WTO CHIEF WANTS TO GET GLOBAL ECONOMY GOING
Dr Okonjo-Iweala admitted her tenure comes at a time the WTO was facing many challenges but stressed the importance of working together.
GENEVA – Nigeria’s Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and African to be selected director general of the World Trade Organisation ( WTO) says her key priority is to quickly get the global economy going again through addressing the business and health consequences brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO director-general,” said Dr Okonjo-Iweala in her acceptance speech, publicised soon after confirmation of her candidature by the multilateral trading body on Monday.
“A strong WTO we are to recover is vital if fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again.”
Dr Okonjo-Iweala admitted her tenure comes at a time the WTO was facing many challenges but stressed the importance of working together.
“We can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today,” she said.
WTO members made history when the general council agreed by consensus to select Dr Okonjo-Iweala as the organisation’s seventh director-general.
She takes office on March 1 and becomes the first woman and the first African to be chosen as director-general. Her term, renewable, will expire on August 31, 2025.
“This is a very significant moment for the WTO. On behalf of the general council, I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her appointment as the WTO’s next director-general and formally welcome her to this general council meeting,” said general council chair, David Walker of New Zealand who, together with co-facilitators, led the nine-month DG selection process. .
OVER 40 communal boreholes in Chinsali have been rehabilitated by the local authority and are set to improve access to clean and safe water for about 15, 500 people.
The council will also embark on drilling 39 water points in selected sites , which would include 30 in communities and nine in schools commencing next month.
The borehole rehabilitation project, done with support from UNICEF which the local authority contracted out to China Gansu Engineering Corporation started last November.
Chinsali Municipal Council, assistant public relations manager, Lolavye Simukoko said the communal boreholes would help prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases as sanitation levels were being enhanced.
Mr Simukoko said some of the notable works done were the redevelopment of boreholes, installation of tanks and tank pumping cylinder heads, resurfacing of drainages, unblocking of soak pits, and replacing of galvanised iron riser pipes and rods with stainless steel rods. He said in a statement that the 40 previously-non-functional water points were from
Lubu, Malalo, Munwakubili, Ituntwe, Ichinga, Lubwa and Chipanga.
Mr Simukoko said other wards to be benefit from the sustainable water sources were Kaunga, Nkakula, Chambeshi, Mikunku, Chilunda, Itapa and Chunga.
He said identification of the sites was conducted through a joint assessment exercise by the Council and the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee.
“It should be noted that the communal boreholes will help prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases in the district as sanitation levels are being enhanced,” said Mr Simukoko.
Mr Simukoko thanked UNICEF for its generous financial contribution and long-standing support towards the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programmes.
He appealed to community members to take responsibility of the water points so as to ensure their sustainability.