Arewa Yoruba group backs relocation of CBN, FAAN to Lagos

The Association of Arewa Yoruba Youth (AYY), has called on Nigerians to support the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government’s decision in relocating the some departments in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos being the commercial hub in the country.

A statement released on Friday, made available to Tribune Online and signed by its National President, Lawal Hussein Taiye, said that for the country to grow in its commercial activities, relocating the two federal government’s agencies to Lagos is a wise decision.

“Being that most commercial banks still have their headquarters in Lagos as well as FAAN  before the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, moved it to Abuja. Now  with the relocation of the two agencies to Lagos it would enhance the business and growth of the country’s economy,” the statement reads.

According to them, the movement of the Department of Banking Supervision of the CBN to Lagos should not trigger any discord within the polity, stressing that the department concerned deals with commercial banks, almost all of which have their headquarters in Lagos.

He lamented that all those pushing the campaign of falsehood and misinformation know they are merely playing politics, which is not good for the unity and the growth of the country but are trying to pit the North against the South for their selfish interests.

The group added, “We as Nigerians must begin to do away with politics of religion, tribalism and sectionalism, and squarely face the reality of life for the overall interest of all Nigerians irrespective of where one resides. 

“Our national interest should be the driving force of anything we want to do as a nation so that together we will grow and survive.

“Politics has done a lot of damage to Nigeria by those who used religion and tribe to achieve their selfish interests to the detriment of the general good of Nigerians. We should begin to reason and do things in a way that we will grow as a nation and stop dwelling on issues that are not relevant to our progress.”

According to the group, during the former President Buhari’s tenure, the headquarters of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is sited in Lokoja, while that of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari is in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, stressing that all is meant for the interest of Nigerians and where they are best suited. 

He pointed out that these decisions are purely administrative and should not be politicized by people of goodwill and those who wish the country well, saying that Nigerians should support the laudable and courageous steps taken by the present administration to ensure a better standard of living through the generation of more revenue to the country.

The group noted that Nigerians desired nothing but good governance that positively impacts their lives, describing rumour-mongering as “a pernicious disservice to this ultimate expectation of our people”. He enjoined Nigerians to think beyond such in order to move the country forward.