New naira notes scarcity threat to national peace – Kachikwu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential candidate, Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, said the insufficient circulation of the new naira notes poses a great threat to the country’s peace.
Kachikwu said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
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He said seeing Nigerians enduring long queues under the scorching sun just to withdraw their hard-earned money is disheartening.
According to him, Nigerians are writhing in pains in a bid to obtain the new notes, and people are being dehumanised.
“If this is not bad enough, the most political Central Bank Governor in our nation’s history seeks to plunge our nation into further chaos.
“How else can one explain this ill-conceived Naira Redesign Policy that ought to strengthen the value of our currency but now threatens our very existence as a nation.
“My heart broke as I watched the videos of those who stripped naked in banking halls all in a bid to collect their money.
“How do you speak of cashless banking in a country plagued by epileptic telecom networks and power blackouts?
“Who is deceiving who when many parts of Northern Nigeria don’t have bank branches and lack the infrastructure to support e-banking.
“Was this not factored into the CBN Governor’s plan?,”
Kachikwu said that Nigerians did not deserve hardships, especially at a time when fuel was also not available in many parts of the country.
He alleged that people queued for hours for fuel only to be told they could not buy.
This, he said was because they lacked cash and that the Point of Sale (POS) terminals were not functional because neither the old nor the new Naira notes were available..
He lamented no money, no food, no power, no jobs, no security, adding that all these were ingredients of anarchy if not well managed.
“Our nation is plagued by a Covid-19 induced inflation and recession like most nations but in our own case the managers of our economy have run out of ideas.
“How do we deal with the corruption at our ports that is at the heart of inflation in an import dependent economy.
“How do we stem the brain drain and keep our middle class happy and content in a working Nigeria?
“How do we defend our borders, secure our highways and protect our farmlands and how do we bring the aggrieved Igbos back to an equitable table.
“How do we repay our loans and balance our budget; how do we recreate the value of our Naira and create good paying jobs for tens of millions of Nigerians who are in despair,” he said.
He asserted that in order for the nation to advance, it must do away with mediocrity and nepotism and establish meritocracy and quality in service.
He urged the nation’s leaders to refocus and revitalize failing sectors, including the healthcare and education sectors.
He urged the government to stop the rural-urban movement that was endangering the economy and to rehabilitate and expand its broadband networks.
Kachikwu said that the February 25 general election was another opportunity for Nigerians to restore, rebuild, revive and reclaim their country by voting wisely.
He urged Nigerians to insist that all presidential contenders participate in public debates so that they may carefully choose the best candidates.
“They say they will transform the country from consumption to production and you all clap.
“The question is produce what, where and when. It is your right to ask questions.
“How do we enter an election like this without debating or discussing the issues, what is wrong with us, we create problems and then bring in a spiritual dimension.
“We can’t continue to use Churches and Mosques to manipulate the emotions of the gullible.
“Our nation is in need of genuine leadership and not fake prophecies and predictions,” he said. (NAN)
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