Senator Ali Ndume, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, has issued a warning to President Bola Tinubu about potential political repercussions if he proceeds with the relocation of certain departments from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters to Lagos.
Expressing his concerns on Channels TV, Senator Ndume suggested that the president is being influenced by a group he referred to as the “Lagos Boys.” According to him, these individuals lack a comprehensive understanding of how Nigeria operates, and their assistance may prove insufficient when faced with the consequences of such a decision.
The CBN recently released an internal memo indicating its plan to move some offices to Lagos, citing congestion in certain departments. Additionally, the government announced the relocation of FAAN’s headquarters to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs.
Senator Ndume argued that if congestion is the reason for the move, it would be more practical to consider Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kogi, and other states around Abuja due to their proximity, rather than opting for distant Lagos.
“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. We will not accept it. Besides, you know, they are not doing any favour to Mr. President, because this will have political consequence. Yes. I’m telling you this. And these guys who are just sitting down there, trying to hang on to Mr. President will not be there to amend the political mistakes or even to correct it because they don’t know anybody. They only know their offices. And they only know that they have brains,” he emphasized.
