“No Going Back”: Keyamo Insists on FAAN Relocation to Lagos, Gives Reason

• The movement of some major departments of the CBN and other agencies from Abuja to Lagos is still rocking major conversations in the polity
• Aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, in a recent interview, explained the benefits of the relocation and who initiated the move
• Keyamo insisted that he took the decision and not President Tinubu as speculated in some quarters

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

The minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has insisted on the relocation of the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos.

The who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, January 31, said there is no going back.

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“We are going ahead. The directive has been given,” the minister said matter-of-factly.

This came after Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South as well as chieftains of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum ( NEF) and other northern groups had kicked against the moves by FAAN and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), insinuating that it was an attempt to marginalise the north.

Ndume said there will be political consequences if President Tinubu goes ahead with the plan.

However, on Wednesday, Keyamo said the movement of the headquarters of the airport authority has become necessary in line with current economic and operational realities.

Keyamo explains the benefit of the movement of FAAN to Lagos

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the movement of the FAAN headquarters would save the government and the people of Nigeria half a billion naira wasted on air tickets by officials of the Authority who have to commute from Lagos to Abuja and back.

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He said the move will help the agency save over N500 million on travels alone.

On whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was aware of the decision or not, he said:

“I take the decision; it’s a decision under the purview of a minister”.

Ndume admits daughter works at CBN, still kick against relocating, FAAN, apex bank

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Ali Ndume, chief whip of the senate, said his daughter works at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ndume said his comments on the proposed movement of the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and some CBN offices to Lagos are “the truth”.

He stated this during an interview with TheCable on Monday, January 29.

Source: Legit.ng