A former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke, has hit back at former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on her revelations that he tried to dissuade her from joining the Goodluck Jonathan administration in order to undermine it. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala had in a new book titled ‘fighting corruption is dangerous’ revealed that Duke visited her in Washington DC, USA, and asked her not to accept an impending appointment from Jonathan because people like him wanted the government to lose credibility and fail.
The revelation by the former minister drew widespread reaction at a time Mr. Duke is considered one of the leading candidates to run for president in the 2019 general elections. Duke took to his Twitter handle yesterday to react to the allegation by the former coordinator of Nigerian economy.
He admitted that it was true he met with Mrs. Okonjo-Oweala “when the rumours were swirling about her being considered for appointment.” He also said “as friends” and with Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala “having been literally dismissed from an earlier appointment as finance minister,” he said.
“I made no mention of adding or subtracting credibility to anyone or government,” he said. He also said it was just a matter of “two friends” discussing careers, adding that “it ended there and she subsequently made her choice which I respected.” Duke, however, hit hard at Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala for revealing to the public what he considers a private discussion between two friends.
“I think it is in poor taste and demeaning of her to report a private conversation in whatever self laundering attempt she may be up to. With hindsight, I was vindicated, Ngozi, as the Minister of Finance and Economy, despite massive revenue receipts, left Nigeria poorer than she met it.” Duke was Cross River Governor during the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency and during which period Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala was finance minister.
Although he nursed a presidential ambition in 2007, when Obasanjo was leaving office, he was schemed out of the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket which was won by the Late Umaru Yar’Adua who eventually chose Jonathan as his running mate and won the presidential election.
