I am saying, that a doctor who parades the number of people who died under his care cannot forward that to me as a CV for me to appoint him as a surgeon general. I just need them to take note of that. But what we do in our small places of work, whether the survival of faith, goes to our credit, or discredit, so they should take note.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole
The Senator from Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, expressed his concern about people from commercial banking backgrounds leading the Central Bank of Nigeria. He shared this view during a meeting to review the qualifications of the acting CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and his deputies: Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor, and Bala Bello.
Oshiomhole emphasized that central banking is about making policies, not making money. It’s about getting monetary policies right to achieve economic goals like creating jobs, stabilizing prices, managing interest rates, and exchange rates. He also noted that some of the candidates had managed banks that failed, which isn’t a positive aspect of their resumes.
Cardoso, who is 66 years old, has a background in banking, having worked for Chase Merchant Bank, Citi Bank of Nigeria, and Citizens International Bank. He also served as the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos State.
Another expert, Ndubisi Nwokoma, a professor at the University of Lagos, mentioned that Cardoso lacks a strong background in monetary policy but has experience in fiscal policy and the banking sector. Nwokoma believes that someone in this role should consider the broader economic picture, not just financial aspects.
In the past, former CBN governors like Godswill Emefiele and Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi also had banking backgrounds before taking on the role of CBN Governor.
