By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The senator representing Borno South senatorial district in the National Assembly and the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has added his voice to the negative reactions trailing the redesign and poor issuance of the new naira notes, leading to its attendant scarcity, lamenting that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, policy has caused more economic damage to the military troops fighting Boko Haram/ISWAP and other terrorists activities in the country.
Ndumee said that the new policy has forced many frontline troops, especially those fighting Boko Haram/ ISWAP, to perpetual hunger, as they could not get the new currency to buy food items within some areas of engagement.
The senator sad this on Saturday during an interaction parley with journalists at his Maiduguri residence.
He said that the hardship imposed on Nigerians by the CBN policy has nearly caused the life of a soldier, when some mobs attempted to kill him during a fracas at one of the ATM queues.
Pointing out that apart from subjecting troops to hunger, the shortage of the new naira notes have caused logistical problems for military operations in moving their fighting equipments, Senator Ndume noted that, although, he was not against the CBN policy of redesigning a new currency, but such new notes should be made available to the general public, irrespective of political or social background, inline with international best practice.
He said, “I want to categorically join other concerned Nigerians voicing out their anger on the current shortages of the newly redesigned naira notes, which has crippled economic activities all over the country.
“I want to tell the Federal Government, and particularly the CBN, that the situation on ground is not only affecting the masses, but most importantly, it is affecting military operations, and the security agencies who are fighting against terrorism and other criminal activities in the country.
“This is because what I discovered during my recent visit to my constituency, is that many soldiers, who were deployed to various remote areas, are finding it very difficult to survive, as they dont have money to buy food and other non-food items.
“If as senator, I am yet to get access to the new currency, what of troops who are on the frontline, defending our nation from terrorists. I am aware that even some troops who have secured passes, who do come to nearby commercial banks to withdraw, ended up with disappointment, as the new naira notes remained inaccessible from the counter or from the Automated Teller Machines, ATMs.
“It is very unfortunate that the hardship posed on Nigerians by this CBN policy, have nearly caused the life of a soldier, when some mobs attempted to kill him during a fracas at one of the ATM queues.”
He therefore call on the Federal Government and the CBN to expediate action to ensure that the new currency are made available to the people with immediate effect, so as to avoid similar protests witnessed during the EndSARS.
Recall that while implementing the policy, the CBN only made available only N300 billion new notes, while it has recovered about N2.7 trillion old notes in circulation.
