The President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s decision to move the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s important offices to Lagos has been denounced by the pan-northern socio-political organization Arewa Consultative Forum.
The ACF claims that the two agencies’ relocations are a calculated plan to further underdevelop the nation’s north.
Citing traffic at the Abuja headquarters, it was alleged that the CBN last week revealed plans to move some of its departments to Lagos State in an internal memo.
This is to inform every employee at the CBN Head Office that we have started an action plan for decongestion, which is intended to improve the bank’s working environment.
The CBN memo stated, “This initiative aims to enhance the efficient utilization of our office space and ensure compliance with building safety standards.”
The Federal Government also declared that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria will be moving its headquarters from Abuja to Lagos.
In a memo signed by FAAN’s Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, and dated January 15, 2024, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo formally confirmed the transfer.
Nonetheless, the ACF objected to the two federal agencies’ proposed moves from Abuja to Lagos in a statement released in Kaduna on Sunday through Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, its National Publicity Secretary.
“Planned relocation of key CBN units and FAAN headquarters to Lagos deliberate ploy to further underdevelop northern Nigeria” was the title of the statement.
The ACF argued that the agencies’ intended relocation was done in bad faith.
Furthermore, the ACF spokesman stated that “just eight of 40 directors recently appointed are from the North!” Another criticism leveled by the northern elders was directed towards the Ministry of Aviation.
“The ACF requests that the National Assembly and the Federal Government of Nigeria urge such agencies to reverse their course and use other sincere methods to alleviate the purported overcrowding in offices.
“The Federal Capital Territory has sufficient of land for the construction of offices and other infrastructure amenities, and such reasons should not be exploited to disguise malevolent motivations in contrast to the situation in Lagos.
The ACF said, “The ACF wishes to remind all concerned that the Federal Republic’s capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja decades ago for reasons that remain valid and are constitutionally even more so today, although, of course, a section of the country never liked the decision.”
Sidi Ali, the CBN spokeswoman, was not available for comment over the phone on Sunday.
“Contrary to the ACF statement, the relocation of CBN departments to Lagos is not politically motivated, nor is it a ploy to underdevelop the North,” stated an apex bank official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk on the subject. The choice is solely practical.
