The event was held at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and was broadcast virtually.

The oath of office was administered by Ghana’s finance minister and chairman of the AfDB board of governors, Kenneth Ofori-Attah.

Adesina received the unanimous vote of all the Governors of the Bank on Thursday 27 August, the last day of the 2020 Annual Meetings.

Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture, Adesina is a globally renowned development economist, World Food Prize Laureate and Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate.

He has distinguished himself in driving a bold agenda to reform the Bank and accelerate Africa’s development.

He was first elected as president of the bank on May 28, 2015.

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The election which was monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) took place electronically on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the virtual Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the bank on Thursday.

A source told NAN that all the delegates unanimously voted for Adesina but details had not been made known officially.

Adesina’s reappointment at the helm of the 56-year-old bank was formalised during the AGM because he was the sole candidate.

The AfDB boss was faced with corruption allegations and subsequently cleared by ethics committee of the bank, bureau of board of directors while the Independent Review Panel also exonerated him.

The Independent Review Panel was constituted by the Bureau of Governors of the Bank, 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.

The three-member Independent Review Panel was headed by Mary Robinson, who is a former President of the Republic of Ireland, a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Meanwhile at the opening ceremony of the AGM on Wednesday, Adesina presented himself officially to Governors and other stakeholders for relection.

“At this Annual Meetings, I offer myself to you, our Governors, for your consideration for election for a second term, as President.

“I do so, with humility, with a strong sense of duty and commitment and a call to serve Africa and our Bank, selflessly, to the very best of my God-given abilities,” he said.

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One of the hallmarks of seasoned, methodical people is patience, refusal to be rushed or stampeded. Since the alleged breach of ethics saga at the AfDB broke into the open, President Muhamadu Buhari had not said much, at least, not directly. He rather watched developments, got briefings, and weighed his options.

Like the seasoned soldier that he was, an officer and gentleman, President Buhari kept his gunpowder dry. Till he fired on Tuesday. And the echo reverberated round Africa, if not the world.

Impatient Nigerians, ever willing to excoriate, had been complaining that the President hadn’t waded directly into the AfDB matter, where one of his citizens was about to be given the shorter end of the stick, in an onslaught led by America, one of the key stakeholders of the bank. When the Ethics Committee investigated and exculpated Adesina, President Buhari hailed the development. When America asked for reinvestigation, leaning on Adesina to step down while the process lasted, Zainab Ahmed, Nigeria’s Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, and one of the Governors of AfDB, wrote a decisive letter, condemning and rejecting the decision. On whose behalf did she do that? On behalf of Nigeria, and its President. Yet the professional complainers said the President hadn’t spoken. Their usual refrain is ‘talk to us, talk to us, you must talk to us.’ And when he speaks, they pretend not to hear.

When the fullness of time came, as President Buhari usually elects to do, he spoke personally. And loud and clear.

The aviation sector in both Nigeria, and Abidjan where Adesina is based, were still under lock and key. What to do? President Buhari reached out to the Ivorien authorities for special landing permit, and despatched a presidential jet to fetch the AfDB president, an illustrious son of Nigeria, and a former Minister of Agriculture under the Goodluck Jonathan government.

Adesina and his team of two close aides were seated in the diplomatic room of the Presidential Villa fifteen clear minutes before the scheduled time. This writer was also there, along with some Ministers and senior aides of President Buhari.

thank God who made me a Nigerian. I thank Him that I was born here, lived here, and want to die as a Nigerian. And on the day of resurrection, I will beg God to let me rise as a Nigerian.”

On the dot of the hour (he rarely misses it), President Buhari strode in. Ramrod straight, a fact that belies his 77 years of age. He gave his guest an elbow shake from a distance, which caused us all to laugh. The President was being correct heath-wise, as demanded by the social distancing requirement of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With initial greetings and courtesies concluded, Adesina was the first to talk. He thanked the President for facilitating his visit, and for the support he had always given him as AfDB boss, right from his first election in 2015.

“Thanks for helping me to get elected, and for your unflinching support for me over the years. Thanks for your public statement in my support after the Ethics Committee of the Bank finished its work, and exonerated me of all 16 allegations against me, “ Adesina began.

“I thank God who made me a Nigerian. I thank Him that I was born here, lived here, and want to die as a Nigerian. And on the day of resurrection, I will beg God to let me rise as a Nigerian.”

General laughter.

“Some lies have been concocted against me to render me ineligible for a second term as AfDB president. The bank has its rules, regulations and laws. And part of it is that any allegation must be substantiated with facts, evidence and documents. This is so that there can be believability, and nobody can act out of malice.

“In all the 16 allegations against me, there were no facts, no evidence, no document. The Ethics Committee investigated for three months. They asked for evidence. The accusers could not bring any. My defense was in 250 pages. Not a line of it was questioned.

“The laws of the bank say when the Ethics Committee has concluded investigations, the report must be transmitted to the Chairman of the Governors of the bank. It was so done, and I was exonerated of all the allegations. If I’d been found wanting, then another investigation could be launched. But since there was no charge, that should be the end of the matter, according to the rules. But the accusers want to bend the rules, asking for reinvestigation. They say they don’t trust the rules, regulations, the Governors, and the Board of the bank. Their motive is to soil me, and soil the bank.

“When you’re walking on water, your enemies say you are kicking dust.”

“They are leaning on other countries that hold shares in the bank to support reinvestigation, and that I should step aside for that process. It is against the laws, rules and regulations.”

Adesina’s first term ends on August 31, this year. Election should have held by now, if not for the Coronavirus challenge. It would hold before the terminal date, and the African Union has endorsed the incumbent as the only candidate from the continent. Will the accusers muscle their way through, and get an interim administration installed?

Then President Buhari spoke. He went down memory lane, recalling the role he played as President-elect of Nigeria then, in an election that held on May 28, 2015, a day before his inauguration.

“I personally wrote all African leaders, supporting your candidature. I recommended you, though you were a Minister of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and I was of the All Progressives Congress (APC). I didn’t because of that withhold support from you. I’ll remain consistent because no one has faulted the step I took on behalf of Nigeria.”

President Buhari pledged to work with all African leaders and stakeholders of the bank to mobilize support for Adesina’s re-election. He said the man had done well, and one good term deserves another.

When people from the north of the country call President Buhari Mai Gaskiya (The Honest One), they know what they are saying. He doesn’t talk tongue-in-cheek. He says it as it is. If any fault had been found in Adesina, he would also have told him point blank that he wouldn’t get support from Nigeria. May God give us more men like the Mai Gaskiya, who don’t call white black, and vice-versa.

In a private chat with Dr Adesina later, he told me something which I would never forget, and which I’ve filed away in my memory. He said it’s a Zambian proverb, which goes thus: “When you’re walking on water, your enemies say you are kicking dust.”

Kicking dust while walking on water? Hahahahahaaaaaaa.

Bad people will always remain who and what they are. Bad.

*Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari

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The president spoke at State House, Abuja, Tuesday, while hosting Adesina on a courtesy visit.

“In 2015, when you were to be elected for the first term, I wrote to all African leaders, recommending you for the position. I didn’t say because you were a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Minister, and I belonged to the All Progressives Congress (APC), so I would withhold my support. I’ll remain consistent with you, because no one has faulted the step I took on behalf of Nigeria,” said President Buhari.

The president pledged that Nigeria would work with all other leaders and stakeholders in AfDB to ensure that Dr Adesina was elected for a second term built on the record of his achievements during his first term.

The African Union had already endorsed the incumbent AfDB president as sole candidate for the continent, but some other stakeholders are trying to ensure that Adesina is re-investigated on some allegations, and rendered ineligible to run.

Giving a background to what was happening in the bank, Adesina, a former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, said the 16 allegations raised against him were trumped up, “and without facts, evidence, and documents, as required by the rules and regulations of the bank.”

He added that the Ethics Committee of the bank cleared him of all the allegations, and calls for fresh investigation by the United States of America, were against the rules.

“My defense ran into 250 pages, and not a single line was faulted or questioned. The law says that report of the Ethics Committee should be transmitted to the Chairman of Governors of the bank. It was done, and the governors upheld the recommendations. That was the end of the matter, according to the rules. It was only if I was culpable that a fresh investigation could be launched. I was exonerated, and any other investigation would amount to bending the rules of the bank, to arrive at a predetermined conclusion,” Dr Adesina said.

Stressing that the motive was to soil his name, and that of the bank, the AfDB President said he was proud to be Nigerian, and thanked President Buhari for his unflinching support.

“You helped me to get elected in the first place, and you have supported me robustly all along, and the African Union unanimously endorsed my re-election,” he declared.

While commiserating with President Buhari on the death of the former Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, Adesina described Professor Ibrahim Gambari, new Chief of Staff as “a man of integrity, and of global standing.”

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Akinwunmi, while speaking at an event in Lagos on Sunday, appreciated Buhari for nominating him for re-election for a second term as president of the bank.

According to Adesina, Nigeria had invested so much in me.

“When asked by former President Goodluck Jonathan to serve as Minister of Agriculture, it was duty calling me to the land of my birth.

“I served Nigeria to the very best of my ability. I thank God that Nigeria’s agriculture sector witnessed a much-needed transformation at the time.

“With the strong support of President Jonathan and the then President elect, Buhari, we campaigned very hard for the position of the President of the African Development Bank.

“It was a Nigeria effort, as all hands were on deck.

“This included our former presidents and heads of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo, and of course my dear indefatigable sister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who ran a spirited campaign for me.

“By God’s grace, I was elected President of the African Development Bank on May 28, 2015, exactly 24 hours after my term of office as Minister ended.

“The nation jubilated as I became the first-ever Nigerian to be elected President of the bank since its establishment in 1964.

“Once again, Nigeria gave me air in my lungs.

“At the African Development Bank, we have worked very hard.

“In my four years as President, we have connected 16 million people to electricity, provided 70 million people with improved agricultural technologies to achieve food security.

“We have also given nine million people access to finance from private sector companies, provided 55 million people with access to improved transport, and 31 million people with access to water and sanitation.

“In all, 181 million people have directly benefitted from our investments.

“I am proud of all my staff and the Board of Directors whose hard work and relentless support have helped make this happen.

“The African Development Bank has continued to maintain its global AAA rating. Last year, the bank was rated the 4th most transparent institution globally.

“There is still much to do. We have gone some way climbing the steep mountainside of Africa’s development, yet there is still much way to go until we reach the mountaintop.

“Nigeria again is giving me air in my lungs, to keep on climbing.

“I wish to immensely thank and appreciate President Buhari for nominating me for e-election for a second term as President of the African Development Bank and for being such a wonderful champion and supporter of my re-election,’’ Adesina said.

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The road is at present in a terrible state.

Other projects which the AfDB is willing to support are the Ekiti Airport, the Ekiti Knowledge zone (a smart city to promote knowledge economy)  and the agriculture processing zone project, all geared towards improving infrastructure and socio–economic development of the state.

These are some of the highlights of a high level meeting between the Ekiti State government team led by the state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and the AfDB President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, at the organisation’s headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire at the weekend.

The meeting which was attended by top officials of the AfDB, including its Senior Vice President, Charles Boamah; three Vice Presidents, Celestine Monga, (VP and Chief Economist); Vivienne Banke (VP Agriculture, Human and Social Development)  and Ms Bajabulile Tshabalala (VP Finance and Chief Finance Officer); Senior Director for Nigeria, Ebrima Faal; DG, Central Africa and former Country Director Nigeria, Dr Ousmane Dore, among others, reviewed the project proposals tabled by Governor Fayemi and resolved to provide necessary support to the government to actualise them, in line with the Bank’s mission of supporting national and sub national governments’ development plans.

As a follow up to the meeting, a team of technical experts from AfDB headquarters will be in Ekiti State in the next few weeks for further discussion and assessment of the various projects.

The visit and other activities that will follow will prepare the ground for the bank’s final decision.

Speaking at the meeting, Governor Fayemi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), said his administration decided to seek AfDB’s support for the projects that were crucial to the infrastructure and industrial development of Ekiti State so as to improve the fortune of the state, reposition it as a destination of choice for investment and create jobs.

Specifically, he said Ekiti State needed to upgrade its infrastructure and invest in agric business, which would in turn provide jobs for its teeming population of youths, which he put at 75 per cent of the state’s total population.

He added that setting up a smart city to promote knowledge economy was also crucial to the administration.

Governor Fayemi said: “These are our local priorities. If you can support us, it will enable us to do some other things through our own limited resources.

“We have aligned our priorities to the AfDB’s priorities which apply to us, such as lighting up Africa; Feeding Africa; Industrialise Africa etc. All these apply to us as our plan is to make Ekiti a destination of choice for her citizens and all those who will like to live, work and invest in the state.

“To achieve this, we need to invest heavily in infrastructure. We want to fix the roads, have our small cargo airport that will aid agriculture and open our landlocked state to domestic and international markets and ultimately create jobs that our state urgently needs for its vibrant and educated youth population.”

Wearing his NGF’s Chairman’s hat, Governor Fayemi advocated for more serious engagements with sub-nationals in Nigeria as they represent the engine room of development.

This, he argued, would complement and accelerate what AfDB was doing at the federal government level on human capital, infrastructure and private sector development.

The AfDB President, Dr Adesina, said the bank was excited about the plans for job creation, especially for the youth and the plans to improve the stock of infrastructure.

He said the menace of kidnapping and banditry in the country would be arrested with more investments and job opportunities for the youths.

Dr Adesina said government must find a way to create jobs for the teeming population of unemployed youths, in order to secure the future of the country.

He commended the governor for coming to AfDB with a clear plan that could be linked to concrete deliverables.

“Our job is to support and we have been supporting Nigeria. We are willing to support you,” the AfDB president added.

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