The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank, Kaba Niale, on Wednesday, described as false the rumour that the AfDB President, Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, had been asked to step aside for a fresh probe into some allegations against him.
The Chairman, who is also the Minister of Planning and Development of the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, said it was necessary to make clarifications on the content of the deliberations of a meeting of the Board of Governors, considering various publications in the international media, which could mislead the public.
Unidentified whisteblowers had accused Adesina of handing contracts to acquaintances and appointing relatives to strategic positions, but he was cleared by the Board. However, the United States rejected the internal investigation that cleared him of all allegations and called for a fresh probe.
A statement signed by Niale, sighted by our correspondent, said, “On Tuesday, 26 May, the office of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank Group held a meeting to examine the matter arising from a complaint from the Board of Directors of the Bank, and about that which I received from some shareholders expressing different points of view.
“Following this meeting, several publications in the international press were brought to my attention concerning the content of the deliberations of said meeting. This leads me to make clarifications to avoid any misunderstanding.”
The statement, written originally in French, added, “The Office which I chair wishes to reassure the public that it has taken up the matter and is treating it with the greatest rigour and with all the seriousness that it deserves. However, the Office informs the public that no decision has been made as falsely conveyed in some publications.
“I must emphasise that there is no institutional crisis within the African Development Bank Group. Above all, in no case has the President of the Bank Group been asked to resign.
“Everyone must allow the Office to do its work and let the process of examining this case take its course. The opinion of all the governors will be sought for its successful outcome.”
