By Adesina Soyooye
Nigeria’s Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, is innocent. He has been cleared of all allegations against him which were capable of stopping him from seeking a second term in office.
But, now, the AFP reports that Adesina has been cleared and declared “not guilty” by the Independent Panel, set up on the insistence of the Government of the United States of America, USA, to investigate allegations against him, for an unprecedented second time.
Touted as one of the best to have led the bank, and well on his way for a second term, a- 15 page petition, by whitsle blowers, alleging all kinds of misconduct against him, threatened his image and that of the bank.
But the Ethics Committee of the bank, which job it is to investigate such matters fully investigated him, and gave him a clean bill.
But in a move, seen by many as a plot to deny him a second term, the US Government insisted on an independent body to re-investigate him.
The Panel of Independent experts, headed by a former Irish President, Mary Robinson, has just cleared him. Other members of the three-man panel are: Gambia’s Chief Justice, Hassan Jallow, and the Intergrity Vice President of the World Bank, Leonard MacCarthy.
The AfDB election is scheduled for August.
Details, later…
