Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that the insufficient circulation of new Naira notes constituted serious challenges to the country’s peace.
Kachikwu stated this in an Abuja statement on Tuesday.
He described it as distressing to witness Nigerians standing in long lines under the sweltering sun to withdraw their hard-earned money.
According to him, Nigerians are writhing in pain and being dehumanized in order to receive the new notes.
“If this is not bad enough, the most political Central Bank Governor in our nation’s history seeks to plunge our nation into further chaos.
“How else can one explain this ill-conceived Naira Redesign Policy that ought to strengthen the value of our currency but now threatens our very existence as a nation
“My heart broke as I watched the videos of those who stripped naked in banking halls all in a bid to collect their money.
“How do you speak of cashless banking in a country plagued by epileptic telecom networks and power blackouts?
“Who is deceiving who when many parts of Northern Nigeria don’t have bank branches and lack the infrastructure to support e-banking.
“Was this not factored into the CBN Governor’s plan?,”
Nigerians, according to Kachikwu, do not deserve challenges, especially at a time when petroleum is in short supply in many regions of the country.
He claimed that individuals waited in line for hours just to be informed they couldn’t buy fuel.
This, he explained, was due to a lack of currency and the inability of the POS terminals to function due to a lack of both old and new Naira notes.
He bemoaned the lack of money, food, power, jobs, and security, claiming that they were all elements for anarchy if not carefully managed.
“Our nation is plagued by a Covid-19 induced inflation and recession like most nations but in our own case the managers of our economy have run out of ideas.
“How do we deal with the corruption at our ports that is at the heart of inflation in an import-dependent economy?
“How do we stem the brain drain and keep our middle class happy and content in a working Nigeria?
“How do we defend our borders, secure our highways and protect our farmlands and how do we bring the aggrieved Igbos back to an equitable table.
“How do we repay our loans and balance our budget; how do we recreate the value of our Naira and create good paying jobs for tens of millions of Nigerians who are in despair,” he said.
He said that for the country to move forward, it must rid itself of nepotism and mediocrity and enshrine meritocracy and excellence in service.
He urged the nation’s leaders to refocus and revive ailing sectors such as the education and healthcare.
He called for the rebuilding and growing of the country’s broadband networks and stemming of the rural-urban migration threatening the nation’s economy.
Kachikwu said that the Feb. 25 general election was another opportunity for Nigerians to restore, rebuild, revive and reclaim their country by voting wisely.
He urged Nigerians to demand for public debates by all the presidential candidates in order to carefully elect the best options.
“They say they will transform the country from consumption to production, and you all clap.
“The question is to produce what, where and when. It is your right to ask questions.
“How do we enter an election like this without debating or discussing the issues, what is wrong with us, we create problems and then bring in a spiritual dimension.
“We can’t continue to use Churches and Mosques to manipulate the emotions of the gullible.
“Our nation is in need of genuine leadership and not fake prophecies and predictions,” he said.
NAN