The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, CCSOs has kicked against the Supreme Court judgment forcing the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to remove the February 10, 2023 deadline on the circulation of the old naira notes and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to issue an executive order to overturn it.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, the coalition described the judgment as injurious to the common good and beneficial to elements in the political class who the coalition claimed was determined to procure votes through the money they have piled up for vote buying.
Supreme Court had on Wednesday following an exparte motion brought by the Kogi, Zamfara and Kaduna State governments lifted the February 10, 2023 deadline put forward by the CBN for the use of the old notes.
Immediately responding at a press conference in Abuja the CSO leaders led by the national coordinator of the CCSOs, Obed Okwukwe said the judgment was against the interest of the majority of Nigerians saying that it would further entrench vote buying.
They urged politicians to open their piles of old notes and distribute same to the populace if they really loved the masses as they claim.
Comrade Okwukwe accused some of the banks of being in a conspiracy with the politicians to sabotage the policy.
He expressed shock that despite the distribution of the new notes that some bank officials appeared to be in a conspiracy with some political actors to sabotage the distribution of the new naira notes.
They also called on the CBN to make an example of any of the banks found to be so culpable to act as a deterrent to others who may be inclined towards sabotaging the policy of the Buhari led government.
“We urge the apex bank to set example of any of the commercial banks who have been found sabotaging the policy to serve as an example to others wanting to do the same.
“The problem Nigerians are facing is not the cash redesign policy but the criminal hijack of the process by politicians. In Yobe State for example more than N4 billion was delivered but the money is nowhere to be found,” Okwukwe said following the Supreme Court judgment lifting the deadline on the naira.
