According to reports, Zainab Ahmed, the former Minister of Finance, has secured a job as an Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank.
She is set to assume her new role at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington on July 10.
However, there have been allegations from some quarters that Mrs. Ahmed did not follow the proper appointment procedures and nominated herself for the position.
An online medium quoted sources in Washington claiming that Mrs. Ahmed bypassed the nomination process by nominating herself.
It was also alleged that the World Bank had requested nominations for three economists for the position several months before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, but the minister kept the letter to herself.
Additionally, it was claimed that she did not obtain approval from either President Buhari or the new President, Sen. Bola Tinubu, for her self-nomination.
On the other hand, a high-ranking source within the federal government, knowledgeable about the World Bank system, stated that Mrs. Ahmed’s appointment was legitimate.
According to this source, she was nominated by the Ministry of Finance and her nomination was approved by President Buhari before he left office.
The source compared this appointment to the nomination of a former Director-General of the Budget Office as an Executive Director at the African Development Bank during the Jonathan administration, which went unnoticed.
The source further explained that the Alternate Executive Director position is typically filled by former Ministers of Finance (Governors of the World Bank) or Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Finance (Alternate Governors of the World Bank).
This position is reserved for individuals with experience in development policy issues and decision-making processes related to developing countries, as well as an understanding of World Bank Executive Board matters and their impact on member countries.
It is noteworthy that Mrs. Ahmed will be working under Ayanda Dlondlo, a former South African Minister who holds the position of Executive Director at the World Bank.
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