Karimi had described Ali Ndume’s reaction to the relocation as “personal and does not in any way represent a position taken by the Senate.”
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has said that it is unpatriotic not to tell President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the truth about the happenings in the country.
This was in response to Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), who had earlier described Ndume’s reaction to the relocation of some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos as “personal and does not in any way represent a position taken by the Senate.”
Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had earlier announced they would be taking some critical departments to Lagos on the claims they want to decongest its offices in Abuja.
Specifically, CBN said the departments for relocation are the Banking Supervision, Other Financial Institutions Supervision, Consumer Protection Department, Payment System Management Department, and Financial Policy Regulations Department.
The plans by CBN and FAAN elicited condemnation from different quarters, especially from the Northern Apex socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
Also recall that Ndume, while speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, said President Tinubu is being ill-advised by a cartel of “Lagos boys” in the corridors of power.
He said, “All these Lagos boys who are thinking that Lagos is Nigeria are just misinforming and advising the President wrongly.”
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Reacting, Karimi went on to say that Ndume didn’t speak on behalf of the Northern Senators and should not heat the polity.
In response to Karimi’s comment, Ndume stated that he was speaking as a Northerner in support of the majority of Northerners and some Nigerians who oppose the actions of CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso and the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, rather than on behalf of the Northern Senators or the Senate.
“With all due respect I did not speak on behalf of the Northern Senators or the Senate but as a Northerner in support of the majority of Northerners and some Nigerians who are against the action of CBN Governor and the Minister of Aviation.”
“A famous former American President said, “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he stands by the country.
“It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise, he fails in his duty to stand by the country.
“In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else,” Ndume said.
While quoting Theodore Roosevelt, Ndume added another quotation by the same great American President: “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile but is morally treasonable.
“What I said is my personal opinion and position.”
