Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: "I Had My Last Cancer Surgery 15 Years Ago"

Nigeria’s Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is currently known for a lot of things, some of them being overseeing the rebasing of Nigeria’s economy to make it the largest in Africa.

Okonjo-Iweala was a Managing Director at World Bank where she was almost picked as the president now occupied by Jim Yong Kim; but who knew that the healthy looking Finance Minister also survived cancer.

She revealed this at the service of songs for the late Oronto Douglas, special adviser to the president on research and documentation that held in Abuja last night.

“Oronto and I had two similarities in life, we both had cancer. I had my last surgery, 15 years ago and I shared my experience with him,” she said.

 

Oronto Douglas

The service was attended by a cross section of the society from civil society, government, the media, the clergy among others.

Tributes also came from former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State, Dr. Sam Amadi, chairman National Electricity Regulatory Commission, Rev. Nnimmo Bassey, Yinka Odumakin, among others.

Also in attendance were Kayode Fayemi, former Ekiti State Governor and Pastor Tunde Bakare.

Douglas died on April 9 after losing his battle with cancer.