By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 30 -- As the Nigerian press accuses UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of listening more to former President Obasanjo then actual head of state Goodluck Jonathan, in Rome the Nigerian president of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development is reportedly living like an emperor, with swimming pool and soccer fields and UN funded bodyguards.
Today's UN appears to just be there for the taking, whether by a former head of state with Ban Ki-moon on his speed dial or an agency or peacekeeping mission chief with little oversight from the UN system's Secretary General.
IFAD president Felix Kanayo Nwanze has used Ban Ki-moon's increased UN system security guidelines as his justification for having security guards at his office and luxurious villa on Rome's Villa Antica.
The press in Rome has picked up on it, quoting disgusted IFAD staff and diplomats and alleging bookkeeping games to hide the extravagance.
One English language publication reported
“Since he became president Mr Nwanze has stepped up personal security, installing an armed guard in front of his office and using the official presidential driver more often than Mr Bage, who often preferred to drive himself around Rome, the sources say. IFAD sources say the changes follow a perception that security may have been lax in the past rather than reflecting a change in leadership style, however. 'We have had security assessments,' said one IFAD staff member. 'According to UN standards we need to upgrade security to meet the standards of the UN. Some steps are being taken.'”
An Italian publication, as translated by a Friend on Inner City Press, reports that
Rome (Oct. 29) - Felix Kanayo Nwanze, President of IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), the UN agency which has as its mission to eradicate poverty in the world, recently made cuts of 2.5 million dollars to the organization's budget but has opposed in every way reducing his extraordinary personal expenses, including rent of a luxurious villa ... a house with a park of two hectares, a swimming pool, gym, soccer fields and a basketball court and a garage to house the cars of the President, two BMWs, a Jeep and a limousine with diplomatic plates.
An official of the Office of Audit and Control of IFAD... says that the total cost of the villa and its maintenance, which is entrusted to a team of gardeners, is about 400 thousand euro a year. Not to mention the expense of 197 thousand euro for bodyguards hired specifically for Nwanze. Other officials questioned he explained that the costs were divided into nine different budget categories to make them look lower. 'I go out into the field to pay farmers in areas where we lend farmers $5 to $25 to buy chickens and this completely changes their lives,' says the IFAD official, speaking on condition of anonymity, who has left Rome and now has gone to work at the UN in New York. 'Now these programs are cut while he throws away millions.'”
Meanwhile, after Ban canceled a planned trip to Nigeria and replaced the Nigerian military liaison Obiakor with Senegalese Babacar Gaye brought in from MONUSCO in the Congo
Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky reacted testily to questions on October 28, demanding to know if the journalist was present at Ban's meeting with Goodluck Jonathan:
Question: ... update on the UNFPA Executive Director’s selection. Specifically, I am interested you know, in you confirming that the Secretary-General is actually considering a former Nigerian minister who was removed from office, who under his leadership the Global Fund of the UN criticized management of scarce resources and whose leadership the Global Fund said that the Fund was not going to be making further resources available to Nigeria. Now, is it true that the Secretary-General is considering this person to be the Executive Director of UNFPA?...
Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, I think you know what my answer to this is likely to be. And that if this is a selection process that is still under way, then we’re not going to comment on people who may or may not be being considered for a post. That’s standard procedure.
Question: So…
Spokesperson: What’s your follow-up?
Question: So, you’re saying that you don’t [inaudible] the report that the Secretary-General is trying to nominate who has a corrupt record even in the UN system and somebody who was not nominated by the Federal Government of Nigeria after the UN Secretariat itself asked the missions in July to send it nomination requests?
Spokesperson: Like I said, if there is a selection process, then it is a process, and we don’t comment on it while it is under way. There may be many reports, not just on this job, on this selection, this particular position, but on many. There will be rumours and speculation in the media and elsewhere about who is going to get the job, who is being short listed — we don’t comment on that.
Question: Is the Secretary-General satisfied with his relationship [inaudible] with the Nigerian Government?
Spokesperson: As I’ve said, this is a process, a selection process. This is a…
Question: No, I am asking a much broader question because of the, you know, recent issues between the Nigerian Government and the Secretary-General. For instance, the issue of the problem of agreeing on the schedule of his visit, you know, the issue of the Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, who was removed, and replaced by somebody of the same age. I am asking you, is the Secretary-General satisfied with his relationship with the Federal Government of Nigeria in terms of how he manages relationship with Nigeria, is he satisfied?
Spokesperson: The Secretary-General has said very clearly that he will visit Nigeria when it is possible to do so, that at the time when a visit was planned, it didn’t work out because of scheduling. As soon as it is possible, I am sure that he will go. In the meantime, he is in frequent contact with the Nigerian authorities and that included, as you well know, during the General Assembly session when he met the President. So, I think that that answers your questions.
Question: [inaudible] I mean, that last question — and this is my last question on this — but at that meeting that you just referred to between the Nigerian President and the Secretary-General, the President made it clear who the nominee of the Nigerian Government is on the UNFPA position.
Spokesperson: So, were you in the meeting?
Question: I said that the Nigerian Government made it very clear who…
Spokesperson: Were you in the meeting? You heard it, did you?
Question: I didn’t have to be in the meeting, the Nigerian Government… you deny it if you tell me that it’s not true. The President of Nigeria made it clear to the Secretary-General who the nomination of the Federal Government of Nigeria is for that position.
Spokesperson: As I have said to you, we don’t comment on selection processes while they are under way. That’s what I can tell you.
This approach, rather than burying the story, has resulted in a troubling report from Nigeria in which Ban is portrayed as manipulated by Obasanjo and not even fully aware of it:
former President Olusegun Obasanjo is still calling the shots on matters concerning Nigeria at the United Nations. In fact, the former leader has countermanded the Federal Government on Nigeria’s choice for the next Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr. Bunmi Makinwa... In the place of Makinwa, a serving senior employee of the UNFPA whose names President Goodluck Jonathan submitted for the job, the former leader has nominated former Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin...
The UN leader is said to be confused about what to do, causing a significant delay in the announcement of the post. Indeed, the Nigerian UN Mission and Makinwa had secured about 80 percent support of the African countries at the world body for the position of Executive Director of UNFPA...
UN secretariat sources disclosed that after Secretary-General Ban received nominations in July this year, he shortlisted about nine potential candidates who were interviewed, including the Federal Government’s choice, Makinwa, who is currently heading the Africa Section of the UNFPA in South Africa.
But by September, the interviews were completed and although Makinwa was the candidate the Nigerian government proposed to the Secretary-General, the name of Osotimehin was said to have suddenly emerged because former President Obasanjo had pressured the UN leader, Ban, to broaden the search and by implication ignore the candidate of the Nigerian government, according to UN sources.
Even top Nigerian diplomats at the UN expressed shock when they found out about Osotimehin’s name on the list of potential candidates. A source pleading anonymity said that the UN Secretary-General was himself visibly surprised because he had met in September with President Goodluck Jonathan who, at that meeting in New York, during the UN General Assembly summit last month, personally informed Mr. Ban, that Nigeria was backing Makinwa for the office.
Meanwhile, a set of three candidates out of those interviewed, was being drawn to include the candidates from the Netherlands, Uganda and Nigeria. Osotimehin, whose name surfaced late in the game was eventually invited to New York for the interview, but there is now confusion, according to UN sources at the office of the Secretary-General on who actually is Nigeria’s preference between Makinwa and Osotimehin.
So while Ban's security directives are used as justification for extravagance in Rome, his Executive Office is reportedly manipulated from outside leaving him “confused,” as he appeared to be when “his” envoy to Niger -- never publicly announced -- was kidnapped by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Who really appointed Fowler and for what? Who is driving the appointment of a new UNFPA chief? Who will do anything about the extravagance in Rome? Watch this site.
