The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has strongly criticized the decision to relocate key departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to Lagos.
Both the CBN and FAAN have commenced the transfer of some of their essential departments to Lagos, citing high costs as a major factor behind the move.
In a recent internal memo obtained by Sunday PUNCH, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced the initiation of a decongestion action plan to optimize its operational environment.
The memo partly reads, “This is to notify all staff members at the CBN Head Office that we have initiated a decongestion action plan designed to optimize the operational environment of the Bank.
“This initiative aims to ensure compliance with building safety standards and enhance the efficient utilization of our office space.
“This action is necessitated by several factors, including the need to align the Bank’s structure with its functions and objectives, redistribute skills to ensure a more even geographical spread of talent, and comply with building regulations, as indicated by repeated warnings from the Facility Manager, and the findings and recommendations of the Committee on Decongestion of the CBN Head Office.
“The action plan focuses on optimizing the utilization of other Bank’s premises. With this plan, 1,533 staff will be moved to other CBN facilities within Abuja, Lagos and understaffed branches.
“Our current occupancy level of 4,233 significantly exceeds the optimal capacity of 2,700 designed for the Head Office building. This overcrowding poses several critical challenges.”
Similarly, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, officially announced the relocation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s headquarters from Abuja to Lagos. This directive, dated January 15, 2024, raises questions about the implications of the relocation on the organization’s management.
However, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) strongly opposes these relocations, expressing concerns over the potential threat to Abuja’s status as the capital city and the possible negative impact on the nation as a whole.
During a press conference in Kaduna, the President General of AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, voiced his apprehension about the consequences of these relocations. He argued that such moves could undermine national unity, disrupt operations, lead to economic setbacks, and perpetuate regional imbalances.
Shettima emphasized that Abuja was deliberately chosen as the capital to promote national unity and decentralize power. Any attempt to alter this arrangement, he warned, would be vehemently resisted by the north.
Expressing disappointment in the silence of the Northern elite regarding these developments, Shettima urged them to speak out and called on well-meaning Nigerians to oppose these arbitrary actions.
“The organisation urges decision-makers to prioritise national unity and ensure that any actions taken do not perpetuate regional imbalances or compromise the political and economic viability of Northern Nigeria.
“AYCF remains committed to its mission of promoting unity and development in Northern Nigeria and the nation as a whole and vows to continue advocating for the preservation of Abuja’s status as the capital city and to resist any attempts to undermine national unity,” he added.