Meet Urum Eke Who Rejected Tinubu’s CBN Appointment

Meet Urum Eke, who declined an appointment offered by President Bola Tinubu to serve as a member of the Central Bank of Nigeria Board of Directors. Urum Eke, a consultant with the World Bank, opted out of the appointment due to concerns about potential conflicts with his current position.

President Tinubu nominated Eke, along with four others, on February 13 for confirmation as members of the CBN board. However, during the confirmation process, Senator Orji Kalu, former Governor of Abia State, revealed that Eke, his constituent, had contacted him to decline the offer, citing conflicts with his role at the World Bank.

Despite Eke's refusal, the Senate confirmed the appointment of the other four nominees to the CBN Board of Directors: Robert Agbede, Ado Yakubu Wanka, Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi, and Mrs. Muslimat Olanike Aliyu.

Here are 13 key points about Urum Eke:

• Urum Eke was born on November 20, 1964.
• He attended the Comprehensive Secondary School in Aba and Government College in Umuahia for his secondary and higher education respectively.
• Eke obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Lagos in 1985.
• He later earned a Master's in Business Administration in Projects Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in 2008.
• Eke is an Alumnus of the Lagos Business School and the Wharton Business School.
• He has been honored with Nigeria's National Order of Merit and the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.
• Eke began his career in 1986 with Deloitte Haskins & Sells International as a senior auditor until 1991.
• He served as an Executive Director at Diamond Bank Plc for 19 years from 1992 to 2011.
• Eke is a seasoned financial services expert who held the position of Group Managing Director at First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc.
• He also served as a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of FBN Limited and FBN Merchant Bank Limited.
• In 2017, Eke was appointed to the board of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (Sovereign Wealth Fund), where he served until 2021.
• He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Fairchild Group, which includes Fairchild Capital Ltd, Fairchild Base Investment Ltd, and Fairchild Ventures Ltd.
• Additionally, Eke is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre, a leading cancer treatment center in West Africa. He boasts over 35 years of experience in financial services, covering auditing, business assurance, consulting, and more.