the second CBN governor who was not a commercial banker.
Obasanjo also revealed that after appointing Okonjo-Iweala as Minister of Finance, he faced opposition from a dissenting voice.
In his words;
“Somebody came to me and said, ‘Wow! You have ruined the economy of Nigeria.’ I said, ‘How?’ He said, ‘An Igbo woman, Minister of Finance; an Igbo man, Governor of the Central Bank? Then you have clearly completed the task of ruining the economy of Nigeria.’
Obasanjo writes
According to Obasanjo, the appointments of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Chukwuma Soludo were “likely the best appointments” he made during his tenure as President.
