Edward Lamatek Adamu, Director of Human Resources, whose elevation as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was announced last Monday, faces uncertain weeks or months to get cleared by the Nigerian Senate.
He joins 41 year-old Aisha Ahmad, who was named last year by President Muhammadu Buhari. She is yet to be screened, more than three months after, as the Senate embargo on clearance of nominees has not been reversed.
Others caught in the standoff are four members of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee. They were also named last year, but are yet to be approved by the lawmakers.The nominees are: Adeola Adenikinju, Aliyu Sanusi; Robert Asogwa and Asheikh Maidugu.
The Senate suspended consideration of President Buhari’s nominees since March last year, following a resolution. It took the decision after President Buhari declined to drop Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after his confirmation was rejected twice.
The immediate victims of the decision were the 27 Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioners, nominated by the President.
The embargo remains in place, Senate President Bukola Saraki restated last week.
Senate spokesman, Sabi Abdullahi also restated it today, in the wake of the release of the judgment by a Federal High Court in Abuja, validating Senate right to reject Magu for the job.
The new CBN deputy governor nominee was appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 8(1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (Establishment) Act 2007, according to the letter dated January 26, 2018 sent to the Senate President.
Adamu, from Gombe State, replaces Mr. Sulaiman Barau, from Zaria, Kaduna State, who retired in December, 2017.
The nominee, who has spent 25 years in the CBN, was appointed in 2012 as Director of Strategy.
He became Director, Human Resources in 2016, from where he was nominated as Deputy Governor.
The CBN, according to its organogram has positions for four deputy governors: corporate services, economic policy, financial system stability and operations
In place now are Adebayo Adelabu, who was appointed in 2014 as deputy governor operations and Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna, appointed in March 2015 for financial system stability.
Aisha Ahmad was appointed by Buhari, CBN deputy governor in October 2017, she is still awaiting senate clearance and her portfolio was not stated, just like Adamu’s.
Born October 26, 1977, Mrs. Ahmad, an indigene of Niger State, was, prior to her appointment, the Executive Director (Retail Banking) at Diamond Bank Plc.