‘Overrepresentation of Nigerians’ at AfDB and all you need to know about whistleblowers’ accusations against Akinwumi Adesina
Since the beginning of the year, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the first Nigerian to hold the office, has become engulfed in a wave of controversies at the pan-African institution.
A group of anonymous employees questioning the integrity of AfDB’s management under his leadership filed a petition against him before the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Office (PIAC) on January 19, 2020. The controversy became heightened in April when the group which described itself as “concerned staff members” went to public with their grievances (16 in the English version and several dozen in the French version) against Adesina.
The long list of accusations by the faceless group of employees have been causing ripples in the pan-African institution since April. After an investigation, the institution’s Ethics committee, however, cleared Adesina of any wrongdoing. The storm against Adesina’s presidency which ends this month took a dramatic turn this week when the United States called for an independent probe of the allegations.
The accusations against Adesina:
Adesina, who was elected as the 8th President of the AfDB on May 28, 2015, succeeded Donald Kaberuka of Rwanda, and assumed duty on September 1, 2015 in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire. His first term of five years ends this month and is due for another election this month. The election has, however, been postponed till August.
The group addressed documents (seen by Jeune Afrique, The Africa Report and Le Monde) to the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption (PIAC) and to the presidents of the Ethics Committee and Audit and Finance Committee which contained “various cases of alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct” against the Nigeria’s former Agriculture Minister. Atop the list of the series of accusations against Adesina is ‘questionable’ appointments and approval of several contracts supposedly in violation of the AfDB’s statutory and ethical rules.
The group alleged that since Adesina became AfDB’s president, Nigeria which is the highest shareholder in the bank have been overrepresented and now occupy top executive. The group wrote: “Certainly, Nigeria is the AfDB’s largest shareholder, with a little over 9% of the capital, but could that explain why Mr Adesina hires one Nigerian after another to leadership positions at the AfDB?”
In a statement on Wednesday, Adesina described the allegations against him as “trumped-up” and said he has confidence in the processes and governance procedures of the bank.
According to The Africa Report, as of mid-March 2020, one of the AfDB’s seven vice presidents was Nigerian (Wale Shonibare, Acting Director of Energy), while four other nationals or dual nationals hold top positions, they include – Victor Oladokun, the Director of Communication and External Relations (retired on March 31), Vincent Nmehielle (Secretary General, who also has South African citizenship), Chinelo Anohu (Senior Director of the Africa Forum Investment) and Chukwuma Okonkwo (Auditor General).
Comparing the figure with what was obtainable under Adesina’s predecessor Donald Kaberuka from Rwanda, number of Rwandans employed by the AfDB increased to 28 between 2009 and 2015.
Aside from alleged favouritism in promotions and appointments of top level staff, Adesina was also accused of “unusual managerial style”, the “dominance of impunity and nepotism”, the “chaotic management of human resources” and the “financial waste and lack of budgetary discipline”.
The accusers also alleged that two deals which were valued at “more than $18m”, and awarded by the Statistics Department to two information processing experts (in New York and Russia), were “fraudulently awarded” based on “fraud investigations and internal audits” which established “the guilt” of one of the bank’s top officials in 2016.
The whistleblowers also mentioned a negotiated contract valued at $5.46m awarded by a Nigerian organisation dedicated to agriculture and financed by a donation from the AfDB, whose stipulations prohibit awarding contracts under such conditions. The ‘anonymous staff members’ also accused the AfDB president of having direct family relationship with one of the organisation’s Nigerian managers.
The ethics committee investigated Adesina over the flurry of allegations and two weeks ago it cleared him after finding no evidence to support allegations against him. The U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has, however, rejected the committee’s report exonerating Adesina, and called for an independent probe into the allegations.
In a letter dated May 22 and addressed to Niale Kaba, chairwoman of the bank’s board of governors, Mnuchin said “We have deep reservations about the integrity of the committee’s process. Instead, we urge you to initiate an in-depth investigation of the allegations using the services of an independent outside investigator of high professional standing.”
According to the AfDB’s website, the U.S., with 6.5% stake, is the second largest shareholder in AfDB after Nigeria and it is also the largest shareholders outside Africa.
The position of the U.S may not be unconnected with reports that the heat against Adesina is a Franco-American (France and U.S) conspiracy to kick him out of the organisation ahead of his re-election and pave a way for a French candidate.
He is presently the sole candidate running for the AfDB presidency and would need to garner more than five ballots to be declared winner for a second term of five years. If he does not succeed, his candidacy will be invalid and he will not be able to run, he won with six ballots in 2015.
According to the Jeune Afrique, the French have been nursing grievances against Adesina since his emergence in 2015. A report issued in July 2016 by the French Treasury in Paris was said to have lamented that “the AfDB’s new president (Adesina) very seldom speaks in French, and uses the language rarely, if at all, when talking about strategic or financial matters”. But Adesina speaks French fluently and also conducts press conferences in the language, the news platform reports.
Adesina on Wednesday said he maintains his innocence with regard to trumped-up allegations that unjustly seek to impugn his honour and integrity, as well as the reputation of the AfDB.
“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,” Adesina said.
Some Nigerians are, however, calling on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the crisis threatening Adesina’s second term bid.
A former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Junior, who called on the federal government to protect Adesina’s candidacy, said losing the AfDB Presidency will deal a blow to what’s left of Nigeria’s global standing.
“The documented point by point response of @akin_adesina is public and free of frivolities. The position of the bullish shareholder is consistent with their self-appointed global policeman role – their own way is the only way, irrespective of cost to the rest of the world,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Global geopolitics is brutal. Continental blocks and countries act in self-interest always, for immediate or future benefit. Losing the AfDB Presidency will deal a blow to what’s left of Nigeria’s global standing. FGN must act to protect Adesina’s candidacy.”
A former Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Arunma Oteh, described Adesina as a man of integrity who remains the best to lead the AfDB for another term.
She tweeted: “Akin Adesina, President of AfDB Group is a man of integrity and a great leader. He remains the best man to lead Africa’s great institution for the next 5 years. I was AfDB Staff for 17 years – loan officer for North & West Africa – Treasurer and Group VP.”
Managing Partner/CEO of Saana Capital, Dr Aloy Chife tweeted: “I believe an internal investigation was completed and the ADC Board cleared him of all charges…Let’s all encourage the government to throw its weight behind him, he is the most qualified for the job”.
