Sunday 07 June

Lessons from Adesina’s trials and triumphs F or the first time in a long while, former presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr.Goodluck Jonathan as well as the current president, Muhammadu Buhari decided to pursue a common cause, irre

“ Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds’’. and went further to list his qualification was squarely based on merit. He is an internally renowned genetist who worked earlier at CIAT, Colombia one of CGIAR centres. And subsequently, as the Director at the Danforth Plant spective of political differences. They took it Science Centre, regarded as the second upon themselves, individually to throw their weight behind one man, a Nigerian who was -Albert Einstein. largest private agric research centres in the United States. recently embattled with allegations of foul play in his onerous duty to the continent and the world.

Furthermore, they deployed their vast influence to ensure that 15 other African presidents got battle ready to stand by this That was the worry.

But the relief came from the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank, Mrs. Niale Kaba who is the Cote d’Ivoire’s Minister of Finance. According to her, the fraud allegations brought

He is none other than Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, whose professional pedigree and political trajectory one has followed with close and keen interest for about two decades. He is a patriot, who one can proudly say that the God of Nigeria has adequately prepared to lead this nation to greatness. He is the current President, African Development Bank (AfDB). Before then, he was the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources under the Jonathan-led administration. Ever since, Jonathan has not hidden his immense respect for the man he considers as one of the best technocrats he has ever worked with. Even before that, he had also received accolades when he was the Vice President (Policy and Partnerships), Alliance for a Green Revolution, Africa (AGRA). It was one rude shock therefore, when the recent call for him to step aside and be investigated on ethical charges as made by a whistle blower, with the tacit support from the United States came to the public sphere. It raised some burning questions: Why must the image of one of the best minds Nigeria can offer the world be rubbished right before our eyes? Why must it be at this crucial time, when he should be ready for a second term as the president of AfDB? What are the implications for Nigeria in the comity of nations, should the masterminds and mischief makers have both their say and their way? up against Adesina have been investigated by the ethics committee and the noble Nigerian was given a clean bill of health!

AYO OYOZE BAJE

Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘Drumbeats of Democracy’ same man. They knew that his traducers had something up their sleeves. They smelt a rat! Unperturbed, they rallied round him and he did not disappoint them as he was eventually cleared of all the allegations. So, who could this man be?

It would be recalled that the first time Nigeria made an attempt at the presidency of AfDB through one of its Vice Presidents, Dr. Bisi Ogunjobi, that ambition was cut short by the same America! The exercise was inconclusive, right there in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. It was that sordid and scandalous stalemate that paved the way for the emergence of Rwanda’s Dr. Donald Kaberuka. It was after his two terms that Dr. Adesina took a wellaimed shot at the plum post and succeeded.

It is worthy of note that Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Nigeria’s Finance Minister and a member of the Board of AfDB had written a letter to the Chairman, warning that any other probe outside that known to the establishment was unacceptable to the country. But let us take a closer look at the defence made by Adesina in response to the allegations on appointments.

On the appointment of Mrs. Chinelo–Anohu Amazu he said: ‘’She was recruited through a globally advertised and competitive recruitment process. The search process was carried out by a top-notch external recruitment firm Russel Reynolds of the U.K. She was one of the two candidates (women) recommended to me as president to consider for appointment by the panel. But I can state it categorically that the allegations made against her are untrue and defamatory.’’

In a similar vein, on the appointment of Mr. Martin Fregene, he debunked the erroneous allegation that he is his brother-in-law their own Chief of Staff.”

He also dismissed the allegation of the appointment and promotion of Mrs. Maria Mulundi, who according to him was part of his transition management. And in his words, “all Presidents of the Bank are allowed to bring in and appoint

Furthermore, on the allegation that the TAAT programme was mismanaged, he cleared the air. ‘’TAAT is an initiative of the Bank developed to help take agricultural technologies to the scale of millions of farmers across Africa,” he said. He admitted that though ‘’some mistakes were made in the procurement process and the issue was being investigated,’’ he noted that ‘’the bank does not get involved in contractual issues’’.

And on the querulous issue of one Mr. Ezinwa, a Nigerian accused of sexually molesting a colleague during the probation period and yet getting his contract confirmed, he said that as the President of AfDB he does not know the person so accused and does not get involved in the appraisal done by the Vice President. Besides, the HR Director, David Ssegawa evaluated the allegation and the accused was absolved of any criminal act.

Also, on the laughable accusation that he, Adesina introduced a Nigerian Country Directorate, he reminded his haters that the decision was taken and the implementation began under his predecessor, Dr.Kaberuka. But they were not done with him just yet.

They came up with a more ridiculous accusation that the costs of the prestigious international awards he won were borne by AfDB. He had to tell them the truth and in the process brought out the rare gem in him. Said he: ‘’I received the World Food Prize ($250,000) and the Sunhak Peace Prize ($500,000) in recognition of a life of accomplishments in the field of agriculture. “Although they were individual prizes, they brought great credit and prestige to the AfDB. I brought further credit to myself and the bank by donating these two cash awards for the establishment of the World Hunger Fighters Foundation.’’ Interestingly, these currently fund the Borlaug Adesina Fellows Fellowship for young African Agribusiness Innovators.

It should be noted that the bank, established in September, 1964 is owned by 81 countries, 27 of which are outside Africa. The membership is global. The ownership structure is 60percent African and 40percent non-African. Nigeria, with 9.28percent share is the highest shareholder in AfDB. USA has 6.563percent, Japan 5.494percent and Egypt 5.379percent.

The hard lessons to learn include the fact that Africa should never allow to be dictated to by the US or any other country for that matter, when it comes to internal issues such as that of AfDB. Given the shoddy handling of COVID-19 pandemic and that of the brutal killing of George Floyd, the Donald Trump-led US should realise that the time for throwing herself about as the policeman of the world has come to a halt.

On a personal level, it always pays to be the best at one’s professional calling and exhibit integrity in policies and processes, no matter the odds. That is what Dr. Adesina has come to represent in and outside Nigeria and should serve as a lasting lesson for all.

IKEDDY ISIGUZO

.Isiguzo is a major commentator on minor national issues I f retired Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar had been following the precedents of President Muhammadu Buhari, he would not have invested 1,533 words – excluding the salutations - in convincing the President that he was headed in the wrong direction. The President is cocksure about his divine mission to rescue Nigeria and he would not be deterred by the likes of Col. Umar whose idea of Nigeria does not align with the President’s.

Umar started his annoyingly-written letter with a Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio quote that should upset the President of a most peaceful Nigeria. “One of the swiftest ways of destroying a Kingdom is to give preference of one particular tribe over another or show favour to one group of people rather than another. And to draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should

Major reasons President Buhari will not read Col. Umar’s letter

be drawn near.” What was the purpose of this quote?

The President is in his fifth year of unleashing unprecedented changes on Nigeria. Celebrations are all over the land. Drums are pelting sounds of our happiness over the great progress that our country has made in these five years. Our people have never known a better time than in the last five years. All that Umar hears are sounds of war. Was he not an armoured officer? Must he blame Buhari for what he chooses to hear? If Umar did not set out to annoy the President, knowing he was “neither a rabid supporter nor a fanatical opponent of yours,” why did he tell the President things his rabid supporters would not tell him? He claims he is exercising his rights as a citizen of Nigeria. Is he the only citizen?

The thrust of the Umar interruption is the lopsided appointments that Buhari has justified since 2015 with the explanations that he would appoint those who voted for him. He told an international audience so in 2015. Being a man of his words, Buhari has not relented in making appointments that would ensure he kept his words.

Umar in one line calls Buhari a man of integrity. In the next line he suggests that Buhari should compromise by making appointments to reflect constitutional provisions? Is he unaware of Buhari’s aversion to the Constitution, and his complaints about the strictures they have imposed on him? Umar is concerned the about composition of the security agencies and judiciary as key examples of the President’s lopsided appointments. He had examples of Nigeria of yore:

In February 1965, the Federal Government had to appoint the first Nigerian Army General Officer Commanding, GOC. Four most senior officers were nominated - Brigadiers Aguiyi Ironsi, Ogundipe, Ademulegun and Maimalari. The first three were senior to Maimalari but he was deemed to be more qualified as he was the first Sandhurst regular trained officer in the Nigerian Army. Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu and the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, both Northerners, and Muslims like Maimalari chose Ironsi, a Christian Igbo.

On 13 February 1976, the Commander-in-Chief, General Murtala Muhammed, was assassinated in a failed coup. General Olusegun Obasanjo, his deputy, and the most senior officer at the time, was sworn in as his successor. The Chief of Army Staff, General T.Y Danjuma, a Northern Christian, was next in line to succeed Obasanjo as the Chief of Staff, SHQ and Deputy Commander in Chief. General Danjuma waived his right to a much junior officer, LtCol. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who got double promotion to Brigadier and was appointed Chief of Staff SHQ and Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Lt-Col. Muhammadu Buhari was appointed Minister of Petroleum.

Both the Chief of Staff, Mr. Sunday Awoniyi, and the Personal Physician Dr. Ishaya Audu to the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, a direct descendant of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio, were Christians.

In 1979, nine years after the Civil War, President Alhaji Shehu Shagari picked an Igbo, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, as his running mate. They enjoyed a truly brotherly relationship as President and Vice President. Shagari’s Political Adviser, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo and National Assembly Liaison Assistant, Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe, were both Igbos. His Economic Adviser, Prof. Emmanuel Edozien and his Chief of Personnel Staff, Dr. Michael Prest, were of Niger Delta extraction. Remarkably, all his military service chiefs were Christians with the exception of his last Chief of Army Staff, General Inuwa Wushishi under whose tenure Shagari was removed in a military coup.

Umar expected the President to follow the same examples. His concerns are that Buhari’s appointments were not in the interest of the country. He had at a press briefing, after the President won a second term early last year, spoken of the need for

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