He has been all over us. Effectively occupying our space. Although he’s in the eye of the storm, he is steadfastly unmoved. He enjoys every bit of it. That’s the strong and resilient character in him.
Ordinarily, you would think he would not hurt a fly. But Dr. Akinwumi Adesina did more than that these weeks past. He rocked their boat in more than a subtle way. With a robust mind, he is still silently making waves. And that is serious cause for concern. Not on his part, but on theirs.
Adesina is outgoing two-term president, African Development Bank (AfDB). He would always speak his innocent mind. The plain truth as he knows it to be. Not frivolous. Not given to shenanigans.
He is a man of facts and figures. He sticks to factuality, actuality and reality. Those are his prized watchwords. He treasures them as such. And he is guided accordingly.
He cherishes own mind with relish. And guards it with all the honesty he can muster. That is the bedrock of integrity. It’s not by mouthing it.
It’s given. Adesina is not one of their kinds. Neither is he cut out for their ugly ilk. He doesn’t belong anywhere near their mould. He’s far poles apart from them. And between them stands a huge demarcation. Their paths can’t cross now or forever.
He is not a man that will fictitiously disfigure facts. Or walk the truth on its head. He’s brave enough to walk his talk. He will not dismember figures for anything. The way he ran the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is an everlasting testament.
He confronted the deep-rooted fertiliser cabal headlong. He took the battle to their enclave. It was fierce and daring. He won the war squarely and hands down.
He performed the wondrous task, to the admiration of us all. It was a feat one thought no Nigerian could accomplish. Even his unrepentant foes couldn’t contest it. They were instead amazed. That was under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. He was his agriculture minister.
There and then, he earned our respect. We willingly surrendered it. Others struggle to buy it, though it isn’t put up for sale. They have a warped mind set that every Nigerian has a price tag. Just name yours and it becomes a done deal.
Not with Adesina! He’s one of the rear exceptions. He holds probity dearly to his heart. You can’t snatch it from him. Much less running with it. For it’s also not served a la carte.
Perhaps, these facts are alien to Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman. Or at worst, he opts to feign ignorance. Believing himself erroneously. That these verities are fancies and fantasies. He goofs.
Last week, he obliged his racing illusion to gain the best part of him. He displayed his strong weakness. He fumbled and wobbled all the way. He has not receded. He is yet to overcome his delusion.
Clearly and boldly. He identified himself as the chief identifier of the so-called Tinubu’s haters. Once he so identifies, you’re instantly labelled. And the tag is hung on your neck. But he’s the one that carries the cross.
His last adventure was a monumental disaster. He misapplied his discerning heart. It failed him when he needed it most.
He thought he had a big catch in Adesina. Yes! Onanuga was correct. Adesina is not a small fry by any standard, gauge or measure. He’s an enormous benchmark, a big fish. And catching one calls for celebration.
Obviously, Onanuga didn’t inadvertently pick on Adesina. It was his deliberate intention. And for the wrong reason. It was a mismatch, a colossal misfit. Nobody does that and walks away freely. That won’t happen. He asked for it. And he got it in multiple, good measures.
Thrice Adesina spoke in this past month. He was profound. He never knew he was stirring the hornet’s nest. Twice, he eulogised President Bola Tinubu’s government for what he believed he’s doing well.
On April 8, 2025. Venue was Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) ground breaking, Kaduna. Adesina reportedly “commended President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their commitment to the project. He praised the consistent support from the Federal and Kaduna State governments. He emphasised the importance of strong political will and commitment at the highest levels for the success of SAPZ across Nigeria.”
Heaven did not fall. And the earth did not shake. Or cave in. It was normal, they would agree. So, they rolled along with him. No word from them; good, bad or ugly. They kept mute and mum.
In quick succession, Adesina did an encouraging follow-up. He showed up in Calabar, Cross State. Another opportunity to do what he did in Kaduna three days earlier. He didn’t disappoint.
One more time, he heaped praises on Tinubu: “Adesina credited President Tinubu’s administration for its commitment and strong political will in rolling out the SAPZ initiative across multiple states.
“Adesina also emphasised the importance of continuity in government policies to ensure the long-term success of the zones.” The Presidency was basking in the unsolicited encomiums. Adesina appeared to be doing their bidding.
They were comfortably at home with him; nothing to worry about. Then the thunderbolt! It was devastating. No one expected it would come the way it came. And the source? From the same Adesina, of course.
On Thursday, May 9, 2025, Adesina was again on familiar terrain. He doesn’t lack one at any time. Exactly a month after he deodorised Tinubu. Another chance presented itself on a gold platter. He seized it with all the seriousness it deserved. This time, he took the Presidency to the cleaners!
He was in the midst of his brand, an august gathering: The 20th-anniversary dinner of Chapel Hill Denham. Very appropriate for a message troubling his heart. He was excited and elated.
No more auspicious space than this eminent gathering. He looked straight at his eager audience waiting with bated breath. The attentiveness written all over them spurred him on.
He dropped his bomb effortlessly. He reportedly said: “Nigerians today are worse off than they were in 1960.” The stark reality: We are poorer than we were more than 64 years ago!
That’s by no means a mean feat. The AfDB chief was not done yet. Not at all: “Nigeria’s GDP per capita in 1960 was $1,847 and $824 in 2025.” That is the meat of Adesina’s message.
Onanuga opened fire on him instantly. He went all out to crucify him. He tried to tear him down from top-to-bottom. Not only him. The whole Presidency was ruffled.
It couldn’t hide it. It was violently thrown overboard. Baffled, dazed and dazzled. So soon! What went wrong? Nothing in particular! Adesina was just being himself. He wasn’t acting out anybody’s script. He remains in his normal element. That’s how he elects to live his life.
Onanuga was convinced, Adesina has suddenly taken a new toga. He hit him hard. He vomited annoyingly: “Adesina spoke like a politician, in the mould of Peter Obi, and did not do due diligence before making his unverifiable statement.” Really?
He attempted a breakdown: “Our country’s GDP did not rise remarkably until the 1970s, when crude earnings ballooned. In 1970, our GDP rose to $12.55 billion. In 1975, it was $27.7 billion, $64.2 billion in 1980, and $164 billion in 1981. Up until 1980, per capita income did not exceed $880. It rose to $2187 in 1981 and dropped to $1844 in 1982. In 2014, after rebasing, it reached an all-time high of $3,200. These facts raise questions about the source of Dr. Adesina’s figures.”
He then sat Adesina down in his study. And gave him a lesson, he thought they never taught him: “Dr. Adesina should know that GDP per capita is not the only criterion used to determine whether people live better lives now than in the past.
“Indeed, it is a poor tool for assessing living standards. Its primary usefulness is in giving us the metrics to compare economic output in a country or between countries.”
Onanuga chose to forget what he did not want to remember. He closed his mind to how Adesina earlier eulogised his principal. He won’t want to listen to that.
But he needs to hear this. We will make it extremely brief but sensible. See the pedigree of Adesina. The person Onanuga is labouring in vain to teach the rudiments of economy. He’s striving hard to rubbish it.
Adesina’s heavily abridged pedigree, courtesy, Wikipedea: “Akinwumi Adesina, CON, is a Nigerian economist, who is currently serving as the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“Until his appointment as Minister in 2010, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). He was elected as President, AfDB, in 2015 and re-elected for a second term in 2020. He is the first Nigerian to hold the post.”
They have a unique challenge. They are always quick to discomfort. And swift to action. They can’t withstand their idol, Tinubu, being criticised. His actions and inactions mustn’t be interrogated.
He shouldn’t be held accountable. He ought to be left to coast home unchallenged. If you dare. They see hate and hatred in your genuine, innocent intention. You’re tagged Tinubu’s hater! That’s their new normal. They insist we must take it, hook, line and sinker!
Tinubu must be allowed to have his way. No matter our feelings. We should not show any sign of misgiving or discomfort. The wailers must not wail, even secretly. But the hailers can hail on recklessly, ceaselessly, loudly and noisily.
It wasn’t like this at the beginning. So, it must not continue in this manner. There was no sympathetic consideration for their predecessors. Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Jonathan never enjoyed such prized luxury.
Throughout their tenures. They were not accorded breathing space. They were permanently under intense vilification. Critically criticised and critiqued.
Those in opposition then are now in power. They were breathing heavily on them; giving them close marking. Together with the opposition, we did enjoy it while it lasted. We shouted. We hailed them for putting government on its toes.
They happened to us in 2015. Glaringly unprepared for governance, but for deadly politricks. They found themselves in the position of power and authority. The reality dawned on them. They changed the narratives.
They are so selfish and self-centred. They will want to have their weird way at all times. And deny us our rightful say all the time. Where is fairness in this? We are lost in bewilderment.
Even though we know our voices, votes may not count. Yet, we want to shout out our shout! Let it amount to nothing. We care not!
So! Who’s afraid of Akinwumi Adesina?