Arewa United Consultative Forum (AUCF), has condemned those kicking against the Federal Government’s relocation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), from Abuja to Lagos, saying “northerners backing such inordinate agitation are self-seekers working against the unity of Nigeria and are enemies of the North.”
Speaking in Lagos, AUCF National President, Alhaji Shuaibu Ado Dansudu, opined that the relocation was done in good faith, to ease the harrowing condition of operations of the two federal establishments for bumper harvest.
According to him, what the government did was to reverse one of the terrible policies of the past administration which brought the Nigerian economy to the current prostrate state, noting that the decision to reverse the policy should be hailed by northerners and not be condemned.
He stressed that the major problem besetting his people from the northern part of the country is insecurity and “not trivial agency relocation matter that has no direct impact on the economic and living standard of the people.
“We have a situation where the economy of the north has been in shambles over the years due to the lingering activities of terrorists in the zone. I think for any northerner to think that throwing spanners at efforts of the present government to right the terrible wrongs of the past is a disservice to us and it will be resisted.
“Anybody who visits the airport in Kano of recent will bear witness that it is not in any way better than the new bus terminals in Lagos. We have a terrible situation on our hands. Our women are now objects of torture and rape in the hands of heinous terrorists that have taken over our land. We will be leaving the substance of our problem to chase shadows if our gathering is to resist the relocation of FAAN at this point.
“Nigeria is one country. These departments that are relocated were in Lagos over time, until the last administration took them to Abuja and choked them in a space that cannot guarantee maximum productivity. There can be no wrong in bringing them back and putting the abandoned buildings they have in Lagos back to use,” he said.
The AUCF President however appeals to the government to fast-track measures to ensure economic stability in the country, noting that his group will support any good move that will lead to the transformation of the lives of the northern people at all times.
“AUCF is a northern group that has respect for the unity of the country as agreed to, by our founding fathers and their other colleagues across all the zones in Nigeria. It is our resolve to pursue our objectives without fair or favour. While it is imperative to note that we shall always stand in defence of the rights of our people, we shall go about this w without bias and strictly for the best interest of the generality of Nigerians who signed the pre- independence accord to stay together as one entity and as brothers.
“We therefore stand with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his reformation drive as we express confidence in his ability and that of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, being thoroughbred economists, to take the country out of the present economic mess,” Dansudu stressed.
He advised government to remain unwavering in its focus and warned every “distracting forces” to embrace patriotism by joining hands with government to ensure a quick fix of the country for the benefit of all.