By Abba – Eku Onyeka
The Director – General (DG), World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala has been enjoined to address problems in international trade.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala contested for the international position and was said to have gotten the support of the majority of the electorates; a support former President Trump of America was predicted to be an earlier impediment, if he was re-elected to office. But on 5 February, her co-contestant cum opponent, Trade Minister of South Korea, Yoo Myung – Hee withdrew from the race, making way for the Nigerian-born economist of repute, who will start the four year term on March the 1st, 2021.
The Woman Leader, Abuja Chapter of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs), Amb (Mrs) Rachael Adewumi gave the charge to the newly appointed DG of the international organisation while, addressing journalists in her office recently in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Making her point with regard to trade disputes in South African and foreigners, as well as that of Ghana, the Woman Leader said: “One of the duties of the WTO is to resolve trade disputes. We urge her to look deep into what has caused such trade disputes between foreign traders and their Ghanaian and South African host countries, and use her good office to settle it amicably. She is a black woman from Nigeria and Africa in general. Let her use her administrative acumen to ensure that none maltreats the other. Let her also let them know that we are black people and Africans whom she is representing. Let her intervene seriously.”
Beckoning all the black race and African leaders to give the new DG all the supports, for her to deliver and excel, she reminded them that all eyes would be on her. She equally enjoined Nigerians to ensure that they engage in legitimate trade, which if done, according to her would help her in carrying out her duties.
“All the support that will make her help Africa, I am beckoning all the blacks and African leaders and those they lead to give them to her. You know that all eyes are on her and if she wants to be partial as a black woman, it would affect her. So let us give her the required support for we the blacks and Africans to benefit from the WTO. Let Nigerian leaders and the leaders give her their support. Let Nigerian importers and exporters shun any illegitimate trade. Let them not involve themselves in anything that will tarnish her image, because her success is ours and her failure is equally ours So let us all encourage her,” she appealed.
Dr Rachael Adewumi however hailed her for promising to use her position to address the decaying economy caused all over the globe by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. This, she said would go a long way to help the poor masses all over the world.
Though the Woman Leader beckoned her to use her new office to assist business men and women in transaction, she also emphasised seriously on the need for the women traders to be given more of the assurance than the men, saying that the female are not only more in number in the business of trading than their male counterparts, but also that they can compete more favorably than their male counterparts in the system.
According to her, “I know that the world, Africa and the women are looking unto her to carve out a project or something African women and even women all over the world can benefit from her in the area of business transactions. In business, women are the major traders, but when it comes to benefit, they sideline the women, with the reason that they are wives. Let her do the needful, so that African women can export their products and import the foreign ones.
“All the constraints, anything that has been hindering the women from exporting what they produce, we urge her to remove. She should encourage the women entrepreneurs in the area of massive production and exportation of what they can produce, because it will go a long way to result into favorable balance of trade for the country at the international level. So she should try to work on all these.
“I am not making the case for the women alone, but you know that we are glad that she is our daughter. What we want her to work on is that there be reduction in export duties for the African women, because it will make them work on the products of their countries, package and export them.
“I want you to know that irrespective of the discouragement, the female can still outdo their male counterparts in the business transactions. The women are not allowed to own a house, land, among others, and they are still doing very well. We would like all these to be addressed.”
Based on all the requests and demands they made from her, when asked if she thought that the woman had the capacity to deliver, the Woman Leader quickly responded that Dr Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala had the capacity, having served at the World Bank and held other international positions successfully.
“If she is not capable, to they wouldn’t have nominated her,” she retorted.