AfDB: report of the ethics committee submitted to an "independent review"

Nigerian Akinwumi AdesinaAbuja, President of the AfDB, here in July 2019, is the subject of accusations of prevarication which he defends. PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP

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This time for sure, the re-election of the Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina to the head of the African Development Bank will depend on the conclusions of an independent investigation. In a statement released late Thursday evening, the board of governors of the AfDB authorized an "independent review of the report of the ethics committee" of the Pan African bank, a report that had cleared the president of the institution of charges in early May favoritism. A case that has seen some twists and turns in recent weeks.

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Started at the beginning of the year with an internal complaint by whistleblowers, the case seemed to be buried in early May following the conclusions of the ethics committee ... These exonerated Akinwumi Adesina of the charges of prevarication, but the launchers of alert came back and demanded an independent investigation . An approach supported by pressure from Washington.

► Also listen : AfDB chief fears “social crisis” in Africa 

The board of governors, made up of three countries, struggled to reach a consensus decision. He therefore had to consult all 54 African countries and 26 non-African shareholders of the AfDB and find that there were different points of view on the case. For example, Nigeria, the institution's main contributor, supports Adesina.

The statement from the office of the Board of Governors, signed on Thursday, therefore does not speak of an independent investigation, which would suppose that the president of the Pan-African bank goes on leave, but rather of "independent review of the report of the ethics committee". In order not to shake the electoral calendar too much, the neutral personality who will soon be appointed will have 2 to 4 weeks to deliver his conclusions.

Whatever the fate of the current president of the AfDB, this case could lead to changes to the internal regulations of the Pan-African bank. The whistleblowing and grievance handling policy will be scrutinized. It may therefore be revised, suggests the office of the Board of Governors of the AfDB.

► Read also : Threatened by a new investigation, the AfDB boss says he is "innocent" 

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