By Okechukwu Jombo
The South East nominee for membership of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Board of Directors, Urum Kalu Eke has rejected his appointment, while the Senate confirmed appointments of four others.
Rejection of appointment of membership of CBN Board of Directors by Urum Kalu Eke from Abia State came to the fore on Thursday during confirmation of appointments of four other nominees by the Senate.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking ,Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC Lagos East), had in report presentation for confirmation of the nominees by the Senate after screening exercise carried out on them, informed his colleagues that Mr Urum Kalu Eke didn’t attend the session.
He specifically informed the Senate that four other nominees, Mr Robert Agbede, Mr Ado Yakubu Wanka, Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi and Mrs. Muslimat Olanike Aliyu, appeared before the Committee for screening and convinced it of their suitability for the appointments.
He thereafter urged the Senate to confirm appointments of the four nominees who attended the screening session and decline that of Kalu Eke who didn’t attend the screening exercise.
But for clarity, a member of the Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC Abia North), quickly rose to inform the Senate that Urum Kalu Eke being one of his constituents, called him that he was declining the appointment to avoid conflict of interest.
According to Senator Kalu, Urum Eke, is a consultant to the World Bank and other international financial institutions which would make him not have the required time to function well, as one of the Directors of CBN.
“Mr President, I’m a member of the Committee that carried out screening on nominees forwarded to the Senate for appointment as members of Board of Directors of CBN by President Bola Tinubu.
“During the screening exercise, Urum Kalu Eke from Abia North called me for not attending the session.
“He said as a consultant to the World Bank and other international financial institutions, he wouldn’t take the appointment to avoid conflict of interest”, he added.
