'Give me CBN, I will run it for you' - Reuben Abati jokes as financial expert says bankers must not manage CBN

Popular on-air-personality, Reuben Abati has asked to run the Central Bank of Nigeria as the apex bank is argued to have failed on its core mandate of monetary policy.

Abati, who was a leading member of the Goodluck Jonathan administration made the comment when the CEO, The CFG Advisory, Tilewa Adebajo said that it wasn't advisable for a banker to run the central bank.

Mr. Adebajo who is also an entrepreneur said Nigeria has a lot of qualified people to lead the country out of its financial doldrums.

He made the comment on Wednesday, April 26 on Arise Television Morning Show Programme when speaking on the topic "Repositioning Nigeria's economy under Tinubu".

He said: "Bankers are not supposed to be running the central bank and that is the conflict of interest we have always had as a nation."

In response, Dr. Abati quizzed: "You have an issue with a banker running the central bank?" Mr. Adebajo swiftly responded that having a banker running the central bank is like the fox guarding the chicken coup but that is something we don't see in Nigeria.

"How about journalists heading the Central Bank of Nigeria?" Dr. Abati asked further.

Meanwhile, Mr. Adebajo has said that the presidency’s request that the House approves one trillion naira to finance some of the budget deficit for the year is illegality.