AFDB: Obasanjo, Minister Ahmed rally African leaders to support Adesina

 

AFDB: Obasanjo, Minister Ahmed rally Africa’s support for Adesina

Following the position of the United States of America on the investigation of thee President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has called on former African Presidents who are leaders of thoughts in the continent to rise-up and defend Africa’s stake in the AfDB, bemoaning undue  outsiders’ interference in the continental body.

In a letter dated May 26th, 2020, which he copied former presidents of Benin Republic, Botswana, Liberia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozanbique, Niger Republic among others, Obasanjo spurred the leaders to note that Adesina has done greatly for the AfDB and should not be condemned by foreign interests.

Also, in a separate letter, Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed wrote to the Chairman of AfDB Board of Governors, Kaba Niale, urging the Board to stick by the laid down rule of engagements of the Bank and applauded the outcome of the Board’s investigations which exonerated Adesina.

Adesina was accused of favouritism and corruption by unnamed individuals and has been absolved of the allegations by the bank’s ethics committee.

 “The call for an independent investigation of the president is outside of the laid down rules, procedures and governing system of the bank and its articles as it relates to the code of conduct on ethics for the president,” Ahmed wrote.

In his letter, Obasanjo wrote: “Unfortunately, the US government, through the US treasury secretary, has written a public letter (that was also distributed to the press globally) to disagree with the conclusions of the ethics committee of the board of directors and the chairman of the board of governors of the bank.
Instead of accepting the exoneration of the president of the bank, they called for an independent investigation.

“This is outside of the rules, laws, procedures and governance systems of the bank. The US treasury secretary disparaged the bank and ridiculed the entire governance system of the bank which has been in place since 1964.

“This is unprecedented in the annals of the African Development Bank Group. If we do not rise up and defend the African Development Bank, this might mean the end of the African Development Bank, as its governance will be hijacked away from Africa.”

Obasanjo also advised that it is “critical” to emphasise the need for the AfDB to remain an “African-focused development bank rather than one which serves interests outside Africa.

Letter from H_E Obasanjo on AfDB May 2020