Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States have endorsed the candidature of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), for the period 2021-2025.
The apex body which noted that since the creation of the WTO on the first of January 1995, no African has assumed the position of Director-General of the Organization.
A statement by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye said the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government endorsed the Okonjo-Iweala noting “her long years of managerial experience at the top echelons of multilateral institutions, her established reputation as a fearless reformer, her excellent negotiating and political skills, her experience of over 30 years as a Development Economist with a long standing interest in trade, her excellent academic qualifications, her positions as Managing Director World Bank, and currently as Board Chair Gavi, and AU Special Envoy to Mobilize Financial Resources for the fight against Covid19”.
The statement further said that the body called on other African countries as well as non-African countries to endorse her candidature.
It would be recalled that Egypt recently opposed Nigeria’s nomination of Okonjo-Iweala for the position of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), after Nigeria named her to replace Yonov Frederick Agah.
The Office of the Legal Counsel of the African Union recently declared that the nomination of Dr Okonjo-Iweala for was not in line with the rules.
Nigeria had submitted a Note Verbal on 4th June to the Commission informing it that the candidature of Amb Yunov Frederick Agah had been withdrawn and replaced with Dr Okonjo-Iweala.
Based on the new candidature, Egypt requested the Office of the Legal counsel to provide a written opinion if Nigeria’s action is in line with the rules.
In its reply dated 15th June, the Office of the Legal counsel disclosed that the new submission of Nigeria does not fulfil the requirement in accordance with Rule (11) paragraphs 1,2 and 3 and Rule 12.
“The new submission of the Republic of Nigeria is not in line with the Council Decision Ex CI 1072(XXXV) through which the Executive Council called on the AU Member States to consider presenting candidates to the AU Ministerial Committee on Candidatures in the International System for the position of WTO Director General by November 2019 with a view to endorse one candidate during the February 2020 Ordinary Session, consequently, it is in violation of Rule 15.
“Additionally, the same submission is not also in line with the Executive Council Decision Ex CI 1090 (XXXVI) that recalled the Ex CI 1072 (XXXV) and endorsed respectively the candidates from Benin, Egypt and Nigeria as the short listed candidates to the post of the Director General of the WTO and requested the Ministerial Committee on African Candidatures within the International System to consider the matter and report to the Executive Council’s 37th Ordinary Session with a view to agreeing on a single candidate.”
It insisted that the endorsement made was not for the countries but for the candidates from those three countries namely: Mr Eloi Laourou from Benin, Mr Abdulhameed Mamdouh from Egypt and Amb Yunov Frederick Agah from Nigeria.
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