Excerpts of AriseTV's interview with Bashir Dalhatu SAN, a former Minister of Power & Mines, then later interior under the Sani Abacha Government and currently the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Arewa Consultative Forum

Dalhatu SAN: If you talk about transferring FAAN to Lagos because there are more airline activities in Lagos than in Abuja, then you should take the Ministry of Commerce to Onitsha or to Kano because there are far more commercial activities in these two cities than in Abuja.

You should also take the Ministry of Agriculture to Makurdi where there is a lot of Agricultural activities and food production.

You can distribute these Ministries to locations according to the kind of activities you can identify but that is not the intention or the reason or purpose of establishing a Federal Capital Territory. It is supposed to be in itself a symbol of unity, a symbol of togetherness of this country.

The moment you start dismembering Ministries back to Lagos, first, you are establishing a precedence, because next Government comes up and it doesn't happen to be from the South will now return them or transfer them from Lagos back to Abuja or maybe Kaduna or Sokoto or Calabar or things like that.

So the intention really is to make institutions symbolic of our unity, symbolic of the purpose of this country and not to give reasons. If you say congestion, when you mention congestion in relation to cities, anybody you tell about congestion will first think of Lagos.

Interviewer: The CBN is saying its Headquarters is supposed to house about 3000 but currently have over 4000 staff. The CBN also spends money sending its own staff to go to Lagos to spend 2 or 3 months to do certain jobs, which normally should have been domiciled in Lagos and they are speaking so much. So for effectiveness, CBN is saying it wants to decongest its Headquarters and people are wondering why Northern leaders and elite are having a problem with that?

Dalhatu SAN: First of all, the CBN building and the staff must have been in Abuja for nearly 30 years and we have never heard about this until suddenly it came up, that is one.

We know in Lagos, the Banking Supervision in Lagos is already strong, it never moved to Abuja and could still do its function there.

Three, at the age of technology now, you can work for a Chinese Company while you sit here in Abuja and still perform your function. For CBN to say that it does not have that kind of upgrade in its own operations, we think it's not true.

We Are apprehensive because we believe this is a tip of the iceberg.

Yes o. Since we want to be logical, What are NDDC and NNPC head offices doing in Abuja? Why aren't they in Rivers or Delta? Move Shippers Council to Lagos too.

I don't support that moves , all headquarters of every organization should be in Abuja the capital city.

The era of northerners getting dollars easily from CBN is gone..That is the pain of the northerners.

Hmm

What's this one saying?

Even South Africa have different capital cities in Cape Town as Legislative capital, Johannesburg and Petoria administrative.

Nigerians sha

Jogs1900:
The era of northerners getting dollars easily from CBN is gone..That is the pain of the northerners.

E don be for Aboki

Abi o

The north is really pained by this move...

So is the north now claiming Abuja or what?

Looool


Pain

Lol... So, basically strip Abuja of everything that makes it the FCT!


What happens when a Northerner returns to power??! The Payback go loud!

Nbote:
Yes o. Since we want to be logical, What are NDDC and NNPC head offices doing in Abuja? Why aren't they in Rivers or Delta? Move Shippers Council to Lagos too.

NDDC is in Rivers stats...Local content in bayelsa

Tinubu will indirectly and quietly divide the country to have south west independent of Nigeria's need.

Babzrockman:
What's this one saying?

Even South Africa have different capital cities in Cape Town as Legislative capital, Johannesburg and Petoria administrative.

Nigerians sha

Nigeria has only one capital

Ok

NNPC should be moved to any state in south south ASAP

This Aboki head is overheating.

Does Kano or Onitsha has more commerce than Lagos?

Jogs1900:
The era of northerners getting dollars easily from CBN is gone..That is the pain of the northerners.

Thank you sir. Na only you dey see am. Others they see tribal sentiments but ignoring the fact that Northerners are the most corrupt in this country. Just look at how they manipulated Emefiele. Even though, we know he is also a thief but they seriously used him.

Nbote:
Yes o. Since we want to be logical, What are NDDC and head offices doing in Abuja? Why aren't they in Rivers or Delta? Move Shippers Council to Lagos too.

NDDC is in Rivers state.

Tribalism is the first problem of Nigeria.

Angelfrost:
Lol... So, basically strip Abuja of everything that makes it the FCT!


What happens when a Northerner returns to power??! The Payback go loud!

FAAN was in Lagos before, the last minister of aviation moved it to ABJ.

You're celebrating these relocations but know that Lagos belongs to all Nigerians equally by virtue of all fg investments in Lagos since over a 100yrs. I don't want to hear go back to your state!

Commerce Ministry should still be moved to Lagos.

How much is spent on sending staff to lagos all the time. If the expenses don't make sense then relocate.

Abi oh.Onitsha or Aba, but for sit at home, it won't be ideal

make we kuku divide this country once and for all

Nbote:
Yes o. Since we want to be logical, What are NDDC and NNPC head offices doing in Abuja? Why aren't they in Rivers or Delta? Move Shippers Council to Lagos too.

Shippers Council has been headquartered in Lagos for years already.

Still, Kano or onitcha can't match Lagos