Wike Sends Distress Message To President Buhari Over New Naira Note Debacle

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has joined other political leader who call on the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria to review the urgency of new naira note currently creating a ripple on the country’s economy.

Wike on Friday told President Muhammadu Buhari that the policy does not in any way fight corruption or vote buying as intended but has brought untold hardship on Nigerians.

Speaking during his address at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally in Okrika Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers State, Governor Wike reminded President Buhari that the business of governance does not include inflicting hardship on the people.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in December 2022, rolled out re-designed N200, N500 and N1,000 notes and set a deadline for Nigerians to replace their old notes with the new notes.

However, the scarcity of the new notes has brought anguish and pain to Nigerians.

Amidst the development, the federal government said its intention was not to bring hardship on Nigerians but to curb vote buying, tackle corruption, counter holders of illicit funds, and fight other vices.

But Wike on Friday said the policy does not have anything to do with fighting corruption but is making the masses suffer.

The Rivers State Governor called on the President to device other means of fighting corruption.

In his words, “Mr President, I know the pressure. But please, since two of us are going at the same time, this policy has nothing to [do with trying to] fight corruption at all. It has nothing to [do with trying to] fighting politicians at all.

“The policy aims to suffer the people who elected us to govern over them (sic). Our business is not to make the people suffer. We all know how to fight corruption; we all know how to fight politicians. This particular one does not come in at all.”