Naira redesign: Group backs CBN alleges sabotage by politicians

A group, Pro Nigeria Group has alleged that some politicians are behind the scarcity of the newly designed naira notes by purchasing the currency directly from commercial banks.

This is just as the group backed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the new monetary policy, stating that it will reduce vote buying during this year’s general election

Addressing journalists during a Mega Solidarity Walk in Support of CBN’s New Naira Policy, one of the leaders of the group, Isaac Balami said some politicians are trying to blackmail the CBN and President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the Walk is to support the CBN as the new policy according to him will stop vote buying.

“We are here as concerned Nigerian citizens, we are here to talk about the monetary policy issue in the Central Bank of Nigeria. It is very clear that the CBN has given 10 days extension and the politicians in this country are trying to play politics to blackmail CBN and even possibly to blackmail the president to go back on his words.

“We are here to support the CBN policy because we know that this issue of new monetary policy is going to help to stop vote buying. The issue of vote buying is a major problem that has destroyed Nigeria.

“We are aware that the CBN has released money to all the banks, but politicians are buying these money from them at a higher cost, at black market rate thereby frustrating the citizens to go against CBN, to go against the government, we are saying no”, he said.

While acknowledging that scarcity of the new naira has caused hardship, Balami appealed to Nigerians to be patient, noting that several countries in the world like India have redesigned their currency and they are enjoying the gains.

“This is not the first time that our currency is being changed or redesigned, it has happened in India and other parts of the world. We know that Nigerians are going through so much pain, we know it is not easy, but we have to be patient, we are ready to endure, we are with CBN, we are with President Muhammadu Buhari on this matter, we say no going back on currency redesign.

“We say no to vote buying, if you want to buy votes, transfer the money, CBN will trace you.

The issue is that the politicians want to buy votes with the money and keep destroying this country. Why are they bothered?

“I have my ATM card, I use it to pay for services, I know it is not easy, some people don’t have bank accounts, but on this matter, we don’t care what politics are being played behind closed doors, what we are saying is that we support this policy.

“CBN should activate all the machinery in place, use the government agencies in charge to force the banks to pay Nigeria their money, the money is released but they are hiding it for vote buying, they have weaponised hunger and we cannot take it”, he added.