THE Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on Nigerian politicians to cease using insecurity as a tool against their political opponents.
She made this statement during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) today, held at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos. The event was attended by numerous legal professionals.
Delivering a keynote address titled “A Social Contract for Nigeria’s Future,” the former Nigerian finance minister emphasized the inseparable link between security and socio-economic development.
“We cannot achieve socio-economic development without security, and security is unattainable without development,” the WTO chief stated.
She went on to highlight the politicization of security issues in Nigeria. “We are all aware that security has been weaponized in our country for political gain by certain actors, contributing to the current situation. Some politicians believe that the best way to discredit their opponents is by fostering insecurity to make them appear incapable of governing, regardless of the cost to innocent lives and property. This must end.”
‘Oil Theft Is Intolerable’
Okonjo-Iweala also addressed the issue of crude oil theft, stressing that technological advancements are sufficient to track down those responsible and hold them accountable. She insisted that there are no longer any excuses for failing to tackle this “intolerable” crime.
“A second aspect of security involves protecting our national assets. For years, Nigerians have witnessed how large-scale, organized crude oil theft has severely undermined the country’s economic and financial stability,” she said.
She called for a unified stance against the theft of national assets, stating, “All Nigerians must agree that the theft of our national resources, in any form, is intolerable and must be stopped.”
Okonjo-Iweala added that the continued theft of oil has weakened Nigeria’s foreign reserves and stressed that the available technology should be utilized to prevent further losses.
The conference, themed “Pressing Forward: A National Posture to Rebuilding Nigeria,” featured prominent figures from both Nigeria and abroad.
Among the attendees were former Ghanaian President John Mahama and the President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem. President Bola Tinubu was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, while the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas also had representatives at the event.