Naira Notes Scarcity: Finally Atiku Reacts, Gives CBN Advisory Hint
- Atiku Abubakar has revealed that there is a plot underway for vote riggers to exploit CBN's extension of the naira notes swap
- The ex-Vice President urged the apex bank not to consider extending the deadline beyond what has already been stipulated
- Meanwhile, he urged CBN to review the policy so as to ensure the availability of the new naira notes for Nigerians
PAY ATTENTION: See you at Legit.ng Media Literacy Webinar! Register for free now!
FCT, Abuja - The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to ease Nigerians off the hardship of getting the new naira notes.
Atiku made this appeal via a statement issued on Wednesday, February 1, by his campaign office.
Source: Facebook
He, however, lauded the CBN for heeding the appeals of Nigerians to give an extension to the deadline for the exchange of the old naira notes for the new ones.
As reported by Channels TV, he appealed to the apex bank to carry out a review to curb the current scrabble and hassle for the new naira notes across the 36 states of the federation.
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
Atiku kicks against extension for naira swap
Meanwhile, the ex-Vice President advised the CBN not to consider any further extension of the deadline to swap the old and new naira notes. He said an attempt to give further extension might deteriorate the objective of the policy.
Atiku said:
“However, the CBN should be wary of the elite whose motive for crying out about a further postponement of the deadline for the tenure of the old naira notes is sinister and far from being altruistic. I am totally in support of building a cashless economy and reducing the amount of cash in our economy.
“The cashless policy and reduction of the cash in circulation has many advantages, and every patriotic Nigerian should support the CBN on this. It will help to reduce the flow of illicit funds in our economy. It will help to defeat the funding of terrorism and deter the circulation of drug money in our economy. It will help our fight against corruption."
“There should be no further postponement on the new naira regime after the expiration of the February 10 deadline. The vote riggers are seeking to push the CBN to extend till after the election when they would have achieved their evil plots. The CBN and the Presidency should be steadfast. The merits of the new naira policy far outweigh the little inconvenience we are experiencing.”
Atiku further stated that the CBN should consider issuing a directive to commercial banks to operate during the weekend to further hasten the process of circulating the new naira notes across the federation.
He added:
“If the CBN thinks its officials and banks must operate at the weekend in other to address the need of the ordinary people and rural dwellers, it may have to consider this option, after all the amount these people require is not huge.
"The essential element here is ensuring that the new currency goes around and is well distributed to the points where people can easily access them. Every good policy must be people-centred and must not bring avoidable difficulty to the people."
Naira scarcity: More pressure on Emefiele as popular Yoruba monarch lambasts CBN boss
Meanwhile, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele has suffered yet another backlash.
Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwoland in Osun state has joined critics to lambast the CBN boss.
The monarch said the decision of the CBN to implement the new naira note policy was a punishment to the masses.
Naira redesign: Currency hawkers thriving at popular northern motor park, sell new notes at exorbitant rates
In another development, the scarcity of the new naira notes is causing a high rise in mint vendors selling the newly redesigned naira notes at exorbitant rates.
Checks revealed that some mint vendors at the Dadi Motor Park, Sabon Gari-Zaria, Kaduna State are now selling on the high side.
It was gathered that they now sell the new N200 notes for N30k; N500 notes for N70k and N1000 notes for N130k.
Source: Legit.ng
