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‘Okonjo Wahala’ rumbles…Forget business as usual!
BY KAZIE UKO
The excitement and attendant celebration may be gradually ebbing, but the jubilation is certainly over. For the history-making Nigeria’s international civil servant and corporate amazon, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, it is time to settle down for business.
Having barely taken her seat at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, as the first woman and first African Director General of the global trade agency, Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who earned the sobriquet, ‘Okonjo Wahala’ (Wahala meaning trouble in Nigeria’s pidgin) because of her tough stance on issues while serving in Nigeria as Minister of Finance, has already rumbled into action.
While appreciating the WTO General Council for finally ratifying her protracted approval and subsequent appointment, Monday, as the DG, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala gave an insight into her time at the 26-year-old organisation buffeted by global politics, especially by the super powers.
READ: Buhari congratulates Okonjo-Iweala for bringing joy to Nigeria
She says her tenure is not going to be business-as-usual.
In a tweet she sent out shortly after her appointment was announced, Okonjo-Iweala fired: “It is done! Thank you @WTO members for finalizing my election today and making history.
“In the 73 years of GATT and WTO, (I’m) honored to be First Woman and First African to lead.
“But now the real work begins. Ready to tackle the challenges of WTO. Forget Business as usual!”
Okonjo-Iweala says she comes to WTO with “a fresh pair of eyes and ears”.