Buhari hails Adesina as AfDB board clears him of wrongdoing

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday hailed the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, over the clean bill of health given to him by Board of Directors of the international financial institution.

Adesina had last month described as spurious and unfounded an allegation by a group that described itself as concerned staff members of the bank that he violated the code of conduct of the institution.

According to him, the bank had a very high reputation for good governance and is rated as the fourth most transparent institution in the world by Publish What You Fund.

In an 18-page petition, the concerned staff members had listed the alleged cases of breach of code of conduct by Adesina to include unethical conduct, private gain, an impediment to efficiency, preferential treatment, involvement in political activity, among other activities they alleged to have adversely affected the confidence and integrity of the bank.

The complainants had also enumerated twenty areas where they allege Adesina had violated the code of conduct of the AfDB and the efforts made to draw the attention of the Ethics Committee to the issues in line with the bank’s whistle-blowing policy.

But on May 5th, a report signed by Niale Kaba, Chairman of the Bureau of the Board of Governors, indicated that Adesina had been exonerated of the allegations against him.

According to Kaba, “on the basis of the results contained in the report of the committee, I am of the view that we should adopt its conclusions by declaring that the President is totally exonerated of all the allegations made against him.”

President Buhari, according to in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the AfDB President has served the African continent well and has made his motherland proud.

President Buhari wished him greater successes in the position of responsibility he occupies, the statement said.