Popular Kenyan lawyer, politician and social crusader, Patrick Lumumba, has revealed that Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the candidate Africa should back for the position of Director General of the World Trade Organisation.
Lumumba who once served as the director of Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission revealed that Okonjo-Iweala is the best candidate for the job ahead of his compatriot, Amina Mohammed who is also gunning for the WTO’s top job.
In an interview with Osasu Igbinedion on The Osasu Show, Lumumba said Africans have a way of competing against each other rather than complementing each other.
“Our lack of coordination, different things that we should do jointly, and with one voice, we don’t,” he said.
“Recently when we were competing for the non-permanent membership of the UN security council, Djibouti was competing with Kenya. Why?
“Right now, there is the WTO; Okonjo-Iweala is the candidate we should back, given her credentials. Now, a Kenyan candidate has emerged, an Egyptian candidate has emerged — we are going to be manipulated and none of the Africans is going to get it.
“We’ve got to learn to do things properly as a continent. And when we do that, we’ll be stronger and ultimately, our populations would benefit from it.”
There are eight candidates for the WTO top job — and three of them are from Africa. Many have argued that this situation could hinder Africa’s chances of securing the position.
