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Urum Eke, known for his advisory expertise sought after by entities such as the World Bank and other international financial institutions, opted out of his nomination to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest.
Urum Eke, nominated by President Bola Tinubu to serve as the representative for the South-east zone on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) board, has opted to reject the nomination, prioritizing ethical considerations.
Senator Orji Kalu of Abia North constituency made the announcement of the rejection on Thursday during the Senate’s plenary session.
Originally from Abia State, Mr. Eke, a consultant with ties to the World Bank, was among the nominees, including four others, selected by President Tinubu earlier this month to join the CBN board of directors.
Joining Mr. Eke are Robert Agbide, Ado Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Muslimat Aliu, whose names were forwarded by the president to the upper chamber for the necessary screening and confirmation processes.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance and other Financial Institutions, Adetokunbo Abiru, had earlier complained that the South-east nominee was absent for screening.
During his presentation of the screening report to the Senate, Mr. Abiru emphasized the professional qualifications of the other four nominees who participated in the screening process.
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The senator implored his fellow colleagues to approve the appointments of the nominees while advocating for the rejection of the South-east nominee’s confirmation due to their absence during the screening process.
In his communication to the Senate, Mr. Kalu relayed that the South-east nominee had informed him of their refusal to accept the nomination, citing concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
The senator from Abia expressed that Mr. Eke’s consultancy commitments with the World Bank and other international financial institutions would hinder his ability to fully dedicate himself to the appointment.
“Mr President, I am a member of the committee that carried out screening of 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 (and) he wouldn’t take the appointment to avoid conflict of interest ”
Subsequently, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibirin, who chaired the plenary session, announced the confirmation of the appointments of the other four nominees.
