Okechukwu Isiguzoro, a prominent member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has strongly criticized Northern leaders for their opposition to the proposed relocation of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and certain units of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from Abuja to Lagos.
The Federal Government’s decision to move these agencies to the commercial hub of the nation has sparked controversy, with Northern lawmakers and groups like the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), and Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) condemning the move. They have alleged that it is a strategy to under-develop the Northern region.
Addressing the issue, Isiguzoro expressed bewilderment at the silence of Northerners when former President Muhammadu Buhari relocated the military headquarters to Borno State in 2015.
“It is an act of sheer wickedness and a display of unpatriotic behaviour for Northern leaders to either feign ignorance or turn a blind eye to these historical facts and evidence, specifically when their own, former President Buhari, moved the military headquarters from Abuja to Maiduguri during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015.
“Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders, and Senators from the North should recognize that President Tinubu is emulating the footsteps of Former President Buhari, who relocated the military headquarters to Maiduguri from Abuja. This marks the initial step towards the necessary restructuring of Nigeria,” he said.
Isiguzoro, however, asked President Bola Tinubu to “consider the economic importance and national security implications and approve the relocation of important Federal Ministries, including Petroleum, Trade and Investment, Commerce and Industry, and Transportation, to the old Eastern region, covering the 11 states of the Southeast and the Niger Delta”.
It was reported that the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum are expected to meet on Monday (today) to take a stance on the matter.
