The former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, has weighed in on the recent decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to relocate some of its departments from Abuja to Lagos.
In response to the uproar from Northern politicians, Sanusi advised relevant authorities to dismiss the “noise,” emphasizing that Abuja being the federal capital is not solely a Northern matter.
Sanusi expressed support for the CBN’s decision and urged Governor Yemi Cardoso to consider specific cases, such as mothers with school-going children and individuals with medical conditions, during the relocation process to Lagos.
In his words: “Individual situations should be considered. As much as possible we should be empathetic. For example young mothers with kids in school who do not need to move can be prioritised to stay in Abuja or those with medical conditions etc.
“My advice to the Governor is to go ahead with his policy. Once the CBN starts bending to political pressure on one thing it will continue doing so.
“Northern politicians will shout that this is moving from Abuja to Lagos. Abuja is a federal capital not a northern issue. So long as this is a principled decision, the noise should be ignored.
“When I was about to license Jaiz Bank, there was a lot of religious noise from CAN, etc. Even enlightened people like Okey Emelamah were going to sue me to court on religious grounds. I ignored it and licenced the bank. Nothing happened.
“A Christian Governor after me licenced at least two more non-interest banks. No one is even noticing again.”