Daniel Kanu
The Independent Review Panel set up by the Bureau of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) during the week exonerated President of the Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, a former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, of any ethical wrongdoing.
The panel stated that it concurred with the Ethics Committee in its findings in respect of all the allegations against the AfDB President and found that they were properly considered and dismissed.
The three-member review panel was headed by Mary Robinson, a former President of the Republic of Ireland, and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The panel was constituted following a complaint by the United States, to review the process by which two previous organs of the Bank – the Ethics Committee of the Board and the Bureau of the Board of Governors – had previously cleared Adesina.
In January this year, 16 allegations of ethical misconduct were leveled against Adesina, a distinguished Nigerian technocrat, and a globally respected development economist, by whistleblowers.
The allegations which were reviewed by the Banks Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors, a legal oversight body of the Bank, made up of representatives of shareholders, in March found him innocent and exonerated him completely, describing the allegations as “frivolous, baseless, unsubstantiated and without merit”.
Considering the transparency of the process the findings and rulings of the Ethics Committee were subsequently upheld by the Apex Bureau of the Board of Governors in May, which also cleared Adesina of any unlawful activity or misconduct.
Expectedly, finding no iota of contradictory conduct the Independent Review Panel has finally vindicated Adesina as it went further to state that “it has considered the President’s submissions on their face and finds them consistent with its innocence and to be persuasive.”
It went further to add that in respect of all the allegations against Adesina it finds out that they were properly considered and dismissed by the earlier committee.
Earlier in his personal defence, Adesina had continued to declare his innocence of the allegations raised against him, stressing that they were trumped up, “and without facts, evidence, and documents, as required by the rules and regulations of the bank.”
He explained that since the Ethics Committee of the bank has cleared him of all the allegations, the calls for a fresh investigation by the USA were against the rules and ill-motivated.
Perhaps, sensing the high-level political undercurrent being played out by the international community, particularly the United States, African leaders in May rallied massive support for Adesina, insisting, however, that the Bank had fully followed its rules, procedures and governing systems, which had served it well since it was established by African countries in 1964.
In a statement issued by over 15 African leaders, including (current and past Head of States) they noted that following the exoneration of Adesina of all allegations by the Chairman, Board of Governors after a diligent study of the report of the ethics committee, it was necessary to stand firmly behind one of their own rather than watch him disgraced out of the office on “trump-up charges”.
Among the leaders were: Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Boni Yayi (Benin Republic), Haile Mariam Desalegn (Ethiopia), John Kufour (Ghana), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), Joyce Banda (Malawi), Joaquim Chissano (Mozambique), and Goodluck Jonathan.
In their submission, they noted: “The Chairman of the Board of Governors, based on the report of the Ethics Committee, declared Dr. Adesina exonerated.
“Governance is all about respecting and abiding by rules, laws, and established governing systems of organisations. In the case of the AfDB, while differences may exist among parties, the best way to address them is to first respect the rules, procedures, and governance structures of the Bank. To do otherwise will be tantamount to undermining the Bank,”
Also, the ex-presidents, who took time to roll out the achievements of the AfDB, noted that the bank had performed remarkably well under the leadership of Adesina, submitting that “the Bank is a pride for all of Africa and its President, Dr Adesina, has taken it to enviable heights”.
Also given the clean bill of uprightness handed down to Adesina by the previous investigating committee, President Muhammadu Buhari has no qualms in reassuring him during his courtesy visit at State House Abuja, that African leaders would stand solidly behind him not only to ensure he finishes his tenure, but in his bid to get re-elected.
Unfolding events point to the fact that the African Union had already endorsed Adesina as a sole candidate for the continent, despite the fact that some other stakeholders seem to be trying hard to ensure that he should be re-investigated just to render him ineligible to run.
Happily enough, Buhari has pledged that Nigeria would work with all other leaders and stakeholders in AfDB to ensure that Dr Adesina was elected for a second term to build on the record of his achievements during his first term.
With the latest clean bill handed down to Adesina, analysts say the conclusions of the review panel were decisive and had now cleared the way for Governors of the Bank to re-elect Adesina to a second five-year term as President during the annual meeting of the Bank scheduled for August 25-27.
Adesina was born in Ogun State, Nigeria on February 6, 1960. He studied Agricultural Economics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife and went further to take his postgraduate studies at Purdue University where he obtained a Ph.D.
Since taking over the bank in 2015, he is known to have introduced several innovative reforms, including High 5 development strategy, restructuring of the bank, as well as setting up offices in several African countries to get closer to its client.
He was awarded the prestigious World Food Prize in 2017 and the Sunhak Peace Prize in 2019 for global leadership in Agriculture and for good governance.