Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has criticised the West for denying Nigeria’s coordinating Minister for the economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the opportunity to head the World Bank.
Referring to the West as ‘selfish’, the Zimbabwean leader expressed his disappointment that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala did not get the job at a women’s conference in Harare, the Zimbabwean capital.
“We were very saddened that you didn’t make it,” Mugabe told the conference, which Mrs Okonjo-Iweala was attending.
“You know the Europeans are very selfish, they want to retain power in these bodies. The World Bank, no African can head it. The IMF, no African can head it. So it will take us time to be equal,” he added.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, a former Vice-president of the World Bank, last month lost the World Bank president post to Korean-American Jim Young Kim.
In her response, the finance Minister noted that her unprecedented challenge for the World Bank job has left the Bretton Wood institution with no option than to let applicants compete on a level playing field.
“I think they (World Bank) have absolutely no choice, they have to evolve.” “It was a game changer that we cannot have the same processes that have gone on for 60 years going on in future, therefore I am confident that going forward there will be a more level playing field, more competition will be allowed” she stated.
