Naira Redesign is Genocide in Disguise-CONGOS

By Lucky Isibor

The ongoing implementation of the Nigeria Naira redesign policy of the Federal Government has been described as genocide against the Nigerian people given the number of persons who have died while trying to access their hard earned money deposited in banks in pursuit of legitimate livilihood and those who have been allegedly killed by security agencies while protesting the policy.

Mrs Daisy Abiola Igaga, flanked by other members of CONGOS at the press briefing

The Conference of Non Governmental Organisations (CONGOS), made the accusation in Benin City Saturday, 11 February at a press conference addressed by its president, Mrs Daisy Abiola Igaga in conjunction with market women and traders. CONGOS noted that the policy was crafted with diabolical intentions to kill poor Nigerians with hunger and keep survivors of what it described as harsh policy implementation in squalor and want, as according to them the people have virtually abandoned their economic and productive pursuits in search of their legitimately earned money for basic existential needs of food and water.

According to Mrs Daisy Abiola Igaga who addressed the press at Oliha Market in Benin City, "While government pronounced a Naira redesign, the implementation of the policy has turned out as the withdrawal of cash from circulation. It has become an agenda for the imposition of the cashless policy on the people in a manner that does not accommodate their preparedness for the implementation of the policy nor acknowledge the shortcomings in the infrastructural capacity of our country.

"It is painful that Nigerians are no longer indulged in active economic engagements, but are struggling to have access to money for basic existential needs of food and water. In this context they have to buy the Naira at a price to be able to afford their basic existential desires. The Naira has become a commodity and our government celebrates itself.

"The Conference of Non Governmental Organisations frawn at the collapse of economic activities in Nigeria under the guise of cashless policy or currency redesign. These are mere slogans, adopted to hoodwink the Nigerian people in an orchestra matrix tailored to entirely ruin the Nigerian economy.

"We consider the present disposition of the Nigerian government as genocidal and urge the people to begin to reassert their humanness - their expression of human dignity, their right to economic activity and existence, their right to life etched in access to food as the barest level of human survival".

While calling for the sack of Godwin Emeifile as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for alleged indictment on corruption related charges, CONGOS called for "the immediate suspension of the cashless policy and return to the status quo whereby those who have the capacity and facilities to indulge in online commercial activities and cashless transactions are prospered and those that don't have the facility are also able to pursue their commercial objective and interest without let or hindrance.

"We urge that the Naira redesign be conventionally applied. In other words, the currency swap which attends upon currency redesign is carefully and systematically regulated until the new design displaces the old design from the street. This takes a period of between 6 months, one year or more".

In her remarks, the deputy market women leader (Iye Eki) of Oliha market, Mrs Eniye Ero deplored the hardship the market women are going through as patronage has become very low as a result of the scarcity of the Naira which she said has rendered the market women redundant and their perishable goods, especially food items wasted. She urged the government to allow the redesigned Naira notes to circulate alongside the old notes until the old design fizzles out naturally.

In their separate remarks, Hajia Rabi Abiri who is the chairperson of the Edo State chapter of Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Roseline Odiase, the initiator of INECA for health and community development and Mrs Esther Oligbo decried the prevailing situation where they have resorted to buying the Naira they saved in their banks to be able to buy the basic necessities of life. They urged the Federal Government to allow the old Naira notes to circulate alongside the redesigned Naira notes until the old design goes out of circulation.