Politicians weaponizing insecurity – Okonjo Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organization, has criticized the use of the country’s insecurity by politicians for their own political and selfish gains. During her keynote address at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos State on Sunday, Okonjo-Iweala stated that the current state of the nation has been significantly influenced by the actions of political leaders.

In her address titled “A Social Contract For Nigeria’s Future,” the former Minister of Finance emphasized that sustainable development cannot occur without adequate security. She highlighted the troubling reality that insecurity is often exploited by political actors to undermine their opponents, creating an impression of governmental incompetence, regardless of the resulting harm to innocent lives and property. Okonjo-Iweala called for an end to this misuse of security issues for political gain.

She also addressed the impact of widespread crude oil theft on the country’s economic stability, noting that such theft severely undermines national financial health. Okonjo-Iweala pointed out that technological advancements now make it possible to effectively track and address oil theft, stressing that there should be no excuses for failing to act against these crimes. She asserted that the theft of national assets is unacceptable and must be eradicated, with a firm call for action to prevent further losses.