Nwankwo bows out of DMO in blaze of glory; Osinbajo, Adeosun, Udoma, Obi, Enang, grace event; Gives credit to Dr. Oby Ezekwesili

Dr. Abraham Nwankwo has exited the Debt Management Office, DMO, after a highly acclaimed 10 years as Director General of the Agency.

His exit, after two terms of five years each, was celebrated at a National Roundtable on Inflation which had in attendance key players in the country’s economic sector.

The highly emotive programme, which held at the Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton Hotel, Abuja also featured the unveiling of another book by the highly cerebral economist, titled Inflation and Structure of Aggregate Output; Theoretical, Empirical & Policy Issues.

Among those in the filled-to-capacity hall to pay tribute to Dr. Nwankwo  were Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (represented) Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi  Adeosun, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who was Chairman of the occasion.

Others that graced the evening of glowing tributes for the internationally celebrated debt manager were Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, Senator Shehu Sani and other National Assembly members, former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke, representatives of state governments and other major stakeholders in the country’s economic sector.

The issue of inflation was dissected by a panel of economists that included Prof. Binta Tijjani Jibril, Director, International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Bayero University, Kano and Prof. Akin Iyayemi of the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan. Mr. B. J Rewane, MD/CEO, Financial Derivatives Company Ltd, Lagos was represented.

The session that was ably moderated by Ms. Harriet Agbenyi saw the experts tackling inflation from the fiscal, structural and monetary perspectives respectively

The book presentation segment was equally very stimulating. The book was reviewed by Prof. Mike Obadan of the Department of Economics, University of Benin and was presented to the world by many who profusely eulogized Dr. Nwankwo as they did so.

The vote of thanks by Nwankwo drew tears to many eyes as he used the occasion to pay special tribute to Mrs Adeosun and many others, who had in one way or the other impacted his life and contributed to the great success he made of his tenure at DMO.

He also paid special tribute to Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, who he said recommended him to the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo government and who, he stressed, spent six months searching for him till he was found and brought into public service 16 years ago.

He did not forget to give lavish credit to his wife, and ended, expectedly, with much gratitude to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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