From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Joint-Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations on Thursday called on the serving lawmakers of northern Nigeria extraction to immediately act on the proposed relocation of five key CBN departments and headquarters of FAAN from Abuja to Lagos State.
The group, in a statement by its convener, Murtala Abubakar, believed that the intervention of lawmakers from the region in questioning the decisions at hand is their constitutional responsibility to protect the interests of the Nigerian people.
The group also commended some of the lawmakers who have raised their voices in disapproval on the subject matter.
To him, the commendation goes beyond a mere acknowledgment of dissent but a tribute to those who understand that their role as legislators is not just to represent but to safeguard the constitutional integrity of the country.
“It is a commendable demonstration of commitment to the unity and balanced development of our nation. These representatives have rightly questioned the rationale behind these decisions, recognising the potential negative impact on regional representation, economic equilibrium, and the overall stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We in particular salute the courage and impeccable demonstration of public service by Senator Ali Ndume.
“Reports in the media indicate that the group of Senators elected by the people of the North – and whom they represent in the Red Chambers, muted the idea of taking the Federal Government to Court on the matter.
“While we respect the independence of the judiciary, we must emphasise that resorting to legal proceedings could be interpreted as a sign of procrastination.
“Our legislators hold a constitutional mandate to ensure that the Executive aligns its policies and programs with the constitutional principles that have been violated by the actions of the CBN and FAAN.
“The urgency of the matter requires expeditious legislative action to correct these deviations from our constitutional ideals.
“While acknowledging the proactive stance taken by these legislators, the Northern Youth Organisations would like to go a step further by calling on our representatives in the National Assembly to exercise their full legislative oversight functions,” Murtala appealed.