TheCable

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), says Yakubu Gowon, a former military head of state, is a man of great honour and decency.

In recent days, Gowon has been in the news over the allegation that he looted half of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when he was in office.

The former military head of state ruled between 1966 and 1975.

Tom Tugendhat, a member of the United Kingdom parliament, had referenced an allegation that Gowon looted Nigeria’s treasury while in office.

Speaking at the UK parliament committee debate on a petition on the #EndSARS crisis, Tugendhat asked the UK to call out corruption and use its powers to stop those who steal Nigeria’s wealth and stash them away in foreign countries.

“Some people will remember when General Gowon left Nigeria with half of the Central Bank, so it is said, and moved to London,” he said.

Reacting in a tweet on Thursday, Adesina said Nigerians should beware of misinformation.

He described Gowon as a “great and admirable elder statesman of Nigeria”, adding that his “honesty and integrity are impeccable”.

“Be careful of misinformation! H.E. General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former Head of State, is a man of great honour, decency, honesty, amazing simplicity, humility and integrity. I know him. A great and admirable elder statesman of Nigeria. His honesty and integrity are impeccable,” he tweeted.

Be careful of misinformation! H.E. General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former Head of State, is a man of great honour, decency, honesty, amazing simplicity, humility and integrity. I know him. A great and admirable elder statesman of Nigeria. His honesty and integrity are impeccable. pic.twitter.com/YznYN873qH

— Akinwumi A. Adesina (@akin_adesina) November 26, 2020

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Gowon also dismissed the allegation, describing it as “rubbish”.