I had a good team.... GEJ

THREE months after leaving office and amid accusations of misdeeds by his government, former President Goodluck Jonathan has said he worked with a great team.

Jonathan’s appraisal of his cabinent was contained in separate congratulatory letters to the new President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; and the Vice-President of the World Bank, Ms Arunma Oteh.

Akinwunmi served as agriculture minister under the Jonathan administration while Oteh served as the Director- General of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jonathan said Adesina’s appointment “attests to the fact that my administration had a good team that managed the affairs of the country.”

In his letter to his former aides, Jonathan however celebrated his time in government.

To Adesina, he 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 banks 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 achievable dream.”

The former President, in his letter to Oteh, praised the former SEC boss’ knowledge of capital markets. He described her as being conversant with the challenges of the economies of emerging markets. He stated, “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.

“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 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.”

It will be recalled that the House of Representatives had in July 2012 asked the Federal Government to remove Oteh. The lawmakers made the call in their adoption of the report of the House ad hoc committee, which probed the near- collapse of the capital market.

The report was debated and adopted barely 24 hours after the Federal Government recalled Oteh from the suspension slammed on her on June 12 by the Board of the SEC, which indicted her for mishandling the Project 50 of the commission. The report faulted Oteh’s appointment as DG on the grounds that she was not qualified and that she lacked the competence to manage human and material resources. But the Jonathan Presidency had said that the government’s decision to bring back Oteh was independent of the House decision and that due process was followed in her recall.