Nigeria’s Debt Relief — Who Truly Deserves the Credit: Obasanjo or Okonjo Iweala?
By Labaran Saleh
The debate over who deserves credit for Nigeria’s historic 2005–2006 Paris Club debt relief resurfaced recently after former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo — not then Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala — should be celebrated for the achievement. His comments immediately split public opinion, with supporters lining up behind both figures.
Duke argued that Okonjo Iweala took undue credit for a deal he believes Obasanjo secured single handedly. But analysts like Jide Akintunde, Managing Editor of Financial Nigeria International,…