Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo, has stated that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is to blame for the hardship caused by the scarcity of new naira notes.
The monarch lamented that the situation had brought the country’s economic activities to a halt, adding that the implementation should have been done gradually to ease commercial activities.
The Oluwo claimed in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, on Wednesday that the scarcity of the notes was the result of a plot to incite the people against President Muhammadu Buhari.
He stated that the scarcity of the naira has left many Nigerians stranded, immobile, and hungry.
The statement reads:
The new naira regime has inflicted much hardship on Nigerians. It has grounded the country’s economic activities. It’s worsening every day. As a father with voice, I must speak out.
The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele owe Nigerians apology for inducing such a hardship. I’m yet to be convinced about the introduction of new naira notes without proper measures to provide adequate inflow of new notes in circulation. It’s gross insensitivity to human feelings. Many are stranded, immobile and starved due to [the] non-availability of new notes.
He went on to allege that there was “an intention to blackmail the infrastructural legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari,”
The traditional ruler subsequently called on the federal government and federal legislators to checkmate the CBN governor, and “veto an unconditional extension of the deadline and ensure the new notes are widely circulated.”
He further averred:
Emefiele needs to address Nigerians again to holistically justify the introduction of the new note and the deadline without enough money in circulation. We can’t continue suffering and keep mute. This is really bad at a time INEC will need resources for logistics.