Former and 14th Emir of Kano, His Highness (HH) Muhammad Sanusi II, has said that the decision to relocate some of the departments in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to Lagos State, was in order.
Sanusi dismissed the outcry from the north over the relocations and said Northern politicians are noise makers.
Sanusi also stated that northern politicians should stop politicizing the issue as a region matter. It said the whole affair concerns the operational efficiency of the apex bank and ought not to been reduced to such a level, rather looked into as an important decision taken to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the bank.
He however, advised the CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso to prioritise empathy and consideration for persons by persons condition, regarding married women, nursing mothers and those with medical problems.
“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,” the former Emir advised.
He encouraged Cardoso to go ahead with the relocation policy, cautioning against succumbing to political pressure. He told the Governor not to cave in to pressure because doing so will set a wrong example in the future, where those who don’t business with the bank’s operation will begin to interfere.
“When I was about to license Jaiz Bank, there was a lot of religious noise from CAN, etc. Even enlightened people like Okey Enelamah were going to sue me to court on religious grounds. I ignored it and licensed the bank. Nothing happened,” Sanusi recalled, highlighting the importance of standing firm on principled decisions.
He said that when a Christian governor took over from him he went ahead to license two more non-interest banks without much noise.
 Muhammad Sanusi II, has said that the decision to relocate some of the departments in the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to Lagos State, was in order.){kind=link}