Hundreds of youths converged in Abuja to protest the expert order of the Supreme Court which temporarily halted the Federal Government’s enforcement of the February 10, 2023 deadline for the expiration of the old Naira notes.
The angry youths WO converged at the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation urged the CBN not to abandons the policy midway into its implementation.
The protesters mostly youths urged the President to be resolute with the Naira redesign policy and issue an executive order to prohibit circulation of the old notes by February 10.
The Coordinator of Civil Society Central Body, who led the protest, Mr Obed Agu, advised Nigerians not to accept the old Naira notes which he said is inimical you their interest.
“We are rejecting the ex parte order , because it is a plot to open the bank vaults to enable vote buyers and holders of illicit wealth to have cash to buy votes. We ask the CJN to hurriedly vacate the exparte order in the overall interest of the Nigeria election.
“ We have analysed the situations thoroughly bearing the interest of the people at heart and we have come to the conclusion that the people are the ultimate beneficiaries of these policies.
“We reject the moves by some politicians to capitalise on the temporary challenges of the implementation of the policies. These challenges are mostly stage-managed to make it look like the policy is anti-people.
“We hereby call on the Central Bank leadership to continue and also double its efforts at resolving these hitches so that Nigerians will not be ripped off before they are able to access their money.
“The apex bank should also demand of all the CEOs and Managing Directors of all banks who received allocations of the new notes to bring documents to prove how all these monies were disbursed and in the units how they were disbursed.
“This call has become necessary with reports in the media showing that officials of banks have been arrested for hoarding the new notes while denying availability,” he said .
