The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, will not be able to appear before the House of Representatives on Thursday, December 21, 2022.
The main bank revealed that CBN Deputy Governor for Financial Systems Stability Aisha Ahmed will instead lead a team of senior bank officials to brief the house of representatives during Thursday’s plenary session.
This was announced in a letter signed by CBN Deputy Governor of Corporate Services, Edward Adamu, which was addressed to the House of Representatives and read by its Spokesperson, Femi Gbajabiamila, during Wednesday’s plenary session.
The CBN in the letter said that Emefiele is not yet back in the country because he attends an official commitment and health challenges abroad.
CBN governor is sick
- The CBN letter reads: “Unfortunately, the governor is out of the country due to official commitment and also to attend to some health problems.
- “He is therefore not available to attend the briefing. Given the urgency associated with the briefing, a committee of governors headed by Ms. Aisha Ahmad, Deputy Governor for Financial Systems Stability, is prepared to brief the chamber.”
Lawmakers reject letter as president appeals
Lawmakers expressed their dissatisfaction by saying ‘no’ to the request for the CBN Governor to be represented after the Spokesperson, Gbajabiamila, read the letter.
However, Gbajabiamila called on his colleagues to put sentiment aside as the issue at stake is critical.
- The speaker said: “At this stage, although I understand the sentiment, we have to get past certain things and not make it more personal, in the sense that there is a very critical issue that is the subject of this cash policy.’‘
He said that if the CBN governor is out of the country and taking care of his health, it should not be insisted that he appear personally before the legislators.
Gbajabiamila said that it would not serve the interests of the house and the country to wait until Emefiele returns, which could be in January because “by then a lot would have happened.”
- He added, “But if you’ve asked someone who is fully equipped with all the facts that can be questioned by the chamber, who is a lieutenant governor, stability of financial systems, what this is about, I think we should hear from her.”
Also speaking, Idris Wase, co-speaker, said that the CBN is an institution and that Emefiele should be represented in the event that he is inevitably unavailable.