Efio-Ita Nyok|16 October 2017
International development consultant and political scientist, Mr Princewill Odidi, as well as former Vice president of World Bank Group, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, have advanced arguments at independent occasions in the attempt to rationalise the seeming pro-north statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari by the President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim Thursday last week.
On 13th October last week, the President of World Bank group, Kim had said that Buhari had asked the World Bank to concentrate development projects in the north of the country. According to Kim, 'You know, in my very first meeting with President Buhari he said specifically that he would like us to shift our focus to the northern region of Nigeria and we’ve done that. Now, it has been very difficult. The work there has been very difficult'. This statement may have been misconstrued.
According to Odidi, the bulk of the reactions from Nigerians over the statement is founded on misinformation about World Bank operations. In his 12 paragraphs social media thread, he further made the point that because of the conflict in the north of the country, World Bank project were made to concentrate in the West, South and East. He informed that the World Bank particularly funds projects it considers priority even though government approaches her. So, prioritising post conflict reconstructionist agenda of the FG is in line with the policy if the World Bank.
His words, 'It is not unusual for a country to approach the bank and inform the bank of its funding priority. Actually, in most cases, the bank will only fund what it considers the priority of the Country…
'At the same time, we need to understand all the funding that would have gone to Northern Nigeria, since 2011, because of Boko Haram, most development partners including world bank all refused to execute any projects in the North east region even up to Sokoto in the North west.
'So since 2011, the bulk of the funding has been south, south east and western Nigeria , this funding cycle that began 2013 expires in august of 2018, so it is proper for the president to say, please our next focus of priority is Post Conflicts reconstruction zones, because that zone has been excessively ravaged by war…
'It is an attempt by the President to make sure this abandonment does not continue that is why the President had to emphasize it to the World bank President that focus for nigeria should be on the North and North east in the soon to be published transformational agenda of the world bank…
'In summary, Prioritizing post Conflict reconstruction is the transformational agenda of the government going forward, while other programs will continue concurrently in other states of Nigeria. No one is being short changed, there are several other world bank supported programs that are going on in the Southern Nigeria'.
As for Ezekwesili former VP of WBG, President Buhari has been misinterpreted out of context. For her like Odidi, post conflict zones receive priority from the World Bank. Dealing with underdevelopments in the troubled zone will translate positively for other regions of the country. Her words, 'I want EVERYONE to KNOW that the statement made by the @WorldBank President @JimYongKim IS NOT AS IT SOUNDS. I should KNOW. I was VP there…
'As a practice, POST- conflict zones -e.g. Northern Uganda, Northern CAR, Eastern DRC receive Special Focus from .@WorldBank .It MAKES SENSE!
'As the destabilization in the North East worsened Human Development Indicators in North East Nigeria, our country SADLY JOINED that List.
'The Evidence-Based justification for PRIORITIZING Post-Conflict Reconstruction is that it helps BUILD RESILIENCE & Prevents a RELAPSE.
'In ALL the cases of countries like CAR, DRC, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Guinea (both Bissau & Conakry) this was the APPROACH.
'Prioritizing Reconstruction of Post-Conflict zone in ANY of those countries FACTUALLY PROVED to be KEY for REST OF COUNTRY GROWTH&STABILITY!
'The prioritizing given to North East in discussion between @JimYongKim & @MBuhari is thus NOT UNUSUAL AT ALL. Let's NOT POLITICIZE IT please'.
*However, considering the ethno-religious and regionalist statements credited to President Buhari, a handful of Nigerians have been quite critical of PMB's position to Mr Kim of the WB.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven