By Charles Igbo
Against all expectations, the Board of Governors of the Africa Development Bank, AfDB, decided, on Thursday, to institute an independent body to investigate the allegations against the Bank’s President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.
The Governors had, until yesterday, June 5, backed Adesina, ressisting the presssure from the USA to probe him, again, after the Bank’s Ethical Committee, exonerated him of all allegations against him by Whistle blowers within the Bank’s establishment.
Adesina had, vigorously and vehemently, denied all the allegations which had all been dismissed as unfounded by the Ethical Committee, headed Takuji Yano.
But the USA just, recently, rejected the clean bill, and in an unprecedented move, demanded an independent probe.
Last week, Ex-African Presidents and Heads of Governments, rallied round by former Nigeria’s President, Olusegun Obasanjo, issued a statement in support of Adesina. A couple of days ago, President Muhammadu Buhari, while receiving Adesina in the State House, assured him that Nigeria stands solidly behind him, and so did AfBD Board.
But on Thursday after a meeting, the AfDB Governors caved in to the US pressure, and decided on an independent probe of Adesina.
In a communique signed by the Chairperson of the Bank, Niale Kaba, ordering a fresh probe, the Governor’s said:
“The Bureau reiterates that it agrees that the Ethics Committee of the Boards of Directors performed its role in this matter, in accordance with the applicable rule under Resolution B/BG/2008/11 of the Board of Governors.
“The Bureau also reiterates that the Chairperson of the Bureau of the Board of Governors performed her role in accepting the findings of the Ethics Committee in accordance with the said Resolution.
“However, based on the views of some Governors on the matter, and on the need to carry every Governor along in resolving it, the Bureau agreed to authorize an independent review of the Report of the Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors relative to the allegations considered by the Ethics Committee and the submissions made by the President of the Bank Group thereto in the interest of due process.
“The independent review shall be conducted by a neutral high calibre individual with unquestionable experience, high international reputation, and intergrity within a short period of not more than two to four weeks maximum, taking the Bank Group’s electoral calendar into account.
“The Bureau agrees that within a three to six months period, and following the independent review of the Ethics Committee Report, an independent comprehensive review of the implementation of the Bank Group’s Whistle Blowing and Complaints Handling Policy should be conducted with a view to ensuring that the policy is properly implemented, and revising it where necessary, to avoid situations of this nature in the future”
Neither Adesina nor the Nigerian Government has reacted to this latest situation. But it is expected that Adesina will again be given a clean bill in a transparent process, and will be re-elected to a second term in office.
Not a few people believe that Adesina’s ordeal stems from the fact that American does not want her to get a second time in office for reasons not get explained.
