Okonjo-Iweala Accuses Politicians of Weaponizing Insecurity for Selfish Gains
By Matthew Eloyi
The Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has accused politicians of weaponizing insecurity in Nigeria for their own political and selfish interests.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos on Sunday, Okonjo-Iweala stated that the actions of these politicians have significantly contributed to the country’s current security challenges.
In her keynote address titled ‘A Social Contract For Nigeria’s Future,’ the former Minister of Finance emphasized the critical link between security and development, warning that the nation cannot achieve socio-economic progress without ensuring adequate security.
“We cannot have socio-economic development without security. We certainly cannot have security without development. We all know that security has been weaponised in our country for political purposes by political actors, leading partly to the situation we have now,” she said.
She further criticized politicians who deliberately instigate insecurity to make their opponents appear incompetent, regardless of the devastating impact on the lives and property of innocent Nigerians. “This has to stop,” she declared.
Addressing another aspect of security, Okonjo-Iweala condemned the massive crude oil theft plaguing the nation, which she said has severely weakened Nigeria’s foreign reserves. She argued that there are enough technological solutions available to track and stop the theft and that excuses for inaction are no longer acceptable.
“Nigerians have seen for years how organized crude oil theft on a massive scale seriously undermines the economic and financial health of the country. All Nigerians must agree that stealing of our national assets of any type is intolerable and must be stopped,” she asserted.
“There is so much technology available now to track such theft, and there must be no more excuses for inaction,” Okonjo-Iweala concluded.