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AFRICAN Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has not stepped down from office.
Adesina, in a statement, said “the bank’s institutional framework is solid and efficient, adding that he stands by it”.
“In spite of unprecedented attempts by some to tarnish my reputation and prejudice the Bank’s governance procedures, I maintain my innocence with regard to trumped up allegations that unjustly seek to impugn my honour and integrity, as well as the reputation of the African Development Bank.
“I sincerely appreciate the support of the Bank’s shareholders.
“At this time, I remain confident that ultimately and as one collective, the Bank will emerge stronger than before and continue to support Africa’s development drive. I draw great inspiration from my heroes, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan, whose lives have shown that through pain we grow. As Martin Luther King Jnr. once said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
“I am confident that fair, transparent and just processes that respect the rules, procedures and governance systems of the Bank, and the rule of law, will ultimately prove that I have not violated the Code of Ethics of this extraordinary institution.
The bank’s Board of Governors cleared him of the allegations after its ethics committee looked into the matter.
Sources indicated that the news first carried by Bloomberg to the effect that the AfDB President had stepped aside for so-called “independent investigation” was false. “The Bank’s Board of Governors has not conceded to America’s demands, the source stated, adding that to do so would be to concede to the implied position that the bank’s internal structures are compromised. “The full course of the Bank’s internal framework was resorted to with the United States in tow, and the Whistleblowers’ allegations against Adesina were declared to be spurious. “Now, the three American officials involved in this show of shame have resorted to thuggery and fake news as their medium for besmearing an otherwise respected institution”.
