Okonjo-Iweala, Orya get Yale University, global banks’ honours
Okonjo
Obi commends finance minister
MINISTER of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Roberts U Orya, yesterday received awards from two global institutions.
While Okonjo-Iweala got an honorary Doctorate degree from Yale University, one of the United States of America’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning, Orya was elected the fourth honorary President of the Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID).
The Finance Minister was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters at Yale’s 2015 Commencement Ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut Monday.
She will be the second Nigerian in the university’s 314-year history to receive its highest honour after Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, who received an honorary Doctor of Letters in 1980.
Meanwhile, Okonjo-Iweala, while responding to the award yesterday, expressed gratitude to God for the recognition by Yale. “I am grateful to God for the recognition by Yale,” she said. “For me, the lesson is that one should never be daunted in doing the right things even in the face of challenges.
I am thankful for all the support from within the country and the international community, especially from ordinary Nigerians because their support is mirrored in the recognition from Yale.”
Giving out the award, the President of the University Professor Peter Salovey described Okonjo-Iweala as “a brilliant reformer and dedicated public servant.”
He went on to state that the Minister “has spearheaded efforts to stabilize and grow Nigeria’s economy, battling widespread government corruption and creating greater fiscal transparency and discipline.”
Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has commended the finance minister describing her as a consummate economist. Going by Okonjo-Iweala’s antecedents, according to Obi, no honour to her would be surprising. “She is one of our best who can rival the best in any clime.
Her humility and sense of work are amazing. Her patriotism and belief in Nigeria are inspiring,” Obi said. The former governor said Nigerians should remain grateful to people like Okonjo-Iweala for working hard to shield the Nigerian economy as much as possible from the global economic crisis that hit major economies.
Yale’s honorary doctorate degree is seen globally as a very important honour. According to the institution “those who have received honorary degree are scholars, public servants, Nobel Prize winners and heads of states. “Collectively, they represent the aspirations of this institution.
Yale honorary degree recipients serve as models of excellence and service to our students, to our graduates, to our community and to the world,” the institution says.
As Finance Minister in 2004, Okonjo-Iweala and the economic team that she led helped Nigeria obtain debt relief, wiping out $30 billion of Paris club debt, leading to a tripling of growth rates.
The second time around as Finance Minister in 2011, Okonjo-Iweala has focused on building solid foundations and institutions critical for the survival and sustenance of the economy.
She bravely fought corruption in governance with fierce dedication and unflagging energy. Okonjo-Iweala was honored alongside the Chair of the Board of Governors of US Federal Reserve System Janet Yellen, world renowned Beninoise Singer and songwriter Angelique Kidjo, University Professor and founding member of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society at Columbia University Gayatari Chakravorty Spivak, Professor and Director of the Starr Center for Human Genetics at Rockefeller University Jeffrey Michael Friedman, Inventors and Entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Dean Kamen, etc.
Yale had in the past honored a handful of other Africans such as Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Meanwhile, as the G-NEXID concluded its 10th Annual General Meeting yesterday at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, Nigeria’s Orya, was elected new ‘Honorary President.’
In his acceptance remarks, the NEXIM chief executive thanked the members of the G-NEXID, saying: “…
I see my election as a privilege to serve and continue in the giant strides already made by my predecessors towards forging and fostering a strategically vibrant and mutually beneficial South-South trade relationship….
It is also an honour to my country, Nigeria, which is the largest economy in Africa…especially as we have just concluded a very peaceful Presidential election.”
With a membership of 24 institutions, the G-NEXID was established in March 2006 at the joint initiative of Exim Bank of India and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as a platform to boost South-South trade and investment relations.
The primary objective of the Network was to serve as a channel to bridge the gap between financing of trade and the achievement of the development goals of developing and emerging economies by fostering South-to-South trade flows.
Specific to this goal was tackling the difficulties associated with access to trade finance in the fragile markets of the South aimed at spurring and stabilizing economic growth.
Validating the excellent work of his predecessors, Orya attested that, “the G-NEXID in the past nine (9) years of its establishment has transformed into an association of relevance to realize the objectives of its formation, largely through the able leadership and dynamism of institutions that held the past Honorary Presidency and commitment of members.”
Particularly, Orya lauded the outgoing Honorary President, Mr. Rubens Amaral Jr. who, according to him, had in the last two years stepped up the achievements recorded thus far by taking giant strides to re-invigorate G-NEXID influence and reach.
Amaral Jr. congratulated Orya on his new role for G-NEXID, and reiterated the strategic importance of trade as a driver for sustainable development, and job and wealth creation.
He urged the Network membership to avail Orya with even greater level of support than that given to him in the past two years.
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27 Comments
AVIATION EXPERT
CAPTAIN FOLA AKINKUOTU SUGGESTED AS MINISTER
TO GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI (Rtd)
PRESIDENT ELECT
Dear Editor,
I write to suggest the above man as a minister. He is
intelligent humble and incorruptible. He has worked in the aviation Industry
for 42 years. A technocrat per excellence, he was unjustly fired by outgoing
president Goodluck Jonathan after the bullet proof car scam of Mrs Stella Oduah
broke out. He barely spent 8 months out of his 5 year term confirmed by the
senate. He has faced senate and house of Reps and was cleared because he hasn’t
assumed office when the contract was carried out. He will handle the aviation
Industry professionally
PROFILE OF CAPTAIN FOLA AKINKUOTU
Director General
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
August 2013 – March 2014 (8 months)Lagos, Nigeria
RECTOR
International Aviation College Ilorin Nigeria
January 2012 – June 2013 (1 year 6 months)Lagos Road, besides Ilorin
International Airport
Accountable Manager
Director International Operations
Air Nigeria
2010 – October 2011 (1 year)
Director of Flight Operations
Virgin Nigeria Airways
February 2010 – January 2011 (1 year)Murtala International Airport, Lagos
Line Captain; Technical Pilot; Training Captain; Training Manager; Type Training
Examiner B737-300/
Virgin Nigeria Airlines
June 2006 – January 2010 (3 years 8 months)Lagos, Nigeria
Contract Pilot; Training Captain
ADC Airlines
April 2004 – April 2006 (2 years 1 month)Lagos, Nigeria
Managing Director/Chief Operation Officer
IRS Airlines
2001 – 2002 (1 year)
Chief Pilot ; Director Technical Operations
ADC Airlines
February 1991 – 2001 (10 years)Lagos, Nigeria
Pilot
Kabo Air
1986 – 1991 (5 years)
• +Flights
• +Aviation
• +Commercial Aviation
• +Aircraft
• +Flight Safety
• +Airports
• Civil Aviation
• Flight Planning
• Flight Training
• Piloting
Captain Fola also knows about…
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Management
• Operations Management
• Strategic Planning
• Airport Management
• Airworthiness
• Aviation Security
• Ground Instructor
• IATA
• Project Planning
• Management Consulting
• Aerospace
• Executive Management
• Change Management
• Crew Resource Management
• Charter
• Airline Management
• B737
• Aviation Industry
• Aircraft Leasing
• Recruitment Training
• Line Maintenance
• Aircraft Systems
• Flight Operations
• Ticketing
• Business Aviation
• International Flight…
• Human Factors
• Avionics
• EASA
• Type Rating
• Team Building
• General Aviation
• Sabre
• Multi-engine
• Consultancy
• Instructing
• Ground Handling
• ICAO
• A320
Education: He attended NCAT Zaria and Masters at the United States
He is capable of handling the Nigerian Aviation Industry.Written by Adefila
Gbenga 08062093269, e-mail gadefila@gmail.com
An honour well deserved. Well done Madam. May God keep and protect you and keep taking you higher.
This IMF puppet has not only stopped Nigeria from progressing but destroyed Nigeria’s economy. Hopefully they can make her the finance Minister of Yale if she is so good!!
na wa o… IMF puppet Lets be charitable oga… if it was that easy, how come you are not achieving what she’s done??
What has the pig done? Protect whose interest?
But she was a colossal failure at the home front. Wonders will never end.
Like it or hate it this woman is an outstanding economist acknowledged worldwide
Let us hope that she has not made a big donation to them or raised substantial funds for them through donations from third parties. That is how oyibo gets bribed o! And then they will give honorary award to acknowledge the support given.
Yes he probably made donation to APC hence Tinubu and Buhari who is illiterate recommend her for the award. Tinubu and Buhari will soon get such award from Yale University.
Ha ha ha. Yeye deh do you. But GMB is not an illiterate going by the Oxford dictionary definition of the term. But you know that is how these foreign universities survive. They live on funding, especially foreign funding.
With your tribal sentiments as a Yourba man she is a colossal failure. But those who know more than you do, believe she is not. If you are not intellectually bankrupt and blinded with sentiments you would not have made such comment on her personality. Its certain that future will vindicate the just.
Its not good to pass comments based on tribal lines. I have passed similar comments on the short comings on Adesina and Olusegun Aganga. I think if I have tribal sentiments I would not have. You need not jump into conclusion on people like you said about me. We are talking about issues job creation, managing the monies of the nation, reducing recurrent expenditure etc. Judge for yourself has she performed. I do not doubt her credentials, but finally its result that will judge and not credentials. And please note. If the incoming leadership do not perform, harsher words awaits they because the expectation are high.
I thanked Almighty God for this great woman and amazon of Africa Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, she has done a lot for Nigeria, I really appreciates and thank her for all her contributions/efforts to move Nigeria forward ecoonomically, no amount awards is too much for her. They say prophet does not have honour in his home town, but I will say Prof. Okonjo-Iweala (Madam Money/Economy) is a woman of honours. I use this opportunity to congratulates and commend her and pray Almighty God to bless her and her family and grant success in her future endeavour in Jesus Name, Amen. CONGRATS and CHEERS, Bravo Iron Lady of Economy. God bless Nigeria. Well done University of Yale for recognizing this wonderful woman. God bless University of Yale.
The pig is free you can employ her at Yale!
Mr. Yarima, the word “Pig” is too strong to be used in polite society, even when we criticize each other.
The goat should head back to the World Bank and IMF. Let her remove subsidy at the world bank…Lol
The truth always outs!!! Nigerians should learn to deal with facts and not fiction or innuendoes and false information. Unfortunately there aren’t too many avenues available to sift the muck from reality!!!
This is a recognition of the brilliant efforts ofour able Finance Minister in stabilising our economy amidst threats from many state governors who want every oil revenue to the nation shared to satisfy their greedy aspirations. Congratulations to a worthy Nigerian. I am very proud of you.
IF OKONJO IS THAT GOOD, YALE SHOULD MAKE HER YALE’S NEXT PRESIDENT. So she spends her JAIL time in YALE.
Yale is not done yet: They need to honour Jonathan for the “progress” made in improving the Nigerian economy. The subsidy wizardry of Diezani as well as the bullet-proof Jeep purchasing ability of Oduah should not escape their notice. Finally, Okonjo-Iweala should be given a permanent appointment to teach World Bank Loan Repayment While your people starve 101.
Time will certainly tell. Yale will weep for Nigeria when the chips are down. Lets wait and see.
Your mother can neither read or write. So she is the real yeye woman who begot a yeye man with a yeye father. Your father is not even qualified to clean her shoes. stupid idot.
Congratulations Madam, you deserve the honour.
Yes you did everything the IMF wanted you to do in Nigeria, your reward a useless piece of paper from Yale!
whether you insult her or not but she is far better than anything that anyone from the south west and the north have produced for that position, and if it is possible those that are insulting her jealousy no good, celebrate good things if you want to be clelbrated, and she is worth it. congrats to you madam and more grease to your elbow.
Yes, she left the treasury of Nigeria empty, did everything the IMF wanted and she sits down there like a bag of potatoes!
Yale can keep the yeye woman
We will review and take appropriate action.