Tag Archives: yale university

Nigerian Man, Starts Petition Demanding Yale University To Withdraw Honorary Degree Bestowed On Okonjo-Iweala

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A Nigerian, Sunday Iwalaiye has started a petition on change.org calling on authorities of Yale University to withdraw the Honorary Degree it bestowed on Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on May 15th.

Sunday, in his petition stated that Dr Okonjo-Iweala is not deserving of the honorary degree as the Nigerian economy has taken a nose dive since she assumed office as Minister of Finance. A thousand Nigerians have so far signed the petition.


His petition below
“YALE UNIVERSITY GAVE ITS PRESTIGIOUS HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE TO AN UNDESERVING NIGERIAN”:Ngozi Iweala, the outgoing Nigeria’s finance minister was awarded a honorary doctorate degree by Yale University on May 15, 2015.

The citation from the Yale University reads:”Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Doctor of Humane Letters. You are a citizen of your country, your continent, and the world. Shaped by challenging experiences during your childhood in Nigeria, you have made social and economic reform your mission. As Nigeria’s coordinating minister of economic development and minister of finance, you have tackled corruption, created a vision and path to long-term economic stability, and worked to build a culture of transparency. At the World Bank, you made food security a priority and provided policy advice and capital for the world’s poorest countries.

With wisdom, a fierce dedication to doing what is right, and unflagging energy, you have transformed the economic landscape of your nation. We are proud to name you Doctor of Humane Letter” This citation from the Yale University does not reflect nor represent everything that has happened under the watch and the supervision of the Nigerian economy by Ngozi Iweala as the nation’s finance minister. There is no tangible evidence of any economic development in Nigeria under the leadership of Ngozi Iweala in all reality. Nigeria’s economy is still an oil-dependent economy that is debt and borrowing ridden as well as 100% consuming and importing in nature.

Nigeria’s debt profile has risen rapidly under Ngozi Iweala and Nigeria has borrowed over $2 billion in the last four months alone to pay salaries of the federal and state civil servants. Our foreign reserves and excess crude oil accounts have both depleted heavily under Ngozi Iweala. The recurrent expenditures in the federal budgets reached the highest levels which made capital development practically impossible in Nigeria under Ngozi Iweala.

The board of regents of this ivy league school missed it completely by awarding their prestigious honorary doctorate degree to an undeserving Nigerian in all truth, honesty and reality. The Nigeria’s economy has remained the same under Ngozi Iweala without any evidence of its diversity from oil.

The Nigerian Naira crashed to its lowest value in its history under Ngozi Iweala. The true picture that Yale University missed is the fact that the economy of Nigeria has almost grounded to its final halt today which will makes its a daunting task for the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari to meet its campaign promises.

The menace of official corruption and financial scandals have both reached their peaks in Nigeria under Ngozi Iweala. A central bank governor was fired for disclosing that $20 billion was missing from the federal coffers and this allegation was investigated in a shady and questionable manner. The oil subsidy scam that cheated Nigeria’s tax payers of trillions of Naira was coordinated and supervised by Ngozi Iweala.

The culture of official corruption and state resource mismanagement were both honored, celebrated, protected and defended under the leadership of Ngozi Iweala as the supervising coordinator of the Nigerian economy. To give a honorary doctorate degree to an undeserving Nigerian by this world’s reknown university is the biggest slap on the faces of the 180 million Nigerians in 2015. I am using this social medium to appeal to the board of regents of this prestigious university to withdraw this honorary degree that they awarded to this Nigerian immediately and without any further delay for the sake of posterity

US Ambassador, Johnnie Carson, Talks 10 Ways To Repair U.S – Nigeria Ties

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A senior adviser at the United States Institute of Peace, visiting senior fellow at Yale University, former assistant secretary of State for Africa and a former U.S. ambassador to Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Ambassador Johnnie Carson has penned down “more” than his two cents on how the U.S government can ceremonially and substantively can reach out to the incoming Buhari’s administration particularly at a time when the economy of Nigeria is on a downward slide.

1. President Obama should stop over in Nigeria when he visits East Africa in July.

Strengthening democratic institutions has been the administration’s number one priority in sub-Saharan Africa. President Obama is slated to visit Kenya, a longstanding economic, democratic and security partner, and Ethiopia, an important security partner whose democratic and human rights
performance has been strongly criticized in the international community. It would be deeply troubling for many Nigerians to see Africa’s largest democracy snubbed at this important moment in its history.

  1. President Obama should send a high level delegation to President Buhari’s inauguration in Abuja on May 29.

Ideally, this delegation should be led by Vice President Joe Biden, who engaged with both President Jonathan and with president-elect Buhari in the run-up to the presidential election. If he is unable to go, Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson or Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack should lead the delegation, which should include senior officials from several cabinet departments, including the Department of Defense.

  1. 3. President Obama should formally invite President Buhari for an official visit soon.

If the White House does not send an appropriately high delegation to the inauguration in Abuja, an official visit takes on greater urgency.

  1. Washington should reinvigorate and elevate the U.S.-Nigerian strategic dialogue established by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

This dialogue should be placed on the same plane as those with India, Brazil and China, with Secretary Kerry leading the U.S. meeting in Washington and Deputy Secretary Antony Blinken leading subsequent meetings.

  1. The administration should deepen commercial and trade ties between Nigeria and the U.S.

It needs to build off of the successful U.S.-Africa business summit of 2014, and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who has shown great interest in Africa, should be encouraged to travel to Nigeria with American business leaders and investors. Americans and Nigerians should organize high-level trade and investment conferences in Nigeria.

  1. The administration should re-establish and elevate the broken military relationship with Abuja.

This will require some sensitive diplomacy and the White House should send the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to demonstrate a strong commitment by the U.S. to get this important relationship right. Once this is done, the Africom commander can take the lead, but given the harsh feelings toward Nigeria at Africom headquarters and by some in the Pentagon, the Chairman or the Vice Chairman should go first.

  1. The State Department should revisit the establishment of a Consulate General in northern Nigeria, probably in Kano.

Nigeria has Africa’s largest Muslim population, concentrated in the northern region, and has the fifth largest Muslim population in the world. The United States has very little presence, access or influence in the north. Secretary Clinton approved the opening of a consulate in the north in 2009. The effort should be revisited as quickly as possible.

  1. The United States should help Nigeria with access to reliable, inexpensive and readily available power.

Lack of power is the most serious impediment to growing Nigeria’s economy. A country of 180 million people produces less power than New York City and its surrounding suburbs. President Jonathan’s inability to improve the situation is one the reasons he was thrown out of office. Power Africa has been one of the Obama administration’s most significant initiatives and it needs to double down on its efforts to assist Nigeria in addressing its energy needs by bringing together major American power producers to work with, partner and invest in Nigeria’s power sector.

  1. The administration should encourage an early trip to Nigeria by Agriculture Secretary Vilsack.

Leading American agro industry companies and the deans of some of America’s leading agricultural colleges should travel with him to help Nigeria revitalize and grow its agricultural sector. Once self-sufficient in food and one of Africa’s largest exporters of groundnuts, cocoa, cotton and palm oil, Nigeria is now a major food importer. Support for its agricultural sector offers another opportunity for serious and sustained engagement with a country whose population is expected to grow from 180 to more than 400 million by 2035.

  1. The administration should also consider revamping the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to support state governments.

In the past, the MCC has helped only national governments. Given the growing influence of states and the important work being done at the state level, the administration should seek changes in the MCC statute in order to help progressive, honest and forward thinking state governors whose states are performing well, implementing sound development projects and providing improved services to their people.

Nigeria is so important, and the administration should not miss this opportunity to engage with Nigeria’s new government. Strong support for Nigeria will help strengthen its democracy, support its economic growth and enhance its security and stability.

An economically vibrant and democratically robust Nigeria is in the interests of Africa, the United States and the broader global community.