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Okonjo-Iweala denies mocking Fashola, Amaechi

Published

8 years ago

May 13, 2018

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance, says it is untrue that she mocked Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, and Babatunde Fashola, his Power, Works and Housing counterpart.

Okonjo-Iweala was alleged to have referred to Amaechi and Fashola as “scavengers turned saints” in her recently released book on her role in the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

She was alleged to have said: “Rotimi Amaechi as Chairman of Nigeria governors Forum took Jonathan government for trying to save for raining season including Fashola and most APC members, today they are the ones shouting that the PDP did not save, hypocrites and liars.”

“At no point in my book, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous’, did I say ‘yesterday’s scavengers are today’s saints’,” she said.

Describing the peddlers of rumour as “mischief-makers,” the ex-minister said they were only “putting words” in her mouth.

The GAVI boss and former managing director at the World Bank, expressed appreciation for the reviews of her book while urging “mischief makers” to get a copy so “they can make intelligent contributions”.

In the trending social media report, Okonjo-Iweala allegedly talked about the challenges she faced while trying to ensure the federal government under the administration of Jonathan saved during the season of oil boom.

“While I appreciate all the reviews and discourse the book is generating at home and abroad; mischief-makers who wish to add their comments should get their own copy of the book so that they can make intelligent contributions, rather than putting words in my mouth,” she tweeted on her twitter handle on Sunday.