The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says that its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, will be unable to appear before the House of Representatives on Thursday, December 21, 2022.
The apex bank disclosed that instead, the CBN Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability, Aisha Ahmed, will lead a team of high-ranking officials of the bank to brief the house of representatives during plenary on Thursday.
This was made known in a letter signed by CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Edward Adamu, which was addressed to the House of Representatives and read by its Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, during Wednesday’s plenary.
The CBN in the letter said that Emefiele is not yet back in the country because he is attending to an official engagement and health challenges abroad.
The CBN Governor is ill
- The letter from CBN reads, “Regrettably, the governor is out of the country for official engagement as well as attending to some health challenges.
- “He is, therefore, unavailable to attend the briefing. Given the urgency associated with the briefing, a committee of governors led by Mrs. Aisha Ahmad, deputy governor, financial systems stability, is prepared to brief the house.”
Lawmakers reject the letter as Speaker appeals
The lawmakers expressed their displeasure as they responded ‘no’ to the request for the CBN Governor to be represented after the Speaker, Gbajabiamila read the letter.
However, Gbajabiamila appealed to his colleagues to put aside sentiment since the issue at stake is critical.
- The speaker said, “At this stage, while I understand the sentiment, we have to rise above certain things and not make it personal anymore, in the sense that there is a very critical issue which is the issue of this cash policy.’’
He said if the CBN governor is out of the country and attending to his health, it shouldn’t be insisted that he appear in person before the lawmakers.
Gbajabiamila said it will not serve the interest of the house and country to wait till Emefiele returns, which could be in January because “a lot would have happened by then”.
- He added, “But if he has asked somebody who is fully equipped with all the facts who can be questioned by the house, who is a deputy governor, financial systems stability, which is what this is about, I think we should hear from her.’’
Also speaking, Idris Wase, deputy speaker, said the CBN is an institution and Emefiele should be represented in the circumstance that he is unavoidably unavailable.
. Medium notes 50 20 10 cyculation🏃♂️