Dr Yemi Cardoso, the newly appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has promised Nigerians that he will not allow the apex bank to be controlled or influenced by politicians during his tenure.
On Tuesday, during his screening by the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Cardoso and four other nominees selected by President Bola Tinubu to occupy principal offices of the apex bank appeared before the Red Chamber.
In response to a question posed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Cardoso stated that he and his deputies would not be distracted by politicians while fulfilling their obligations to the country. He emphasized that the position of the CBN governor is one of trust and they must be committed to upholding this trust.
Overall, Dr Cardoso conveyed his determination to ensure that the CBN remains independent and serves the country with integrity.
“With that comes a huge responsibility to meet up with that trust. I know that a lot of time and effort has gone into choosing the people who are standing here for nomination today.
“As far as I am concerned, under my leadership, we will not be hijacked by anybody. The idea is to ensure that we do what is right, when it is right, and how it is right. We’ve seen what the effect of not doing right has been, and we do not intend for that to be repeated.”
The Senate confirmed Cardoso as the CBN governor on the floor of the country’s upper legislative arm.
Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro, Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, and Dr. Bala M. Bello were also confirmed as the deputies of the CBN governor.
There are allegations that politicians had undue influence on Godwin Emefiele, Cardoso’s predecessor.