Four years after another top Nigerian resigned from the office of Vice President of the World Bank to become a minister in the federal government, a federal minister may soon be leaving the country to take up a job as World Bank Vice President in Washington, DC.

 

Africananews.com can confirm that Nigeria's Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili could become the next Vice President in charge of Africa at the World Bank, where Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was Vice President Corporate Affairs.

 

Recently FCT Minister Nasir El Rufai hinted a group of Nigerians and Americans in Washington, DC that Ezekwesili has already been offered the job, but he added that the Education Minister is yet to accept.

 

If Ezekwesili accepts the offer, which is already making the waves in the western media, she will be the second Obasanjo cabinet member to get an international job that they can hold on leaving office in May. The other being Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister Bayo Ojo, who is now a member of the United Nations International Law Commission, based in Geneva. Ojo was elected last November and the Commission resumed its work in January for a five year term, from 2007 to 2012.

 

 Sources said Ezekwesili's dilemma on making a decision since is because of a potential recall back to serve the FG in case the PDP presidential candidate wins next month's presidential election.

 

A final decision and announcement may come this week from the Washington, DC headquarters of the World Bank, where the board of directors met yesterday and is expected to meet again tomorrow-Thursday and possibly discuss the job.

 

A spokesman from World Bank, Herbert Boh said on Tuesday that indeed the Board of Directors of the World Bank may soon be formally announcing a new Vice President for Africa, although he refused to confirm that Ezekwesili has been tapped, nor did he confirm if the board would be deciding at its meetings this week.

 

Rufai made the disclosure recently in meetings with business and corporate interests in Washington, DC while here on a mission to assure Americans and the international community that the Obasanjo administration was already on the way out. He said by May 28 the administration would have finished up their task and would only be handing over on the 29th of May.

 

After Rufai's disclosure a western news agency-Reuters has also speculated about the preference of the World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz to appoint the Nigerian Minister, who was formerly in charge of the Due Process programme of the Obasanjo administration and Solid Minerals Ministry. Ezekwesili is considered a key member of the Obasanjo reform cabinet, alongside, former Finance and later Foreign Affairs Minister Okonjo-Iweala, and FCT Minister Nasir El Rufai himself, among others.

 

Herbert Boh disclosed that the former occupant of the position, Gobind Nankani from Ghana retired at the end of last year and the selection process for his replacement had been advertised since then. He added that last month the World Bank President sent an internal memo to the staff of the World Bank that he was then close to announcing his preferred candidate to replace Nankani as World Bank Vice President for Africa.

 

This confirms Rufai's disclosure about two weeks ago in Washington, DC, where he said some of the ministers are beginning to consider decisions on there next move after leaving office as Minister. Rufai said as for himself, he would prefer to return to the private sector, after 9 years public service since he joined the Abubakar regime up till now.

 

But informed sources said Ezekwesili is still to make up her mind ultimately to accept the offer, although she is said to be very keenly interested in the job.

 

The World Bank Spokesperson said the final decision on the appointment would be made at the twice-a-week meeting of the bank's board of directors. The meeting holds Tuesdays and Thursdays.

 

Boh said there is nothing to comment on for now. He said it was the duty of the Bank's president to submit a candidate to the board of directors, which is composed of 19 elected members from different regions of the world drawn from members of the World Bank. In addition to the elected 19 executive directors, there are also 5 members appointed one each from US, Japan, Germany, France and UK. The World Bank president heads the board.

 

All members of the World Bank Board of Directors, both elected and appointed would participate in the decision. There are 4 Africans on the board, two of whom are substantial and the other two alternates. They are Mulu Ketsela from Ethiopia and Louis Phillippe Seng from Mauritius, with two alternates being Agapito Mendes Dias, from Sao Tome and Principe, and Mathias Sinamenye from Burundi.