A top banking executive and key player in the Nigeria’s organized private sector, Sonny Iroche has urged the U.S President-elect Joe Biden, to redirect the U.S voting block and machinery at the World Trade Organization to support the emergence of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next DG of the trade body in the interest of his incoming administration that will kick-off Wednesday, 20th January.
Iroche, who is the Convener/ National Coordinator of the Abia Professionals Group in a statement on Monday, said Biden’s support for Okonjo-Iweala is a move that would endear him to the African continent from the onset of his administration.
The New Diplomat had reported that Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigeria’s finance minister, had attracted more widespread support — from over 100 of the 164 members — to become the next director-general than her rival, South Korea’s Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee.
But the outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration has refused to back her, a move which led to the postponement of the WTO General Council meeting expected to ratify the emergence of the next DG of the Geneva-based organization. The meeting was postponed till further notice over initial uncertainties surrounding the November 3 U.S presidential election now won by Biden.
Weighing in on the impasse, Iroche said following Trump’s defeat at the poll, Biden is expected “to amend, reconcile and right most of the wrongs in US diplomatic and multilateral relations, which had been damaged by Trump.”
Irochie’s thoughts underpine some analysts opinions who have also argued that Okonjo-Iweala’s multilateral approach to trade as against Myung-hee’s bilateral approach is something that suits Biden’s world view and believe in multilateralism.
President Trump who has been critical of the WTO’s handling of the trade dispute between the US and China in the past years has not hidden his disdain for multilateralism, leading to his yanking off of U.S from a number of global bodies and agreements.
The banking chief further said “considering the fact that Dr Okonjo- Iweala is eminently qualified and emerged through an open and fair election, Biden’s immediate endorsement (of her) would further endear him to Africa, the women constituency and all who stand for meritocracy in the world order.”
He added that Okonjo-Iweala’s headship of the WTO would be a tremendous boost for Africa and position the continent as a major player in the international system.
“Dr Okonjo-Iweala had won the support from the vast majority of member states, including the EU, Japan and China, but not the United States.
“We are now urging President Biden that as he has put as priority as his to do on day 1 in office the rejoining of USA to the Paris Climate Accord.
“He should equally place as priority the granting of the USA accent to the appointment of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization.” Iroche added.
The New Diplomat understands that the WTO decisions are made by a consensus among its 164 members, which means a single country — this time the US and the world’s largest economy — can create a stalemate in an attempt to pressure other members.
However, the US position is at variance with that of the EU and China. Both heavyweights have since backed Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala.
In view of the ongoing development, Iroche, while making a case for US support of Okonjo-Iweala as the next DG of WTO on Monday tweeted:
As Biden leads the USA on a reconciliatory path with the rest of the world after the damages done by Trump.Since he proposes to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. Africa now looks up to him to ratify the election of Nigeria’s Okonjo Iweala as the first African and female DG of WTO.
— Sonny Iroche (@IrocheSonny) January 18, 2021
