PALU urges AfDB board to uphold due process

Our Reporter

The Pan African Lawyers Union, (PALU) has urged the Board of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group to demonstrate Pan Africanism and defend their internal due process mechanisms for addressing whistle blower complaints.

In a chat with select media, Palu President Emeka Obegolu encouraged the bank “not to be distracted from their focal mission which is to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent through promoting the investment of public and private capital in projects and programmes that are likely to contribute to the economic and social development of the region.”

He described as “unfortunate and regrettable,” United States’ rejection of AfDB board’s plans to end an investigation into the activities of its president, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

He said: “PALU notes that the intervention by the US Treasury, the AfDB’s biggest non-African shareholder, comes two weeks after the Ethics Committee of the Board of Directors had examined all the allegations of the whistleblower and dismissed all as baseless and unsubstantiated.

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“PALU notes, with satisfaction, that in compliance with the internal procedure and rules and regulations of the bank, the Board Chairman reviewed the Ethics Committee report and following which he concurred with the report and exonerated Dr. Adesina of all the allegations.

“PALU calls on the Board of the Bank to reject the call for an ‘independent investigation’ of the President as such is clearly outside the laid down rules, procedures and governing system of the bank and its articles as it relates to the Code of Conduct on Ethics for the President.

“PALU takes the view that it is simple adherence to global best practices in governance to uphold the rule of law and respect the governance systems of the bank. Since those processes were duly followed it is unheard of for the rules to be changed because someone does not like the outcome.

“PALU calls on all national and continental leaders in Africa to resist undue interference in the governance systems of the African development Bank, as it is an ill wind that will blow no good and is capable of derailing one of the best performing institutions on the continent.”