The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to bear with the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the new naira notes.
Obi made the appeal via his Twitter handle on Sunday, saying he hopes the masses will harvest the gains that will come with the reforms.
He stated that currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that the policy comes with some pains but has benefits in the long-term.
“The currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is an exercise that comes with some inconvenience and pain but it has significant long term economic and social benefits. Even though there are improvements that can be made,” he tweeted.
“I urge Nigerians to bear with the CBN and Federal Government with the hope that the general populace and Nigeria will harvest the gains that will come with the reforms.
“We equally implore the CBN and the banks to expedite efforts to make the new currency available to small depositors and the unbanked in order to reduce the pains of my fellow Nigerians, especially the underprivileged and those living far away from banks in the rural areas.”
Amid the calls for an extension, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele on Friday insisted that the apex bank will not extend the deadline for swapping old naira notes with the newly redesigned ones.
He told journalists in Lagos that the apex bank and other stakeholders are already looking addressing areas where there are pressures.
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