The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila claims the issues resulting from the naira redesign policy were created by political elements to disrupt the presidential election chances of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Speaker disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday, during the launching of the second phase of a transport initiative called “Gbaja Ride”, designed to empower his Surulere constituents.
He added the policy was well thought out but has been hijacked and politicized alongside the fuel crisis.
Hijacked: Femi Gbajabiamila revealed that the fuel crisis and scarcity of naira notes were carefully contrived by some elements to derail the successes of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to achieve political motive, he added:
- “As your representative and Speaker, I have a good understanding of the current hardships and discomfort being faced by many Nigerians, without exception to my constituents.
- “The lower legislative chamber under my leadership has been on the side of the people, working tirelessly to rescue them from these difficulties.
- “I am glad that the judiciary has also confirmed our position on the implementation of the policy of naira redesign .”
He added the naira redesign policy was well-thought-out but has unfortunately been hijacked and politicized, citing that some elements had created a crisis around the policy just to stop the All Progressives Congress(APC ) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, from winning the presidential election.
- “Nobody can convince me that it is not a plot to stop Asiwaju from becoming the president of this country.
- “But I am glad that our God is a wonderful being, as the plot these people sat together to hatch he has intervened.
- “I have followed the campaign team to the East, North and everywhere with Asiwaju and I doff my hat for Nigerians.”
In case you missed it
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, insisted that there was no need to shift the February 10 deadline for the swapping of the old naira with the newly redesigned naira notes.
Emefiele disclosed this on Tuesday during a visit to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday to discuss the monetary and currency redesign policy of the apex bank.
No need to consider any shift
- The CBN Governor said, “The situation is substantially calming down since the commencement of over-the-counter payments to complement ATM disbursements and the use of super-agents.
- “There is, therefore, no need to consider any shift from the deadline of February 10.”
Can someone please explain how the Naira redesign only affects Tinubu’s chances, and not other presidential candidates’? I still don’t get it.
These facts are all too self-evident and incontrovertible, namely, that:
The APC is the party in power in Nigeria today, by virtue of which she holds the most potent and pervasive powers of persuasion and coercion in the land. Hence, there should be no powers in the land who should be able to successfully “hijack” and sustainably “weaponise” against government, her own “well-intentioned” policy. In addition, the APC government, at all levels, and more especially in the presidency, is supported by a bureaucracy that should ordinarily be able to boast of, or have access to, the best economic brains in the land .
The Naira redesign policy is a policy of an APC government, and was signed off at the highest echelons of this government. Buhari had claimed responsibility for authorising it several times over, as is his constitutional duty.
Therefore, the APC, LED BY Buhari, must take responsibility for this currency change mess and the buck for this stops on Buhari’s table. To argue otherwise is to admit that Buhari is either incompetent or complicit in this Naira policy mess up; or that he is not in charge of his own government. Unless, and until, our politicians and leaders learn to take responsibility for their actions, wherever and whenever, they are in charge; then, and only then, will we be able to move towards progress and development.