Senate confirms Emefiele’s reappointment as CBN Governor, gives Shippers’ Council one week to present details of 2018 recruitment

The Senate, on Thursday, confirmed the renewal of appointment of Mr Godwin Emefiele as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, for a second term.
This followed the adoption of report of the Committee on Banking Insurance and Other Financial Institutions at plenary presided over by Senate President Bukola Saraki in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had, on May 8, written a letter to the senate on his reappointment of Emefiele for a second term of five years as CBN governor.
The Senate, on May 7, commenced legislative work on the request when Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan presented the executive communication to the lawmakers.
“I present the executive communication to the house, that the Senate do consider the request of Mr President on the renewal of the appointment of Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with Section 8(1) and (2) of the CBN Act 2007,” he said.
After it was seconded by Senator Philip Aduda (PDP-FCT), the senate president referred the executive request to the Committee on Banking and Finance for further legislative action which was to report back to within a week.
The committee had, on Wednesday, screened Emefiele, giving him a clean bill of record.
At the Thursday’s plenary, the Chairman of the committee, Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim (PDP-Kwara), presented the committee’s report before the Senate.
Reading the report, which is on item one of the Presentation and Consideration of Reports on the Order Paper, the lawmaker said: “I presented this report, that the Senate do receive and consider the report of the Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions on the appointment of Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”
He said the renewal of the appointment of the apex bank’s chief is well deserved.
He said Emefiele has maintained a stable interest rate and ensured effective management of the foreign exchange regime.
“He also initiated and established several policies and programmes which have positive effect on the economy,” he said.
After Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu) seconded the motion, the senate president put it on a voice vote and the lawmakers, without any objection, unanimously supported it.
Meanwhile, the Senate has given the Nigerian Shippers’ Council a one-week ultimatum to present details of its 2018 recruitment before it.
Sen. Ahmed Sani, Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine and Transport, gave the directive when the management of the council appeared before the committee for budget presentation in Abuja.
The resolution followed an inquiry at the meeting by Sen. Theodore Orji (PDP-Abia) on whether the council kept the committee abreast on its 2018 recruitment.
”Mr chairman, my colleagues, our guests, if you look at their executive summary, page four, item number six, it focuses on enhancement of manpower, training and development.
”I presume that this enhancement also includes that you have to employ people and train them.
”I want to know if you have been employing people on the conditions; employing them and if this committee is aware and has made any input in their employment system,” orji said.
Responding, the Executive Secretary (E.S.) of Shippers’ Council, Mr Hassan Bello, represented by Director, Strategic Planning and Research, Mr Ola Babafemi, said the 2018 budget of the organisation indicated that there would be employment in the course of that year.
”There was a differential in the number of staff that was indicated in 2017 and that of 2018.
”And the budget was passed accordingly, indicating that there is a number of staff that this distinguished committee approved for employment in the course of 2018.
”In the course of the year, there were some recruitment and the details of this is actually something I may not be able to clearly state precisely now,” he said.
The committee chairman, Sani, however, directed that the council should get the details of the employment across to the committee.
”Please, can you give us the details, let us know the number of people employed and the categories.
”We will also want to have details of the outstanding vacancies because the E.S. told us that there are outstanding positions.
”This information should be given to us in one week, by Tuesday next week,” he remarked.
Corroborating, the Vice Chairman of the committee, Sen. Suleiman Ogembe, stressed that the committee was unaware of any recruitment in the organisation.
”As an addendum to my colleague’s question, I can say categorically that this committee is not aware of any employment as of today.
”Because as vice chairman of the committee, with all due respect to the chairman, he has given me all the privilege to attend to most of these things, so no member of this committee is aware of any employment at Shippers’ Council.
”Although there was an arrangement that was done at a particular time, nothing came out of it.
”So Mr Chairman sir, I think you will need to request for the nominal roll of Shippers’ Council,” he said.
According to Ogembe, this is part of our system and part of the budget presentation.