In a
statement on Friday, the former leaders said the bank and its president,
Akinwumi Adesina, should not be distracted at a time when the continent is
battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fifteen
former African leaders have urged the U.S. government to respect the governing
systems of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The leaders —
including Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, former Nigerian presidents,
— said conflict resolution processes outside laid down rules would undermine
the reputation of the bank and its president.
The US,
through Steven Mnuchin, its treasury secretary, had called for an independent
probe of Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB president, despite being absolved of whistle-blower
allegations by the bank’s ethics committee.
“Adesina, who
some whistle-blowers alleged to have violated the banks’ code of ethics, has
firmly and consistently declared his innocence of these allegations.
“The ethics
committee of the board of directors, a legal oversight body of the bank, made
up of representatives of shareholders, cleared Dr Adesina of all 16
allegations, declaring them as baseless and unsubstantiated and exonerated him
completely.
“Governance
is all about respecting and abiding by rules, laws and established governing
systems of organizations. 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.
“The African
Development Bank is a pride for all of Africa, and its president, Dr Adesina,
has taken the bank to enviable heights. At this critical time that Africa is
battling with COVID-19, the bank and its president should not be distracted.”
Listing
achievements of the AfDB under Adesina’s leadership, the leaders said: “The
bank announced a $10 billion crisis response facility to support countries in
Africa. The bank also successfully launched a $3 billion Fight COVID-19 social
bond, the largest ever US dollar-denominated bond in world history”.
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