The Senator for Borno South, Ali Ndume, has opposed a proposal to move some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria from Abuja to Lagos.
The Lagos State Governor is being misdirected by political cartels, who are influencing President Tinubu to take non-viable decisions; this was what Ndume told Channels Television on Tuesday as he claimed that Lagos boys in power are giving bad advice to the president.
These include Payment System Management Department, Banking Supervision, Financial Policy Regulations Department, Other Financial Institutions Supervision and Consumer Protection Department
Reports also noted that the bank is relocating these departments so as to decongest its office in the nation’s capital city.
FAAN also said it will minimize public funds wastage and save its unused building in Lagos from decay
Ndume who equally doubles as Senate Chief Whip warned against possible political implications if the office would be moved down to Lagos.
In his words, “All these Lagos boys who are thinking that Lagos is Nigeria are just not making sense and giving the President wrong advice. Those political cartels that were in the corridors of power are also misleading the President by providing untrue information to him and we will inform Mr. President.
“The president will take action. This won’t be because they are doing any favor to Mr. President, it will have political consequences.
“There is just one Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; there cannot be two of them.
“The regulators of the financia institutions should either be or are in Abuja. Are you saying that they should go back because you say Lagos is commercial capital?
“This is one of those mistakes which I am sure Mr. President would reverse it since it doesn’t work.you can’t have two capitals.”
The response has been varied with some northern groups like Arewa Consultative Forum condemning the decision.
The socio-political group for all Northerners alleged that the shift to relocate headquarters was a well-orchestrated plan aimed at further marginalization in Northern parts of Nigeria.“