Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider the manner with which the currency redesign policy has been implemented so far because it is anti-people.
Governor Wike maintained that those who recommended the monetary policy did not love the president and were bent on tarnishing his legacy.
He stated this during the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Flag-off Rally for Okrika local government area on Friday.
The governor urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take a critical look at the socio-economic chaos and hardship that the exercise had caused, and revisit the policy in order to curb the pains of Nigerians.
“This policy is anti-people. The new Naira note is not there. Even though I have money in my account, I cannot get N10,000. I cannot go and buy fuel. Who is losing? Is it not the masses? Is it not the people?”
He suggested that the president should stop listening to those who advised him on the monetary policy under the guise that it would curb vote buying.
He said those advisors did not mean well for Nigerians and could not feel their sufferings.
Governor Wike also dismissed the claim that the policy was being implemented to fight politicians and corruption, and wondered if such goals could be achieved within, barely, three months left within the lifespan of the President Buhari’s administration.
“You’re merely fighting against the poor people. Mr President, I know the pressure, but please since two of us are going the same time, this policy, it has nothing to fight corruption at all. It has nothing to fight politicians.
“This policy is aimed to suffer the people who elected us to govern over them. Our business is not to make the people to suffer. We all know how to fight corruption. We all know how to fight politicians. This particular one, it does not come in at all.”
Governor Wike expressed dismay that people are now prevented from accessing money lodged in their bank accounts and small scale commercial activities grounded for lack of cash.
He said there was reduction in cash flow and even the redesigned Naira notes were hardly available to the citizenry.
“I know Mr President has good intention, but there are these people who believe they know more than everybody, they go and put the country in total chaos and that is what we are suffering now.”
He stressed the futility of presenting credit cards to pay for food items bought from an elderly women who depends on daily sales to raise money in the rural areas with prevailing illiteracy.
According to the governor, there was nowhere in the world where such currency change had been done conclusively within six months.
Governor Wike therefore, urged the president to endeavour to avert aggravating the security challenge across the country and pushing Nigerians deeper into economic hardship.
Speaking further, Governor Wike said recent events had vindicated him over his initial public statement that the PDP presidential candidate and his supporters boasted that they did not need the G-5 governors to win election because they had been assured of victory by a cabal in the presidency.
“I said they have been given assurance, but this election is not going to be based on that cabal assurance. It is on the people’s assurance.”
