CBN Board: S’East nominee rejects appointment

One of the five nominees by President Bola Tinubu for appointment as members of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Urum Kalu-Eke, has declined the appointment.

This is even as the Senate confirmed four other nominees for appointment as members of the Board of Directors of the CBN.

Those confirmed by the Senate on Thursday were Mr Robert Agbide, Mr Ado Yakubu Wanka, Prof Murtala Sabo Sagagi, and Mrs Muslimat Olanike Aliyu.

President Tinubu had forwarded the names of Kalu-Eke and four others to the Senate for confirmation.

Kalu-Eke was said to have shunned the screening conducted by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions.

The action of Kalu-Eke was made public on Thursday as the Senate considered the report of the committee, which is chaired by Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC – Lagos-East).

Abiru, while recommending the remaining four nominees for confirmation by the Senate, said Kalu-Eke failed to appear before the committee for screening.

“The nominee did not appear before the committee for screening. Therefore, the committee can’t recommend him for confirmation,” Abiru told the Senate, presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin.

In reaction to the development, a former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu explained to his colleagues that the nominee, who is a member of his constituency, that he (Kalu-Eke) called him to say that he was engaged and consulting for some public and private bodies within and outside the country.

He said he felt accepting to serve on the board of the CBN would be “conflicting” with the current work he was involved with.

Kalu-Eke, 60, is a former Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings, serving until December 2021. He had previously served as an executive director with First Bank.

Kalu-Eke also worked with Diamond Bank Plc and Deloitte Haskins & Sells International.

.Nation