Former Minister of Education, Oby
Ezekwesili, has opened up on the request made by President Muhammadu Buhari to
the World Bank, to
concentrate on the Northern part of the country.
In a Twitter thread, Ezekwesili,
who was vice-president of the organization at the time, explained what really
happened.
She wrote: “I want EVERYONE to
KNOW that the statement made by the @WorldBank President @JimYongKim IS NOT AS
IT SOUNDS. I should KNOW. I was VP there.
“No. No. No, dear people. The
FACT of that statement by the @WorldBank President @JimYongKim is NOT AS IT
SOUNDS. I will explain.
“As a practice, POST- conflict
zones -e.g. Northern Uganda, Northern CAR, Eastern DRC receive Special Focus
from .@WorldBank .It MAKES SENSE!
“As the destabilization in the
North East worsened Human Development Indicators in North East Nigeria, our
country SADLY JOINED that List.
“Our Africa Strategy when I
became VP of @WorldBank 48 countries including Nigeria PRIORITIZED QUICK
RECONSTRUCTION of PostConflict areas.
“The Evidence-Based justification
for PRIORITIZING Post-Conflict Reconstruction is that it helps BUILD RESILIENCE
& Prevents a RELAPSE.
“In ALL the cases of countries
like CAR, DRC, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Guinea (both Bissau &
Conakry) this was the APPROACH.
“Prioritizing Reconstruction of
Post-Conflict zone in ANY of those countries FACTUALLY PROVED to be KEY for
REST OF COUNTRY GROWTH&STABILITY!
“The BENEFIT of becoming a
Priority is that our Knowledge program ( Economic & Social Studies)
&sizable portion of Loan will target the area.
“It however DOES NOT MEAN that
the REST OF SUCH COUNTRY becomes NEGLECTED in the Knowledge & Lending
Programs of the Bank. NOT AT ALL.
“The prioritizing given to North
East in discussion between @JimYongKim & @MBuhari is thus NOT UNUSUAL AT
ALL. Let’s NOT POLITICIZE IT please
“At time they met in 2015,
serious work&discussions already took place among Development Partners on
HOW BEST TO HELP STABILIZE North East.
“The current brouhaha is of
course triggered by CONTEXT of EXISTING TENSIONS occasioned by our President’s
POOR MANAGEMENT of OUR DIVERSITY.
“The FEEDBACK that President
@MBuhari can take from the RAGE that his discussion with @WorldBank has
triggered it is to REFLECT ON HIS WAYS.
“FEEDBACK is IMPORTANT for
IMPROVING GOVERNANCE especially in a country as DIVERSE as ours. President
@MBuhari can make this moment COUNT.
“Our President, @MBuhari &his
FG @NGRPresident @AsoRock @ProfOsinbajo seize on moment to CONDUCT a DIVERSITY
REVIEW of their Administration.
“The terribly indecorous press
release by @FemAdesina WORSENS a fractious debate. This FG cannot be LEADERS of
toxicity in public debates.
“No matter the basis of people’s
disagreement with their Government, it must NEVER BE PRESSURED to the point of
LEADING THE WAY IN INSULTS.”
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