Amidst the controversy surrounding the relocation of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ( CBN), former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Honourable Yekini Nabena, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to also consider relocation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, ( NIMASA) to the Niger Delta region.
Nabena, who is from the oil-producing state of Bayelsa in the Niger Delta zone, made the demand on Wednesday while speaking with journalists in Abuja.
Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that the Arewa Consultative Forum had since kicked against the move to relocate FAAN and the CBN departments out of Abuja to Lagos.
In the same vein, the Northern Senators Forum on Monday said it would open discussion with President Tinubu for him to abort the relocation.
Nabena noted that if effectiveness was the motive behind the relocation of FAAN and the apex bank departments, the Tinubu administration must equally direct the NNPCL and NIMASA to relocate to the Niger Delta region.
He also argued that Federal Ministry of Agriculture and and Rural Development should be moved to Benue State where agricultural produce are in abundance.
He said federal agencies are symbols of Nigerian unity and should not be played with.
The APC chieftain said: “If efficiency of these agencies is the main reason for plan to relocate them to Lagos State, we from the Niger Delta are also asking that the NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA and others will be more effective in either Bayelsa, Rivers or Delta states.
“In the same way, Federal Ministry of Mine and Steel should be moved to Kogi state where we have the Ajaokuta Steel for efficiency.
“I also believe that that the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment should either be relocated to Kano or Anambra states where trade is done in high proportion. In the same way, Federal Ministry of Agriculture should be taken to Benue State, the food basket of the Nation.”
According to Nabena, the issue of oil companies relocating to the oil-producing Niger Delta region had been debated severally in the Nigerian Senate with the companies not heeding to the calls.
“The Senate had asked International Oil Companies (IOCs) to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region to fast-track the host communities economic development but some powerful interests in Lagos are preventing this for their selfish interests.”
The APC chieftain also expressed concern over what he claimed to be the conspiracy of the National Assembly over the alleged sleaze in the Ministry of Humanitarian Resources and Poverty Alleviation which led to the removal of the Minister, Dr Beta Edu.
“Nigeria is been looted within six months of this government and the National Assembly is keeping quiet as if nothing is happening. The National Assembly has not seen anything wrong in the ongoing well reported Betta Edu scandal where billions of our patrimony is been played with.
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