Why south east nominee for CBN board rejected appointment – Orji Uzor Kalu

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  Thursday during confirmation of appointments of four other nominees by the Senate.

The chairman of 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 urged the Senate to confirm appointments of the four nominees who attended the screening session and decline that of Eke who didn’t attend.

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 .

Senator Kalu  said 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.