Percy Onyeka
President Bola Tinubu has been urged to consider moving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, and Nigerian Ports Authority to the Niger Delta region for efficiency by Yekini Nabena, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
In an effort to support the planned relocation of some Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and Central Bank of Nigeria departments out of the Federal Capital Territory, the APC chieftain also requested that the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment be relocated to Kano or Anambra States, where there is a significant amount of trade.
Nabena’s request comes a few days after the Federal Government indicated an interest in moving some parts of CBN and FAAN to Lagos State for the efficiency of its activities.
The development has however generated a lot of contentious debates with some Northern senators and elite kicking against the decision.
While making reference to an interview published on April 11, 1997, titled ‘I don’t believe in one Nigeria — Tinubu’, the former APC spokesman said the presidency must come out clean on the real intention for relocation of the two affected agencies.
Nabena said federal agencies are symbols of Nigerian unity and should not be played with.
He said, “If the efficiency of these agencies is the main reason for the plan to relocate them to Lagos State, we from the Niger Delta are also asking that the NNPCL, NIMASA, NPA, and others will be more effective in either Bayelsa, Rivers or Delta states.
“In the same way, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steal Development should be moved to Kogi state where we have the Ajaokuta Steal for efficiency. I also believe that the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment should either be relocated to Kano or Anambra states where trade is done in high proportion. In the same way, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should be taken to Benue State, the food basket of the Nation.”
The APC leader went on to say that the Nigerian Senate had discussed the topic of oil firms moving to the oil-producing Niger Delta region multiple times, but the companies had ignored the pleas.
“Some powerful interests in Lagos are preventing this for their selfish interests,” he said, referring to the Senate’s request that International Oil Companies move their headquarters to the Niger Delta region in order to accelerate the economic growth of the host community.
Nabena also voiced surprise at the National Assembly’s silence over certain recent events in the nation.
Techrectory with Agency Report
