Urum Kalu Eke from Abia State has rejected his nomination by President Bola Tinubu for appointment as a member of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, announced the rejection of the appointment on the floor of the Senate during plenary on Thursday, and he was therefore not cleared by the committee after failing to appear before it for screening.

According to the former Abia governor, the absent nominee who is his constituent and was meant to represent the South-East zone on the board, had reached him on phone to reject the offer as it would conflict with his present job as a consultant with the World Bank.

The Senate, therefore, confirmed the appointment of four other members of the CBN board of directors namely: Robert Agbede; Ado Yakubu Wanka; Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi and Muslimat Olanike Aliyu.

The confirmation was in consideration of a report of the screening of the nominee presented by the chairman, Senate committee on banking, insurance and other financial institutions, 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,” Mr Kalu said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had, during plenary last week, read a letter sent to the Upper House from the president, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of five persons appointed as CBN directors of the board.