‘Nigeria Is Not Lagos’ – Babachir Lawal Fires Tinubu

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s approach to leadership in Nigeria.

Lawal in an interview with TheCable disclosed that he predicted that the appointment of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso by Tinubu will led to disaster.

He claimed that you can not appoint someone in the place of leadership because he is your friend or loyal to you.

According to the ex-SGF, because Cardoso ran a small ministry in Lagos does not give him the ability to run the economy of the country.

Lawal while condemning the approach of leadership said, “I have been vindicated, but it is not something to be proud of when you predict a disaster and it happens. I knew it would happen, and that was why I spoke out then.

“You can’t appoint somebody just because he is your friend or loyal to you. Nigeria is not Lagos. Simply because you run a small ministry in Lagos does not give you the ability to run the economy of the country. Nigeria is complex.

“Nigeria’s economy does not normally follow the known pattern of economic operations—issues in Nigeria like demand and supply that are in the textbooks. The way Nigeria works is completely different from textbook economics.

“Let me give you an example. As a businessman, if you bid on a project, you did all your excellent presentations and PowerPoint, and it is expected that you will win the contract because you supported your bid with a better presentation.

“However, the owners of the projects gave it to their girlfriends. The way Nigeria’s economy operates is not like that of other countries. Our economy is complex, and we need people who understand Nigeria very well. We need people who understand that Lagos state is different from Enugu, Borno, Anambra, Sokoto, and Adamawa.

“Bola (Tinubu’s) appointment did not reflect this knowledge of the country, and he is reaping the consequences of it.”