TheCable

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as a candidate for the office of the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

In a tweet on Wednesday, Sirleaf, a Nobel laureate, commended Buhari for putting the former minister of finance forward for the position.

“I commend President @MBuhari for nominating Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala @NOIweala for the position of Director General of the World Trade Organization. @wto” – EJS

— Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (@MaEllenSirleaf) June 10, 2020

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When Buhari endorsed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) top job, Egypt went on the offensive.

Egypt argued that the executive decision of the African Union (AU) which had set a deadline of November 30, 2019, for African countries to nominate candidates had been violated.

They claimed Iweala’s nomination was late and should not be recognised.

However, the WTO accepted her nomination on Tuesday saying that nominations were still open until July 8, 2020.

Abdulhameed Mamdouh, an Egyptian lawyer and former WTO official, is a contender alongside Jesús Seade Kuri, a trade negotiator from Mexico who handled his country’s trade tussles with the US government.

Okonjo-Iweala is replacing Yonov Frederick Agah is Nigeria’s ambassador/permanent representative to the WTO.