The Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on Nigerian politicians to stop using insecurity as a political weapon against their opponents.
Speaking at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos on Sunday, Okonjo-Iweala addressed a room full of lawyers with a keynote speech titled “A Social Contract for Nigeria’s Future.”
“We cannot achieve socio-economic development without security, and security is unattainable without development,” the WTO chief remarked. “Unfortunately, security has been weaponised in our country by political actors for personal gain, contributing to the current situation.”
She condemned politicians who incite insecurity to undermine their opponents, regardless of the devastating loss of lives and property it causes. “This must stop,” she declared.
‘Oil Theft Intolerable’
Okonjo-Iweala also spoke out against crude oil theft, stressing that there is sufficient technology to track and prosecute those responsible. She argued that officials can no longer justify their inaction in addressing the issue.
“Nigeria’s economic and financial health has long been compromised by large-scale, organized crude oil theft,” she stated. “All Nigerians must unite in declaring that the theft of our national assets is intolerable and must be stopped.”
She further highlighted that oil theft has severely weakened the country’s foreign reserves, adding, “The technology to prevent this is available, and there should be no more excuses.”
The event, themed “Pressing Forward: A National Posture to Rebuilding Nigeria,” featured notable personalities both from within Nigeria and abroad, including former Ghanaian President John Mahama and Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, President of the Court of Appeal. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu, while other top officials such as Acting Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas were also represented.