·       We will not allow anyone use us scuttle 2023 election – Emefiele

·       FG accuses opposition of frustrating policy

Protests have continued to trail new currency policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, as many Nigerians have throng the streets to register the difficult they encounter on daily basis in accessing the new naira notes from their various respective commercial banks across the country, even as most cities in the country are still battling with fuel scarcity,which has  made life unbearable to common citizens.

From Abeokuta to Benin, Akure to Lagos and other cities in the country, the story is the same, as angry bank customers stormed various banks in their locality to register their anger, after failing to withdraw their money.

In Abeokuta for instance, a protest broke out on Tuesday when residents flocked to the streets and roadways due to a severe cash shortage and the ensuing agonizing suffering, disrupted vehicle traffic as drivers and pedestrians fled the area in order to escape the protestors in a safe manner.

The demonstrators occupied  the streets of Aladesanmi, Fajol and Somorin in Obantoko in the state were seen building bonfires and yelling anti-CBN songs. These also extended to the Sapon branch of First Bank as protesters in an effort to set it on fire also vandalised properties in the bank.

It was however reported that one person was  shot in Sapon, following attempts by some persons to rob the bank. .

A reliable source said that  the bank became the target of some hoodlums, who were said to have hijacked the protest.

According to multiple sources, armed hoodlums besieged and tried to force their way inside after the canopy in front of the bank had earlier been set on fire and properties on the premises vandalised.

Schools were also reportedly closed following the confusion while a secondary school at Gbonagun, Obantoko was reportedly attacked.

A teacher at the school who pleaded anonymity said a tear gas canister was thrown into the school compound.

She said the teachers had to hurriedly evacuate the pupils to a safer place.

Meanwhile, the  state police command has warned youths to remain calm, saying it would deal decisively with anyone causing chaos in the State.

In a statement, Ogun Police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the protests, said officers are on top of the game monitoring the situations to prevent the destruction of property and loss of lives.

In Benin city, the situation took a different dimension as Edo State Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO)joined in the protest and shut down a CBN branch over scarcity of fuel and new naira notes.

The protesters also made the dualised and ever-busy Akpakpava Road in Benin where the CBN’s branch is located near the popular Ring Road impassable to commuters many of whom groaned and opted for alternative routes.

EDOCSO members who came out in multitude, were seen armed with placards and banners bearing anti-CBN inscriptions and chanting anti-governmental songs, declared they would continue with the peaceful protest until the needful was done.

Comrade Omobude Agho, a member of  EDOCSO leaders urged the CBN to ensure the new naira notes are made available to end the excruciating pains confronting Nigerians .

He however alleged that the hardship Nigerians are currently undergoing is a conscious calculation by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele to disrupt the forthcoming general elections.

At  Akure, angry members of the public  blocked a major highway as a way of registering their displeasure in the city due to fuel scarcity and cashless policy executed by the apex bank caused travellers plying the route to be stranded.

A cross-section of the protesters attributed their actions to the frustrations being faced in the banks and filling stations. According to videos making waves on the internet, the protesters were seen marching along the highway without the fear of security operatives who were visibly present, following the 24-hour warning of residents against staging protest by the Ondo State Police Command after he learnt about the planned protest ahead of time.

According to the state Commissioner of Police , Oyeyemi Oyediran,  the Command is aware of the agendas of the residents to stage a protest in order to vent their anger.

Oyediran enjoined residents of the state to desist from engaging into protest, said all security operatives are instructed to ensure the safety of residents and apprehend offenders of the law.

 

In Lagos, banks in some parts of the country’s commercial capital on Tuesday morning shut their doors against desperate customers seeking to cash their money.

In Town planning Lagos, a new generation bank shut its gates as early as 9 am to customers who couldn’t carry out transactions too.

At Obanikoro, two new generation banks also locked their gates against customers. Visibly angry and frustrated customers gathered in front of the banks, accusing CBN, banks and federal government of being insensitive to their plights.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emiefele has said that the apex will not allow itself to be used to frustrate the forthcoming general elections.

Emiefele, who spoke yesterday when the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) Prof Mahmood Yakubu led 11 National Commissioners on a visit to the Bank, said the CBN will make available every cash needed to pay logistics for the success of the elections.

He was responding to a request from Yakubu that the CBN should find a way of addressing scarcity of currency across the country 17 days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections since some service providers to the commission were “unbanned”.

He said: “The CBN will not allow itself to be used as agents to frustrate the forthcoming election which is a positive assignment.

“If you require cash to pay some of your service providers, we will make it available to you. We will not allow ourselves to be seen as agents that frustrate a genuine assignment.”

The INEC chairman had earlier assured  the CBN Governor that the 2023 polls will be the best in Nigeria’s history, adding that concerns have, however, been raised about the processes leading to the elections.

 

Also, the Federal Government of Nigeria on Tuesday, accused some opposition parties of legally restricting President Muhammadu Buhari from giving relief to Nigerians suffering agonies of cash crunch resulting from the naira redesign.

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, made the remark at the 23rd edition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration scorecard series (2015-2023) on Tuesday.

The programme was put in place to showcase the achievements of the Buhari administration.

In his opening remarks, the Minister said the Federal Government was mindful of the inconveniences being endured by Nigerians because of the redesigning of the naira notes and fuel supply disruptions.

According to him, the government was working assiduously to restore normalcy to the two key enablers of economic activities.

He said it was surprising that some opposition political parties ran to court to obtain an injunction restraining Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from extending the February 10 deadline for Nigerians to swap their old notes for new ones.

Mohammed said, “The court action came after a number of opposition parties threatened to boycott the 2023 general elections if the deadline was extended.

“These curious actions by the parties concerned are clear evidence that the opposition has turned this whole issue into a political game, preferring to make Nigerians suffer more on the altar of an unconscionable political gamesmanship.”

Mohammed added, “Or how else can one explain the fact that these unscrupulous opposition parties don’t want any action that could reduce the pains being experienced by Nigerians?.”

In a related development, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, while reacting to the various developments concerning the naira scarcity, on Tuesday appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and allow the Federal Government to proffer solutions to lingering fuel and new naira notes scarcity.

The scarcity of the new naira notes and the short deadline issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria has generated tension in the country.

However, addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu sympathised with Nigerians, especially the downtrodden, who he said have been made to bear the brunt of the new Naira policy by the Central Bank as well as the irregular supply of petrol that have combined to inflict avoidable pains on the masses.

On the hand, the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign has asserted that the new naira notes allegedly hoarded by the Presidential Candidate of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is causing Nigerians unimaginable pain and wrecking their means of livelihood.

The campaign in a statement on Tuesday by its Spokesperson, said that Nigerians are calling on Tinubu and his co-travelers in the APC to end their activities of intercepting and hoarding the new notes, for their vote buying plots not minding the excruciating hardship their sinister action is causing millions of Nigerians across the country.

He said, “Our campaign is alarmed by the exposed plot by Tinubu Campaign and some APC Governors to secretly swap a whooping N22.5 billion in old N1000 new notes in Kano as well as Lagos State where they will be warehoused for vote buying for the deflated Tinubu campaign.”