Why My Mother Was Kidnapped - Okonjo-Iweala Reveals

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Why My Mother Was Kidnapped - Okonjo-Iweala Reveals

 

A former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has recounted details of her mother’s abduction while she served under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to her book titled, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines’, it was one of the personal acts of intimidation she was subjected to, because of her insistence on implementing reforms and insisting that the right things should be done.

In December 2012, 83-year-old Prof. Kamene Okonjo was kidnapped in broad daylight from her country home in Ogwashi-Ukwu.

“They asked my brother to tell me to announce on national television and radio that I was resigning from my job as finance minister and leaving the country,” Okonjo-Iweala revealed when the kidnappers eventually made contact.

Okonjo-Iweala’s mother was released two days after.

According to her, the reason behind the kidnap was that, with the support of Jonathan, she had convened a taskforce that audited fiscal accounts and detected fraudulent claims for oil subsidy payments which she refused to pay.

The former Minister believed that as risky as it was to serve and fight corruption, in spite of the dangers and difficulties, “it was worth it because institutions, systems, and processes that can endure were built for Nigeria, and substantial monies saved”.

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Why Jonathan Conceded Defeat To Buhari In 2015 - Okonjo-Iweala Reveals

​BREAKING NEWS

Why Jonathan Conceded Defeat To Buhari In 2015 - Okonjo-Iweala Reveals

Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has revealed details of how former President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 elections.

According to her book titled, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines’, Jonathan took the decision without any external influence.

Okonjo-Iweala wrote that on the fateful day when unknown to all present at the presidential residence in Aso Villa on March 31, 2015, Jonathan had already contacted Buhari, while various high-level government officials and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs were discussing whether or not he should concede.

The former Minister said amid the arguments, she leaned towards the president and urged him to concede before the results were completely collated and announced.

Jonathan listened to her whispered words and then spoke loudly in response to the hearing of everyone in the room: “It is done. A few minutes ago, I called to congratulate President-elect Buhari.”

The much-awaited book, which Okonjo-Iweala described as “a personal account of an important aspect of my work in government – fighting corruption” unwraps her experiences while serving in the Jonathan government.

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