NAIRA REDESIGN: Nigerians Shouldn't Be Worried As it Will Curb Vote Buying, Electoral Fraud - Alamin

Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi

The Assistant Director Grassroot engagement and Orientation of Tinubu Shettima Presidential Campaign Council PCC, has explained that the New Naira notes will curb, vote buying electoral fraud, and is a good Nigerian project that will help to guarantee free fair credible and  acceptable 2023 general elections.

Al'ameen who was a one time Bauchi State Gubernatorial aspirant under the flat form of All Progressive Congress APC stated this today in Bauchi when he interacted with reporters.He said the only legacy that President Muhammadu Buhari will left is for Nigerians to have leaders elected through true democratic process.

He said the recent visit of APC Governors to President Buhari exposed them as seldom centered leaders who may want touse their position to instigate the masses against the Federal Government, but masses and the APC Governors differ they have since parted way with them,  they are in support of Nigeria project of redisigning the Naira.

Al'ameen urged the Federal Government have to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN to improve on its monitoring and regulatory roles of the banks, by sanctioning any erring banks and strength law enforcement agencies, like EFCC, ICPC, DSS Police and other intelligence agencies to clamp down on hoarders of new naira notes, and thire selling the new notes as the best way to ease the suffering of Nigerians and help Nigerians to support the project.

Al'ameen, a politician and public affairs analyst, blamed governors National Assembly members, greed politicians, banks, self centered Nigerians for the current hardship and called for sanctions where necessary.

Al'ameen said President Muhammadu Buhari has a good intention in redesigning the new naira notes, but some banks politicians who want to use money to buy votes, created many hurdles and challenges to the success of the exercise.

He advised President not to accept the suggestions of the governors whom he described as anti Nigerian good project, that want him to extend it to December 2023, because they are doing it to sabotage the project.

Al'ameen said the president  was elected by Nigerians, and for that, he should do everything to curb curruption, vote buying, banditary, kidnapping and other societal ills.

He said the redesigned denominations of N200, N500 and N1,000 naira notes and new limits on large cash withdrawals would help curb money laundering and make digital payments the norm in Africa's biggest economy.

“I would have expected the CBN to supply the banks adequate with naira notes immediately after the launch last year. By this, once a customer walks into a bank either for withdrawal or for deposit, he or she would be given the new notes. But that never happened, thus giving room for speculations and hoarding as we are currently experiencing."

He urges stakeholders in Nigeria's market value chain to embrace new redisign of New naira and discharge their various responsibilities to create an enabling market rather than resorting to blame games and counter accusations.

Alameen accused operators in the financial sector of sabotaging the effort of CBN, and expressed his dissatisfaction over the way members of the National Assembly, (senators and house of representatives members) who are not playing by the rules, thereby creating problems where there is none.

Al'ameen said even though introducing the new naira notes came at a dangerous period of electioneering campaign, which forced people to see the process to replace the old currency notes as “rushed,” and commercial banks don't have enough new cash to give to customers, pushing demand higher than supply.

In his words, "even though it comes at a wrong time of electioneering campaign  considering the challenges of poverty, hunger, crime and criminality, armed robbery, kidnapping and other challenges bedeviled the country."

He stressed that people should see it as a national project aimed at addressing problems related to terrorism activities, curruption using money to buy votes, it would reduce cash in circulation and also solve the challenge of prolonged savings in piggy banks, cash hoarding and incidences of fake currencies.

He said If CBN, security agencies and politicians cooperate it will make the 

project to succeed.