By Tanko Mohammed
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Adesina, who arrived the State House at about 2.55p.m, was escorted to President Buhari’s office by protocol officials of the State House.
The agenda of the meeting between the president and Adesina was unknown as at the time of filing this report but pundits say it is in connection with the crisis in AfDB.
Adesina is also to strategise with the President on how he would get a re-appointment as the President of the continental bank.
President Buhari on May 7, commended Adesina over the clean bill of health given to him by the financial institution’s Board of Directors.
Buhari noted that a report dated May 5, 2020, signed by Niale Kaba, Chairman of the Bureau of the Board of Governors, indicated that Dr Adesina had been exonerated of allegations against him by whistleblowers.
The allegations were thoroughly investigated by the Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors, and a recommendation made to Governors of the African Development Bank, and African Development Fund.
“On the basis of the results contained in the report of the committee, I am of the view that we should adopt its conclusions by declaring that the President is totally exonerated of all the allegations made against him,’’ the report by Kaba indicated.
However, the U.S Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, had called for an independent probe into the allegations by a group of whistleblowers against the AfDB President.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had, in May, written a letter to some former leaders on the African continent to rally their support for Adesina, who has come under severe pressure mounted by the US government as he seeks a second term at the helm of affairs of the bank.
AfDB, a regional multilateral institution, is owned by African countries but the US is a major investor.
Nigerian and other African leaders have been rallying support for Adesina who is completing his five-year-tenure but is entitled to another term.
