Relocation of CBN, FAAN to Lagos: Ndume spoke for himself, not Senate, says Kogi Senator

By Iyojo Ameh

Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi Wednesday described Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s views opposing the planned relocation of some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos as “Personal and does not in any way represent a position taken by the Senate.

Karimi, who stated this in Abuja insisted that it was needless attaching ethnic or petty sentiments to the relocation of the offices, which he said, was done for cohesion and better delivery of services.

Recall that Ndume, in a Channels Television interview on Tuesday, warned President Tinubu that there would be political consequences for his action, alleging that the president was being misled by a cartel of ‘Lagos Boys.

Ndume had said “Some of them think that they know better than everybody. But, they don’t know anything.

“When you don’t know Nigeria, you only know Lagos, then you start doing things as if Nigeria is Lagos. Lagos is in Nigeria. That’s a wrong decision”.

But in a prompt reaction to the threat by Ndume, Senator Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District cautioned that “Leaders need to avoid utterances that will heat up the polity and cause division and disaffection amongst the federating units of the country.

“For example, the headquarters of 96 per cent of all banks in Nigeria is in Lagos. The staff of the Banking and Supervision Department of the Central Bank often travel to Lagos to check their books at the headquarters. It will therefore save cost to have that directorate in Lagos.

“Also, Lagos remains the hub of aviation in Nigeria; for operational efficiency, it is better to have FAAN in Lagos”.

Senator Karimi argued that “What is important to our people in the North and Nigerians as a whole is how decisions of government will affect their lives positively and put food on their table at cheaper prices.

“They are not bothered by any ethnic sentiments on the relocation of offices of federal ministries and agencies.

According to him, “Senator Ndume’s position is personal and doesn’t represent the position of the Nigerian Senate.”

It was learnt that the Northern Senators’ Forum had not taken an official formal decision on the issue, preferring the option of an investigation.

During the forum’s last meeting, where the issue was raised, the members urged caution on taking a hasty position, calling for a full investigation to be conducted before any intervention, including legal processes, would be explored.

But Senator Karimi explained that “When this issue was raised for discussion on the platform of Northern Senators Forum, the Chairman of the Forum, Sen. Abdul Ningi, cautioned on the need to exercise restraints. That no one should jump into conclusion or read political meanings into the decision.

“There is the need for a proper investigation before taking a position.

“I want to believe that our President, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will not act in any way to undermine any section of the country, the decision would have been made for the cohesiveness of units within such organisations”, he stated.