By Adesina Soyooye
In a statement from his office, in the United States of America, USA, Wednesday, on behalf of the African Diplomatic Corps, its Dean, His Excellency, Serge Mombouli, a Congolese, asked that the President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina, be reelected for a second term in office by acclamation, having been exonerated of all allegations against him.
Adesina was on his way to a smooth re-election when some Whistle-blowers wrote a petition against him to the Board of the Bank, alleging misconduct on his part. As is the rule, the bank’s Ethical Committee was mandated to investigate the allegations against him.
Adesina was given a clean bill. But out of the blues, the United States of America, insisted on an independent body to review the findings of the Ethical Committee. After some protests against it, the US had its way, and a three-man panel, led by the former President of the Republic of Ireland, Mrs Mary Robinson, was set up for the review.
Adesina had, from the beginning, vehemently denied all the allegations, vigorously defended his integrity, and insisted it was a deliberate ploy to tar his image and that of the AfDB.
On Tuesday, Adesina was, again, found innocent, and cleared of all allegations.
An elated President Muhammadu Buhari has since congratulated him, and so has the Board of Governors of the bank.
On Wednesday, it was the turn of the African Diplomatic Corp in the USA, which in a statement by its Dean, His Excellency, Ambassador Mombouli thanked the Review Panel for doing a good and transparent job. He urged for full support for Adesina, saying he is the sole candidate for the African Union, and asking that he be re-elected by acclamation.
Reads the statement:
“On behalf of the African Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Serge Mombouli, warmly thanks the panel led by Mary Robinson for their excellent work; congratulates Dr. Akinwumi Adesina President of the African Development Bank Group, and commends him for his visionary leadership and the outstanding development results attained by the Bank under his tenure.
“He notes that the election of the President of the African Development Bank is planned to take place on August 27. 2020 and calls for the re-election of Dr. Adesina be done in unison by acclamation. Dr. Adesina is the sole candidate and has received the full endorsement of the African Union.
“Ambassador Serge Mombouli, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, further extends his appreciation to the Board of Directors, the Ethics Committee of the Boards of Directors, and the Bureau of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank for their courage and maturity in establishing an independent and transparent process, which confirms the excellent governance of the Bank.
“The African Diplomatic Corps accredited to the United States urges the United States of America, the largest non-regional shareholder, and all other shareholders, to continue to strongly support the President of the Bank and the African Development Bank Group, going forward, especially at this period of global Covid-19 pandemic.
“The African Development Bank will continue to play a crucial role in bringing African economies back on the trajectory of growth and sustainable development.”
