Fuel/Naira Scarcity: Osun Civil Societies Threaten Mass Protest In Osogbo

—Ask Security Operatives To Go After Bank managers, Other Officials Hoarding New Naira Notes

Perturbed by the hardship currently undergoing by the Nigerian masses due to nonavailability of new naira notes and scarcity of fuel, members of Osun Civil Societies Coalition and ​​​​​​Peoples Advocates have threatened to embark on street protest if the hardship continues.

The groups condemned in totality the pains being experienced by the common Nigerians in getting cash for their livelihood, saying many businesses are nearly collapsed.

The CSOs led by a renown human rights activist in the state, Comrade Waheed Lawal, sounded a note of warning to the concerned authorities at a press conference addressed at the Osun NUJ Correspondent Chapel, Osogbo, on Monday, threatening that they will hit the street anytime soon.

According to them: “There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigerians are going through hell in getting fuel and cash for personal use and business purposes.

” While we are not questioning the sincerity of the Federal Government on the financial policy, we are constrained to give volume to the murmuring, groaning and cries of Nigerians who have been badly hit by the economic dragon.

According to them the pains being experienced by the common men in getting cash for their livelihood saying it would not be out of place to declare that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government is inconsiderate and insensitive to the plight of the citizens.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria led by Mr Godwin Emefiele has clearly been playing hide-and-seek game on the circulation of the new naira notes. We acknowledged the fact that there are saboteurs among the top echelon of the banking industries, but the CBN has not also released enough amount of the redesigned denominations to banks through which they can be disbursed to the generality of people.

The Civil Societies hinted that CBN is responsible for the ridiculous amount of cash being paid to the people over the counter adding most commercial banks are claiming that they don’t have enough cash contrary to CBN claims.

“Nigerians who queue for more than six hours hours to get cash from ATM. Some people are even unlucky as they will not be able to get cash at the end of the day after spending several hours on the queue.

” The withdrawal of the old naira notes and refusal of the CBN to release enough of the redesigned denominations amount to a deliberate attempt to punish Nigerians unjustly. This is highly condemnable.

The scarcity of cash has crippled many businesses and further push millions of Nigerians far below the poverty line. Petty traders do no longer make sales because of cash transaction which their trading depends upon.

“We make bold to say that this financial policy of the Federal Government is doing more harm than good presently. There should have been another way round to maintain a balance between cash control and the wellbeing of the people.

Meanwhile the Publicity Secretary, The Peoples Advocates, Comrade Emmanuel and Convener, Dialogue 365, Comrade Waheed Saka Olowu posited that there are saboteurs among the top echelon of the banking industries, but the CBN has not also released enough amount of the redesigned denominations to banks through which they can be disbursed to the generality of people.

They called for the sack of the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele saying he has overstay his importance in office.

According to the activists, Central Bank of Nigeria led by Mr Godwin Emefiele has clearly been playing hide-and-seek game on the circulation of the new naira notes.

“We need not to tell you the agony of Nigerians who queue for more than six hours hours to get cash from ATM. Some people are even unlucky as they will not be able to get cash at the end of the day after spending several hours on the queue

“Considering the pains being experienced by the common men in getting cash for their livelihood, it would not be out of place to declare that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government is inconsiderate and insensitive to the plight of the citizens.

“It is pathetic that we are experiencing a double jeopardy – a situation where there is no cash, and there is no fuel. The scarcity of fuel has been lingering for months without any end in sight. It is unfortunate that President Muhammadu Buhari who directly supervises the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been paying lip service to ensuring that fuel is available at affordable rate for Nigerians.