President Muhammadu Buhari has received the newly re-elected President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, September 10.
He seized the opportunity of the visit to once again congratulate Adesina and expressed confidence in bank’s President ability to do more for the continent in his second term.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement titled “President Buhari receives AfDB President, Akinwunmi Adesina, tells him ‘nothing succeeds like success’.”
MDB reported that on August 27, Adesina was re-elected as AfDB for a second five-year term. The election took place electronically on Thursday at the virtual annual general meeting of the bank.
The presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina quoted Buhari as saying;
I CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR SECOND AND FINAL TERM IN OFFICE. CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THE ELECTION. NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS. I HAVE TOLD SO MANY PEOPLE WHY I BACKED YOU.
IN 2015, AT YOUR FIRST TERM, YOU WERE A MINISTER WITH THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY GOVERNMENT, AND I WAS OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS. BUT YOU ARE A GOOD NIGERIAN. SO, I RECOMMENDED YOU THE FIRST TIME. YOU PROVED TO BE COMPETENT, YOU MADE US PROUD, AND I RECOMMENDED YOU THE SECOND TIME.
The President commended Adesina for his support for Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular, stressing that the infrastructural deficits the country like roads, rail, and power, could not be overcome without support.
Buhari added;
THERE CAN’T BE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT INFRASTRUCTURE. OUR EFFORTS SHOULD BE SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF LACK OF RESOURCES, BUT YOU DO YOUR BEST TO SUPPORT US. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR FINAL TERM.
The AfDB President thanked President Buhari and every other Nigerian for their support, saying he is proud to be a citizen of the country.
He stated;
HOME IS WHERE DREAMS ARE BORN. HOME IS WHERE NURTURING IS PROVIDED. IT IS WHERE SUPPORT IS GIVEN FOR REALISATION OF DREAMS. I AM GLAD TO BELONG HERE.
WHEN I CAME IN JUNE, YOU RECEIVED ME, AND I SHARED MY SUCCESSES, AND THE DIFFICULTIES FACING ME. YOU LISTENED, AND SAID YOU WOULD STAND BY ME. AND YOU DID. YOU NOT ONLY STOOD BEHIND ME, BUT ALSO BESIDE ME. NO GREATER HONOUR FOR A MAN THAN FOR HIS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TO BE HIS SUPPORTER-IN-CHIEF, AND HIS DEFENDER-IN-CHIEF.
Adesina said Nigeria gave him air, “when I badly needed it in my lungs,” and pledged to always support the country in his private capacity, and as AfDB President.