Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, says he is happy that Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) overcame those against his re-election.
The former Agriculture Minister won a second term in office during the Board of Governors virtual annual meeting in Abidjan on Thursday.
In July, an Independent Review Panel exonerated him of any ethical wrongdoings.
It was set up by the AfDB Bureau of Governors, following a complaint by the United States.
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The panel reviewed the process by which two previous organs of the Bank – Ethics Committee of the Board and Bureau of the Board of Governors – previously exonerated Adesina.
African former and serving leaders at different times declared support for Adesina.
“If we do not rise up and defend, this might mean the end of the AfDB, as its governance will be hijacked away from Africa”, said former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who led the charge.
In his reaction, the Ooni in a statement by his spokesman, Moses Olafare, called Adesina’s re-election a product of his good character and hard work.
“Omoluabi is the name we descendants of Oduduwa call good character and it is the same way we address people like our very unique Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. Aside from being an Omoluabi with enviable human qualities, records of the re-elected AfDB president show hard work, love for one’s country and uprightness.
“The entire Oduduwa race is indeed proud to have this gem among us; from his humble beginning as a farmer’s child to his days as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Dr. Adesina has been known as a man of due process and this dissolved the negative charges against him during his re-election bid.
“Rather than the probe work they were hired to do, both internal and external auditors at the AfDB ended up appraising the genuine son of Oduduwa for his blemish-free administration,” he said.
The monarch on behalf of the entire race of Oduduwa globally congratulated Adesina and wished him a successful tenure.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK