Old Naira: Your Excuse Is Not Acceptable, Votes Can Be Bought With Other Currencies – NANS Fumes

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to exhibit more competence in the handling the ongoing currency crisis plaguing the nation.

Recall that Naija News earlier reported that in an early morning broadcast on Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari announced that 500 and 1000 notes were no longer legal tender and 200 naira notes would continue to circulate in the economy until April 10.

Reacting to the development in a statement by the Southwest Coordinator, Comrade Adejuwon Emmanuel Olatunji on Thursday, the association noted that the inability to get new naira notes was contributing to the hardship perpetrated by the scarcity of fuel.

The student body opined that the apex bank has completely failed to show competence in executing the policy which has put the country in total chaos.

They said, “The CBN ordered that the old Naira notes should not be accepted by any commercial bank again at the date it stipulated without any better measure to ensure the interest of the masses is protected.

“There are series of ways to mopping up the old currency and making new notes circulate without frustrating the general public. Apart from the governor of the Central Bank, we have a number of deputy governors and directors, can’t they all think through ways that the policy would be implemented with the least disruption and damage to the national economy.”

Speaking further, the association insisted that claims of politicians using naira to buy votes was not sustainable considering that votes can also be bought in other currencies.

The student body wondered if the government wanted the country to be ridden with protest while also insisting that those in power who fail to carry out their responsibilities should resign.

“Regarding the claim of politicians using money to buy votes, is it only Naira that can be used to buy votes? What will happen if they use other currencies to buy vote? Those in positions of authority and who cannot deliver on the mandate of their offices should just resign. These people should let Nigerians know what they are up to. Do they want the whole country to be set ablaze by protesters?

“Hospitals, even in emergency situations, are not collecting old Naira notes. Hospitals are not even attending to patients who do not have new notes, making old and young Nigerians lose their lives needlessly. For instance, in ibadan yesterday, a child was rushed to an hospital around Akala Express, the doctor did not attend to the child all because of new Naira note policy and they did not accept bank transfer as well which led to the child’s death, the association added.