‘Lagos boys’ misleading Tinubu to relocate CBN departments, FAAN – Ndume

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria are planning to move some of their departments from Abuja to Lagos, a move that has drawn criticism from Senator Ali Ndume, the Borno South Senatorial representative.

As per his statement, President Bola Tinubu is being misled into making incorrect decisions by "political cartels."

He claimed that "Lagos boys" are giving the president bad advice in the corridors of power during an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday.

"These Lagos boys, who believe that Lagos is Nigeria, are merely providing inaccurate information and advice to the President," the senator remarked.
"We will inform the President about the attempts to mislead him by those political cartels operating in the corridors of power." The president is going to do something.

"This will have political repercussions, so they are not doing Mr. President any favours," he continued.

Several departments within the CBN are slated for relocation, including the departments of Banking Supervision, Other Financial Institutions Supervision, Consumer Protection, Payment System Management, and Financial Policy Regulations.

The apex bank's relocation, according to a source who spoke with The PUNCH, is intended to free up space at its head office in the Federal Capital Territory.

FAAN further clarified that by moving, the organisation hopes to reduce resource waste and stop the deterioration of its abandoned Lagos building.

Obiageli Orah, FAAN's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, stated in a statement that "the Minister (Festus Keyamo) has decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse."

Nonetheless, Senate Chief Whip Ndume stated that there will be political repercussions from the office's move to Lagos.

The only federal capital of the United States is Abuja, he declared.

The financial institution regulators are either currently based in Abuja or are expected to be. Since Lagos is supposedly the commercial capital, do you want them to relocate back?

This is a mistake, and since it is ineffective, I'm confident that the President will fix it. No two capitals are allowed.
Will the CBN governor conduct business out of Lagos? Conversely, are you now saying that you take NNPC to South-South since most of our oil is extracted there?

Or is it that, if you take the Ministry of Agriculture anywhere in the North, Nigeria's agriculture is concentrated in the North? That is not how things operate.

Because the President is a nationalist and not just a Lagos man, he continued, "I'm very sure and confident that Mr. President will look at this situation."

Different northern stakeholders, such as the Arewa Consultative Forum, have responded differently to the development, with some opposing the decision.

The two agencies' relocations, according to the pan-northern socio-political organisation, are a calculated ploy to further underdevelop the country's north.