By Ismail Auwal
A coalition of civil society organizations has demanded Nigerian Governors Forum to join the three governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who have sued the Federal Government over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s naira redesign policy (CBN).
In a statement signed jointly by its convener, Dr. Usman Halilu, and his Secretary, William Abel, the group emphasized that an opportunity has presented itself for the governors to demonstrate that they genuinely care about Nigerians.
According to the group the silence of governors will be taken as an endorsements of the supposedly ill thought and poorly conceived naira redesigned policy that has crippled many small and medium businesses across the country.
” It would be unfortunate for governors to support a clearly anti-people policy that has thrown many Nigerians into unimaginable hardships.”
The group also appealed to governors to throw their weight behind the three Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara).
According to the statement the federal government has embarked on the policy within a narrow and unworkable time frame, and this has adversely affected Nigerian.
The group also expresses its disappointment with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate for supporting the Federation’s Demonetization Policy, which is “currently being carried out by the CBN under President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive.”
“It is clear that the policy is not in compliance with the extant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and actual laws on the subject.”
The coalition also commend the action of the three governors for ” dousing” the tension the scarcity of new notes has generated tension in the country.
