According to THE NATION, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has expressed support for the apex bank’s decision to move some of its divisions from Abuja to Lagos and has dismissed opposition as being politically driven. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The 14th Emir of Kano, Sanusi, considered the choice to be “eminently sensible”.
The CBN’s announcement of the relocation had sparked opposition from certain quarters, particularly from northern politicians who warned of potential political consequences.
Sanusi, however, in a statement, countered the opposition, stating that moving certain functions to the Lagos office was strategic and made eminent sense.
“Moving certain functions to the Lagos office (which is bigger than the Abuja head office) is an eminently sensible move,” Sanusi remarked.
He revealed that he had contemplated a similar move during his tenure as CBN Governor but did not have sufficient time to implement it fully.
“In my mind, what I would have done was to move FSS and most of Operations to Lagos, such that the two Deputy Governors would be largely operating out of Lagos or, even if they were more in Abuja, the bulk of their operational staff would be in Lagos,” Sanusi explained.
He emphasized the strategic significance of the decision, aiming to streamline operations and enhance efficiency while reducing costs.
Sanusi dismissed opposition to the policy as “absolutely unnecessary,” attributing it to employees with misplaced priorities.
He stated, “The problem we have now is that many employees are children of politically exposed persons, and their Abuja lives and businesses are more important than the CBN work.
“The CBN is just an address for them, and if they have to choose between their spoilt Abuja life and the job, they would gladly leave the CBN.”
Addressing concerns about the relocation process, Sanusi suggested considering individual situations and showing empathy, especially towards those with specific needs, such as young mothers with school-going kids or those with medical conditions.
Offering advice to the current CBN Governor, Sanusi urged resilience against political pressure, emphasizing the importance of principled decision-making.
“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,” he stated.
In concluding remarks, Sanusi encouraged the CBN to rise above ethnic and religious sentiments and to persevere in implementing decisions that may be unpopular but necessary for the institution’s progress. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
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