Maureen Okpe
A Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) Pro Nigeria group (PNG) has thrown its weight behind the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), policy on the redesign and distribution of the new naira notes, stating that despite the challenges it will help check vote buying in the forth coming general elections.
Convener of the group, Isaac Balami made this known on Monday, at a press briefing held during a solidarity walk from the Unity Fountain, Abuja, to the CBN headquarters.
Balami accused the politicians and bank officials of frustrating the CBN policy to discredit it.
He said, “It is very very clear that CBN has given 10 days extension and the politicians in this country are trying to play politics to blackmail CBN to possibly blackmail the President to go back on his words,” he alleged.
“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,” he insisted.
“The banks have enough money but politicians are buying it to the detriment of ordinary citizens.
“We are aware that the Central Bank of Nigeria has released money to all the banks,” he continued. “All the banks have money, but politicians are buying this money from them at a higher cost at black market rate, thereby frustrating the citizens to go against CBN, to go against the government.
At the CBN headquarters, the Director, Corporate Communications, Osita Nwasinobi, who responded on behalf of CBN management said, they were resolute in ensuring Nigerians were not shortchanged.
“The Central Bank is doing everything possible to ensure that the new notes permeate and circulate across Nigeria and every part of this country,” he said.
“That is why the Governor directed all the Directors of the CBN to move to the states to ensure compliance and various findings have been made, those find guilty will definitely be punished.”
Nwasinobi advised Nigerians to be calm as the apex bank has everything under control and will resolve the situation in no time.