President Trump should call America's reps at AfDB to order- HURIWA

The civil rights advocacy group, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has confirmed that the entire body of the organised civil Rights community in Nigeria have passed a vote of confidence on the President of the African Development Bank Dr. Akinwumi Adesina just as the group has resolved to send a powerful letter of protest to the President of the United States of America Mr. Donald Trump to call his Treasury Secretary to order so as to stop the attempt to destabilise the beloved funding institution of all of Africa.

HURIWA has therefore objected to the insistence of the US Treasury department that the current President of the African Development Bank Dr Akinwumi Adesina should be investigated by the so called external examiners when in actual fact the Ethics committee of the bank which is headed by a Japanese had already granted a clean bill of health to the performing President of the African Development Bank who is the sole candidate for the Presidency of the Bank for another five years.

The human rights organisation reminded President Donald Trump that as the President of the United States of America he had to subject himself to the internal mechanisms of scrutiny within the Congress when the matter of his impeachment by the congress dominated by the Democrats in the House successfully impeached him but he couldn't be removed because the internal mechanisms within the Senate was deployed including the refusal to entertain further witnesses through a democratic voting system which dismissed the allegations of impeachable offences against President Donald Trump.

HURIWA therefore wondered that if external panel of independent investigators were not constituted to try President Donald Trump how come the Treasury Secretary in his cabinet who is determined to scuttle the growth and advancement of the African Development Bank be seen asking that the President of the African Development Bank who was subjected to all the internal investigative mechanisms of the institution but was democratically declared innocent be again subjected to another round of investigations by outsiders as against the established traditions of the African Development Bank? This will be tantamount to Double jeopardy if allowed.

"HURIWA is therefore calling on the United States of America government to call its Executive Director at the African Development Bank, Stephen Dowd to order. Because as we gathered from intelligence, informed sources have linked the Executive Director to allegations leveled against Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. It appears that he is on a personal mission to bring down the Bank, thereby exposing the United States to public ridicule and hurting American interest in Africa. We hope that this is not an agenda from the White House but from individuals with clandestine agenda that is unfavourable to Africa".

HURIWA stated that the Executive Director's latest mission is to discredit the candidacy of President Adesina for re-election in August and is stopping at nothing in his quest.

"HURIWA was told that the U.S representative has never hidden his personal hatred and dislike for Adesina's dogged determination to refocus Africa's premier financial institution. He appears to prefer a puppet he can control and twist as he likes. We were under the impression he was sent to champion the U.S. progressive interest and strengthen American engagement in Africa. U.S. should perhaps reconsider his nomination into the Board of AfDB."

HURIWA hereby states that these futile attempts to discredit Adesina with frivolous allegations about his style of governance have already been put to bed by the Ethics Committee of the Bank, comprising of Executive Directors from all 81 shareholding countries. Despite this, the United States ED at the Bank is calling for an independent probe, something unheard of in the history of multilateral banks. This detracts from the strong corporate governance structure that African Heads of State established at the African Development Bank. Does ED Down plan to pitch the U.S. against Africa?

We vehemently frown upon attempts to mislead and arm-twist the Treasury Secretary of the United States to discredit the internal governance system put in place by the founders of the Bank. By misleading the Treasury into his personal battle, the U.S. ED has displayed desperation and confirmed the popular believe that he was indeed the unseen hand in the petitions against President Adesina."

HURIWA affirmed that there are empirical data that have shown that the Bank has done tremendously well under President Adesina since he assumed office in 2015. It must be restated that it was in recognition of this sterling stewardship, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States have unanimously endorsed Adesina for a second term in office. Why is Dowd bent on pitching the U.S against Africa?

HURIWA believes that as COVID-19 ravages economies, the US government has many countries looking up to the U.S. to provide leadership in finding a cure, and remain a global power.

"This is not the time for America to allow its name to be dragged in the mud by its seemingly overzealous representative on the board of a critical institution as the African Development Bank. Dowd has misled the U.S government and should be recalled", HURIWA affirmed.