The Federal Government has opposed the plan by the Afrcian Development Bank, AfDB, to conduct an independent investigation into allegation of malpractices against the bank’s president, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
Adesina was accused by a whistleblower of, among other things, giving contracts to acquaintances, appointing relatives and friends to strategic positions, and giving preferential treatment to Nigeria and Nigerians.
The bank had however probed the cases against Adesina and absolved him of any blame.
However, following pressure from the United States, it was gathered that there were plans for an independent probe after that of the bank.
In its reaction, Nigeria’s government said such a probe would be a violation of the procedure of the bank put in place as far back as 1964.
The opposition of the Nigerian government to the independent probe is contained in a letter issued by the Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
Addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank, Kaba Niale, the government said the bank must uphold the rule of law and respect its governance system.
The letter reads in part: “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.
“As Board of Governors, we must uphold the rule of law and respect the governance system of the bank.
“If there are any governance issues that need improvement, these can be considered and amendments proposed for adoption in line with the laid-down rules.”
Nigeria’s former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, had also in a similar vein, mobilised African leaders to defend the bank’s governance system.
According to him, the call for an independent probe was an attempt by some non-regional member countries of the bank to prevent the re-election of Adesina.
“If we do not rise up and defend the AfDB Group, this might mean the end of the bank, as its governance will be hijacked away from Africa,” Obasanjo warned.
The Federal Government’s letter is below:
