Angry reactions have continued to trail the twin problems of lingering fuel scarcity and poor implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) cash swap policy that have left many citizens cash strapped and unable to attend to their basic needs for about three days now.
Many Nigerians who vent their frustrations to The Guardian lamented that while they were battling to adjust to purchasing fuel at N350 – N400 per litre or spending the whole day at the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) petrol stations to buy at government’s regulated price of N185 per litre, the CBN compounded their woes with the haphazard execution of its naira re-design and swap policy.
The frustration has triggered a near situation of unrest across the country, with people lamenting that they have money in the banks but were going about hungry because they can’t access it.
In Lagos State, there were protests in some parts of the state against the policy last Thursday, even as some commercial banks had a hectic time trying to calm their customers who became unruly following their inability to have access to their money.
This was as Point of Sale (POS) operators have cashed in on the situation to fleece their customers who now pay between N800 and N1000 to withdraw N5,000. Findings by The Guardian also showed that traders and petrol stations were selling cash to residents who were in desperate need of cash at the rate of N1,000 per N10,000.
Meanwhile, queues yesterday persisted at the ATM points of commercial banks branches in the state even though they attend to only customers who have an account with them.
“I spent 2.30 minutes at the ATM point of one of the commercial banks, but could only withdraw N10,000. That was because I have an account with the bank. People who came with other banks’ ATM cards could only withdraw N1,000. What will I do with N1,000 in a weekend? The government must do something urgent before the situation gets out of hand. A hungry man is an angry man,” said a resident who asked for anonymity.
Bisi Adekunle, a resident in Oke Afa area of the state, said: “I was not born during the war, but I am old and educated enough to know the definition of war – Nigeria is at war again and when there is war, nothing works! My husband couldn’t return home yesterday, because he spent the whole day at a bank in Victoria Island. He said he had to sleep over at a friend’s place, as he couldn’t get money to transport back home.
“However, that wasn’t even as disturbing as the pain of knowing his family were at home and couldn’t feed because there is no money. I literally begged a neighbour for bread, so my children can have breakfast before going to school. I have never felt so embarrassed, but I had to do it. These children fed on leftovers all through yesterday and by this morning, there are no leftovers and, so I had to shamefully beg a neighbour for bread for them. She gave us but had her own lamentation of the present situation of the country that I was compelled to listen to before she gave the half loaf of bread. So, when I say we are at war, you may want to look around the situation with the masses. When there is no access to money there is hunger, strife and anger. Before you know it, young boys will get into crime, robbery and killing. I don’t even want to address the fuel and electricity scarcity because that seems like something that can be controlled or managed if there is access to money.
“If you have money, you can call the bluff of electricity providers and go for inverters until they return to their senses or even buy fuel from black marketers to power your generating set, however expensive. Although these are not acceptable resolves in a country that works, Nigerians have come to terms with the reality of being citizens in a country that doesn’t work, no thanks to our leaders, law and policy makers.”
On his part, Ademola Olatunji, said: “When money was in circulation, we were struggling to purchase fuel, but at least, we had the money. But now, there is no money! Even when you manage to have access to fuel, you can’t purchase as fuel attendants insist on cash only. They say the POS is not functional due to the poor bank network. At this point, I don’t know who to blame between President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who is supposed to know better, but unfortunately finds himself dancing to the tunes of Buhari who we all can’t wait to leave and give us some breathing space.”
In Oyo State, youths armed with dangerous weapons such as iron rods, stones, plastic chairs, broken bottles, among others, yesterday blocked the entrance of the State Secretariat and a portion of the road linking Bodija to the Secretariat axis with burn fire.
The protesters eventually forced their way into the state Secretariat and headed straight to the Governor’s Office where an Inspector of Police who was on duty was injured.
It was gathered that the injured officer, Dynasty Layemo, was stoned by the angry mobs while he was trying to prevent them from gaining access to the main Governor’s Office Complex. It was also learnt that the officer has been rushed to the clinic for proper treatment.
As at the time of filling this report, the state joint security outfit known as Operation Burst, some police officers, including Amotekun officers, were on ground to maintain law and order despite the fact that some civil servants on duty were panicking.
Reacting, the Executive Assistant to Governor Makinde on Security Matters, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd), said the protest was out of place, because what was happening was affecting everybody.
“You can’t start destroying government properties because you are affected by government policies. The issues at hand affect everybody and the governments are working to bring an end to it,” he said.
Also, the angry youths were said to have invaded the Federal Secretariat at Ikolaba area of the state.
The tension in Oyo State has forced Governor Seyi Makinde and the governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP), Chief Adebayo Adelabu to suspend their gubernatorial campaigns.
Makinde, whose campaign trail has visited some parts of the state, made the announcement during the flag-off of the Omi-Adio-Ido Road project yesterday.
The governor said the suspension was in solidarity with the people over the anti-people policies of the Federal Government.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, directed that all campaign activities be suspended until further notice.
Adelabu in a statement in Ibadan, said the suspension was necessary to sympathise with the people on the hardship they are going through as a result of the on going fuel scarcity and the naira redesigning.
The statement read: “I sympathise with Nigerians on their present predicament. To say times are hard is an understatement. No one is left out in this situation. People have money in the bank and they cannot access cash.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on government to as a matter of urgency address the problem. Our people cannot continue to suffer while politicians are dancing around at rallies. These are the people we want to govern.”
In Edo State, there was tension at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ugbowo campus, last Thursday, as some students engaged a lone soldier in fisticuffs from the nearby S&T Military Barracks.
In an online viral video, some students of the institution were seen brutalising the uniformed soldier as they shoved and kicked him for attempting to forcefully jump the queue at an ATM point at Ugbowo Campus.
Reacting to the incident, the Management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has appealed for calm, saying concerted efforts were being made to avert a re-occurrence.
THE GUARDIAN
