SOLUDO REPLIES OKONJO-IWEALA, ACCUSES HER OF FORGING NATIONAL ECONOMICS STATISTICS

A former Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo, has reacted to the criticism of his earlier article by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
In a lengthy, over 6000 words article, Mr. Soludo on Sunday rejected claims by Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala that he performed poorly as governor of the Central Bank. He said his performance as CBN governor was unprecedented and locally as well as globally acknowledged.
“In Nigeria’s history, no governor of the Central Bank has delivered 24 consecutive months of single digit inflation as I did until the advent of the unprecedented global crisis in 2008,” he said.
Mr. Soludo then challenged claims by Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, that the Nigerian economy is doing well. He accused Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of running the country’s economy aground.
“You are brilliant Madam, but you need serious help,” he said while reeling our data to show the porous state of the Nigerian economy. “Having spent all your life in the World Bank bureaucracy largely in administration/operations, no one will blame you if your economics has become a bit rusty. There are firebrand Nigerians all over the world to draft to service. It is certainly embarrassing to Nigeria for you to be bothering World Bank economists to help you with most basic economic analysis.”He also accused her of forging Nigeria’s national economics statistics.

SOLUDO, OTHERS JOIN ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP RACE

THE political space for the Anambra State 2014 governorship polls is getting crowded daily with Senator Annie Okonkwo, who represented the Central District during the last Senate; as well as Tony Nnacheta, a finance expert, signifying their interest to join former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is believed to still be interested in the coveted position.

“We are looking at it critically. You know am still the standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). If I am going to contest, it will be on the party’s ticket”, the versatile economist said yesterday.

Soludo flew the flag of the PDP in the February 6, 2010, governorship election in the state but was beaten to the third position by incumbent, Mr. Peter Obi and Senator Chris Ngige.