Why Okonjo-Iweala can’t get Obama’s support – US Treasury Secretary
"The president was looking for a candidate who could command broad support across the world," Geithner told Reuters in an interview released on Saturday. "That's very important, because we don't make this decision alone."
"Dr. Kim's mix of skills will be particularly compelling to the bank at this time and I think the world will be very impressed with him”
These were the words of the Secretary of the United States Secretary, Timothy Geithner, giving insight into why President Barack Obama did not hesitate to back his choice, Jim Yong Kim last Friday for the World Bank’s topmost position.
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is bidding for the job as candidate of the African economies.
But the support appears tilted in favour of Kim, an health expert, against the Nigerian and the former Columbia former Finance Minister, Jose Antonio Ocampo.

Reuters reports on Sunday that it would be hard for the US to release its hold on the Bank reporting the US Treasury Secretary as adding “Geithner said it was not a surprise that candidates from other countries had been nominated after a 2009 agreement by leaders of the Group of 20 nations for an open and transparent process to select leaders of the two institutions.
"We expected that to happen and think it is healthy for the institution as a whole," Geithner said. "But I can tell you from my conversations with developing and developed countries, I am confident he (Kim) will win broad support."
U.S. officials have acknowledged that giving up the World Bank presidency would make it difficult for the White House to obtain funding from Congress for the global lender, especially with lawmakers worried about mounting budget deficits.”

CAN Advises Nigerians to Expose Masterminds of Bomb Blasts


The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor yesterday called on Nigerians to stop harbouring criminals who are bombing and killing innocent people in the name of religion.
He also frowned at calls for dialogue between the federal government and the Boko Haram Islamic sect, saying that any sensible government, whether the President is a Muslim or a Christian who agrees to sit down and discuss with such group, will be paving way for disunity in Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with journalists shortly after his sermon at the 46 annual convention of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria otherwise known as Hadediyar Ekklisiyar Krista a Nigeria (HEKAN) in Kaduna, Oritsejafor said for the sake of the security of the country and that of all well meaning and peace loving Nigerians, it has become imperative to join hands with the government in expose murderers who are unleashing terror on the people.
“I believe that if we join hands with government, together we will make it happen. My appeal to Nigerians is that we must not harbour people who are criminals, people who are killing in the name of a religion. These are killers, murderers, these are people who have no regards for God, they are who go to house of worships and throw bombs, they have no regard to human life.
“If we be wise enough to begin to identify these people, let us expose them, let us not be afraid, God will keep you, but we must expose them, not as Christians but as Nigerians” he said.
Commenting on the propose dialogue with the Boko Haram sect, Oritsejafor maintained that the group has remained faceless and wondered why anyone would want to discuss with a faceless group that is insisting on Islamising Nigeria.
“I don’t even know who they are, but my point is that, it depends on what you are trying to negotiate or dialogue with them, will you discuss with somebody who is saying Nigeria must become a Muslim or an Islamic nation?
“I don’t think any sensible government, whether the President is a Muslim or a Christian will want to sit down and discuss such thing because it is the greatest instrument of disunity that this country will ever experience.... he said.
The CAN President further dismissed his critics over his previous statement asking Christians to defend themselves against attack on them, insisting that there was nothing wrong in asking Christians to protect themselves from being killed by murderers.
According to him, some Nigerians are hypocrites who pretend too much, arguing that “how can a man who has been injured be inciting violence and violence is been done to him and yet you are saying he is the one inciting violence! It doesn’t make sense.
“I said to Christians to defend themselves, to protect themselves, it is part of the laws of God. If you pursue an animal to a point, the animal will turn around and pursue you back. If you want to go into a man’s house and want to kill him, if you as a man just sit down and allow yourself to be killed, that is called suicide and if you commit suicide, you will go to hell. You are suppose to protect yourself and that is what we are saying, we are saying don’t retaliate, just protect yourselves.