There will be consequences: Ndume tells Tinubu on relocation of FAAN, CBN headquarters to Lagos
According to Ali Ndume, the Senate’s chief whip, relocating some Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters to Lagos will have political ramifications.
In an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Ndume claimed that “political cartels” are misguiding Tinubu into making poor decisions.
CBN has announced the relocation of some of its departments from Abuja to Lagos.
Similarly, FAAN has announced the move of its headquarters from Abuja to Lagos.
The development drew a variety of reactions, with northern groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) opposing the decision.
Speaking about the relocation, Ndume stated that people who made the decisions still regard Lagos to be Nigeria’s capital, and that the country cannot have two capitals.
The Borno senator said that if the goal is to decongest Abuja offices, the relocation should take place in states bordering Abuja rather than Lagos.
He claimed the decision is taking on a tribal, clannish tone, and that the president is being misled by “Lagos boys” in the corridors of power.
“All these Lagos boys who are thinking that Lagos is Nigeria are just misinforming and advising the president wrongly,” the senator said.
“The regulators of the financial institutions are supposed to be or are in Abuja.
“Do you now say that because the majority of our oil is extracted from south-south, you take NNPC to south-south? It does not work that way.”
Ndume said he believes that President Bola Tinubu will reverse the decisions as a “nationalist and not just a Lagos man”.
He added that those behind the decisions do not have the president’s interest at heart.
“I’m very sure and confident that Mr. President will look at this situation because he is a nationalist and not just a Lagos man,” he added.
“Those political cartels that are in the corridors of power are trying to misinform the president and we will tell the president. The president will take action.
“They are not doing any favour to my president because this will have political consequences.”