AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina under fire over comments on Gowon’s looting allegation

President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina has become the latest victim of Twitter Backlash following his comments on the bubbling former head of state, Yakubu Gowon’s corruption allegation.

A member of the United Kingdom Parliament, Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge and Malling) had earlier this week noted that Gowon carted away with half of the Central Bank of Nigeria during his time as the nation’s leader.

Tugendhat said “Some people will remember when General Gowon left Nigeria with half the Central Bank and moved to London”. Gowon was Nigeria’s Head of State from 1966 to 1975.

The development has formed a debacle in the public domain.

In his reaction on Twitter, Akinwumi Adesina wrote “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”.

Following his comment, some Nigerians have taken to social media to lampoon him. Below are some reactions to Adesina’s post:

@henryshield I wish you hadn’t made this tweet. The General has enough resources to publicly refute the allegation and even sue the MP if he’s being accused falsely. It’s going to 72hours and not a word from him? This tweet shouldn’t come from you, sir.

@AfamDeluxo How can you tag Gowon a decent man? Someone that is a war criminal? Someone that is responsible for the massacre of 3m Igbos. What about Asaba massacre? This same disgusting, filthy man waited for his Igbo girlfriend to land Germany b4 invading Biafra. Let him sue UK na. Tsew!

@ronaldnzimora No one is publicly calling Adolf Hitler “a man of great honour, decency, honesty, amazing simplicity, humility and integrity”. @akin_adesina is whitewashing a man who committed crimes at the same levels sans gas chambers, but with bullets and starvation of defenceless people.

@iZeuscious A man with great honour, decency, honesty, amazing simplicity, humility and integrity killed 3 million Nigerians. A man who couldn’t honour aburi accord instead he killed 3 million Nigerians. Sir, please with all due respect go and sleep we know our history.

@Editan_1 Southerners Predominantly Westerners are just bunch of Adesina’s and Micheal Akanji’s …Covering up the truth for ungodly Reasons…why not let north fight for their Own.. Gowon Will Face it now or Later the aburi Accord he could not Honor. Useless set of Heroes past..Tueh!!

@ObasiFoundation A war criminal who masterminded the genocide of over 4m defenceless men, women & children, reneged on the Aburi accord, involved in d Malaria Global Fund Fraud & now CBN Looting is who u described as honest, integrity etc? In saner climes he shud be in @IntlCrimCourt Shameless

@IheatuJ you were very quiet during #EndSARS but suddenly you care about the reputation of an old man who couldn’t honor the Aburi Accord and killed over 3 million of my people during the war. fuck you @akin_adesina

@obi_Nwosu Dear flamboyant Akin Adesina, most of the 2-3 million Igbo children who died during that war would have been your age mates today. It is easy for you say this about Gowon today. You lived they did not

@firstladyship Akin Adesina is now Yakubu Gowon’s mouthpiece. These old people will never learn. There is no misinformation here. Gowon is many things but honest. He is the war criminal who renegaded on Aburi Accord, killed 3m Igbos, starved children to death. Gowon & his ilk will burn in HELL.

@DaveTorty A Hero that was ousted out of power for corruption, a decent, honest and man of integrity but he renege on Aburi accord, A Great and admirable statesman but he saw the killings of over 3M Biafrans. This is a typical Nigerian Hero, shame on you @akin_adesina for tweeting this.

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