A nominee for the position of member of the Central Bank of Nigeria Board of Directors, Urum Kalu Eke, has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s appointment.
According to Eke, he was currently engaged in the World Bank.
His rejection notice was announced during plenary on Thursday when the Senate began the process for the confirmation of the nominees.
Recall that President Tinubu had on February 13, 2024 sent five names for confirmation as members of the board for the CBN.
But during the confirmation, Senator Orji Kalu told the Senate that Eke had called him on the phone to reject the offer, noting that it would conflict with his present job as a consultant with the World Bank.
“The nominee told me this role would conflict with his job as a consultant to the World Bank, Federal Government agencies and other private companies,” Kalu said.
The red chamber then proceeded to confirm the appointment of four other members of the Board of Directors of the CBN.
Those confirmed by the Senate include Robert Agbede; Ado Yakubu Wanka; Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi and Mrs. Muslimat Olanike Aliyu.
The confirmation was sequel to the consideration of a report of the screening of the nominee presented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance & Other Financial Institutions by the Chairman, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, (APC, Lagos East).
“That the Senate do receive and consider the report of on the confirmation of the nomination of the following Five (5) persons as members of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with section 6(1), (2) (d) and 10 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007,” Abiru said.
Abiru stated that Eke failed to appear before the committee for screening.