- Explains Decision to Relocate FAAN Headquarters, CBN Department to Lagos
By Ayomide Joseph
In a strong rebuttal to recent speculations circulating about the possible relocation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Lagos, the federal government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has debunked these claims. Government spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, asserted that the rumours are deliberately propagated by political opponents aiming to misrepresent recent decisions made by the federal authorities.
Addressing the issue, Onanuga stated, “We have noticed how mischief-makers, bent on fueling needless ethnic mistrust, have deliberately misinterpreted the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria to relocate its Department of Banking Supervision to Lagos and the directive of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should relocate its head office back to Lagos.”
The government maintains that these rumours are baseless and rooted in a strategy by political opponents to create obstacles for President Tinubu’s potential presidential candidacy at the next election. The spokesperson clarified that Nigerians have misunderstood Tinubu’s directives, particularly regarding the administrative moves within key government agencies.
“We consider it necessary to inform Nigerians that there is no iota of truth in the interpretations given to the directives in some quarters and the unfounded claims and rumours that President Bola Tinubu is planning to relocate the Federal Capital back to Lagos,” emphasized Onanuga.
Highlighting the specific administrative decisions at the heart of the controversy, the statement addressed the relocation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Department of Banking Supervision to Lagos. It was emphasized that this move is aligned with the concentration of commercial banks, the primary focus of the department, in Lagos.
“The movement of FAAN, an agency of the Aviation Ministry, to Lagos, where it was located before former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, moved it to Abuja during the last administration, does not amount to moving the Federal Capital to Lagos. The administrative move should have ordinarily attracted scant attention, as Lagos is the commercial capital and the hub of aviation business in Nigeria. FAAN will still maintain some presence in Abuja. It is not a wholesale movement,” clarified Onanuga.
Furthermore, the government urged Nigerians to exercise restraint and not be misled by those with vested interests in promoting divisive narratives.
It further underscored the government’s commitment to fair and equitable governance for all regions, urging citizens to focus on the broader efforts to meet the aspirations of the people. Rumor-mongering, it emphasized, is counterproductive to the nation’s collective expectations.
The New Dilopmat recalls that the recent decisions by the Federal Government to relocate certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos have triggered controversy and allegations of political manipulation, birthing speculations of plans to relocate the country’s capital
The decision of the federal government to relocate the FAAN and CBN was faulted by the chief whip of the Nigerian Senate Ali Nudme, stating that the president was being mislead by a political cartel.
Senator Ndume, the representative of Borno South on the floor of the Nigerian Senate, expressed concern over the influence of these political cartels, accusing them of providing misleading advice to President Bola Tinubu. According to Ndume, this advice has led to the implementation of policies that may not necessarily be in the best interest of the country.
Senator Ndume remarked that “The relocation of the CBN offices and the headquarters of FAAN from Abuja to Lagos is clearly influenced by political cartels within the government. Unfortunately, these cartels are offering advice that might mislead President Bola Tinubu into making decisions that could potentially create a political crisis in the country.”
The decision to move these key government entities has been a subject of debate, with critics arguing that it could have far-reaching implications, including political unrest.
