Current cash scarcity will affect forthcoming general elections – Forum

A non-profit communal organization, Orokam Development Forum, has come out to lament that the current cash scarcity, if not quickly resolved, will affect the forthcoming general elections.

The Forum comprises professionals from Ogbadibo local government area of Benue State, residents in Abuja.

Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, the chairman of the Forum, Chief Emmanuel Ameh, said the Forum is in touch with home and knows what is happening concerning the election because of non-availability of cash and how it poses a threat to upcoming elections.

He said, “We are in touch with home; that’s number one, we know exactly what is happening at home concerning the election. We hope that, as of yesterday, what we hear from home is all about the threats to the election, I’m sure you people are aware of the problem of cash work has brought to the whole of the country.

“Back home, it is crazy because they can not access it. We are crying in Abuja, but there is something else back home. I read in the press how Mr. President said he would resolve the issue within seven days. We hope that will make the reason. It will affect them at home.

“We have the Community Volunteer Guards perfectly working, we partnered with them, the whole of Orokam Community, not just Okam Forum, rose gallantly in the past few months to equip the Volunteers Guards in kitting, in all manner of infrastructure that they will need, vehicle movement and motorcycles and we are hopeful that no security threat will mar the 2023 elections in our area, but we hope that the cash problem will be resolved because some of us who vote at home, without this, we can not even travel, but I hope we will travel.” He stated.

Ameh further stated that the Forum intends to embark on some progressive programmes through an endowment fund to bring relief to the oppressed within their community and to honour national icons and members of the Association for distinguished national service and commitment to the community within Idoma Nation, and Nigeria at large.

He listed Widows Support Group for small and medium-scale enterprises or cottage industries for garri or palm oil processing. Indigent Scholarship Scheme for 200 students in school and tertiary institutions, since Orokam community has a high school dropout percentage due to the inability of many poor distressed families to finance the education of their wards with many identified brilliant students affected.

Others include Health Support for Community Health Insurance, as well as Youth self-employment scheme to reduce the prevalence of illicit drug addiction, acts of criminality, and delinquency among youths in their community who have been out of school and unemployed by redirecting their energy to trades and life-long supporting skills.