WTO DG: Fresh hurdles for Okonjo-Iweala as U.S threatens to veto her emergence

FROM all indications, it may not yet be celebration time for Nigeria’s former minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and, by extension Nigeria, concerning her emergence as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO.

This is following a report published in Bloomberg, which revealed US position on her candidacy.

According to the report, the Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Dennis Shea, purportedly said U.S. could not support a consensus decision to appoint Okonjo-Iweala.

Shea said the U.S. disagreed with the way in which the process was being carried out.
It was also reported that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has pushed for South Korea’s candidate, Yoo Myung-hee.

Lighthizer, according to the Bloomberg report, said he viewed Okonjo-Iweala as being too close to pro-trade internationalists in Washington like Robert Zoellick, a former USTR who worked with her (Okonjo-Iweala) when he was President of the World Bank.

Despite USA’s opposition to her candidacy, 27 EU governments agreed on Monday in Brussels to support Okonjo-Iweala, over Yoo Myung-hee, of South Korea.

The Nigerian is expected to be announced the WTO DG on or before November 7.