Today In History: Thursday August 03, 2006 Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala resigned as Nigeria’s Foreign Minister following her sudden removal as head of Nigeria’s Economic Intelligence team by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, resigned yesterday. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala who negotiated the cancellation of $30bn debt to the Paris Club, was switched in June from the Finance Ministry to Foreign Affairs. She had remained head of the economics team, but was this week replaced by the new Finance Minister, Nenadi Usman.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s sudden resignation from her Foreign Ministry portfolio yesterday may not be unconnected with the dramatic change of fortunes she has experienced in a little over one month, a former colleague in the federal executive council told Daily Trust. But a colleague of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s, who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed to Daily Trust that the erstwhile foreign minister was “thoroughly disgusted with the shabby manner she was treated by the president” disclosing that her removal from the leadership of the economic team was effected while she was on an official trip abroad negotiating for Nigeria’s exit from the London Club.
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