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The present quagmire of the cash dearth in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. One can sanely profess that the federal government of Nigeria under the hegemony of General Muhammadu Buhari possesses a lackadaisical attitude towards it. The question being asked by the majority of Nigerians is: Will the government never take swifter action to remove the hapless hoi polloi from the deep pit of this discomfort?
This present situation of scarcity of the new naira notes is like death that has no deference for anyone. The opulent and the average people are now equal. They both maintain queues in banks, wanting to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machines(ATM). Having a humongous amount of money in the bank without having access to its withdrawal due to the menace of the scarcity of the new naira notes or indispensable ATM is disheartening and it is the primary problem being dolefully encountered by the affluent as well this time around.
Indubitably, the problem in discourse has hamstrung massive number of people from providing for their family and personal needs. It is an understatement to say people are suffering and smiling; the people are outrightly suffering with no giggle registered on their faces. The changing of the naira notes has created more harm than good for the people and to the economic condition of the country as well.
Sadly, I heard of a patient who gave up the ghost because she wasn’t given proper attention in a hospital due to inability to pay because of the cash scarcity.
Frankly, I didn’t support the redesigning or changing of the colour of the naira notes that occurred when the Buhari-led administration is about to end because of the political tone I envisaged might be underneath. Why should the development be done when it remains some months that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari will pack his loads out of the Aso Rock in Abuja? Is this not done to put filth on the toga of the All Progressives Congress (APC) so that the party will look like faeces in the sight of the gentle Nigerians? Is that not a political gimmick taken on the ground of ethnicity to hinder the chance of Alh Bola Ahmed Tinubu? These are the questions begging for an apt answer.
In the 2019 gubernatorial election of Oyo state, if one could divulge the crystal fact without any ounce of trepidation, the major chance that enables the incumbent governor of the state, Engineer Seyi Makinde to fortuitously mount the gubernatorial mantle of Oyo state rested on the pangs inflicted on the state government workers and the people generally under Sen. Abiola Ajimobi-led administration. Consequently, people epitheted the All Progressives Party (APC) as not people-minded, and votes were massively cast by the people for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Have Nigerians not been tagging APC otherwise because of Buhari’s maladministration in Nigeria? Economic downturn, insecurity, joblessness, fuel price hike, scarcity of cash, poor infrastructural amenities among others are the features of Buhari’s administration. Nonetheless, there is no administration or administrator without its or his Achille heels but this bad experience encountered during Buhari’s stint is immensurable.
As Nigerians suffer the naira notes exchange hardship, the show of madness or display of comedy crept in. Of recent, a video clip of a man in a bank who, out of frustration, undressed his cloth, “buba” in the Yoruba language, sat on the counter and yelled that the bank should give him his money with immediate alacrity, hit the airwaves. This action is comic and, in another view, awful. I wonder how his children will feel when the video clip is being watched by them. In my view, it can be regarded as a “public self-disgrace” unknowingly done to tarnish the image of oneself.
This pickle of the scarcity of naira notes has even metamorphosed commercial bank into religious house or even a mosque. A picture was captured in one commercial bank where some people were observing prayer. They observed what is called “Solat” which is one of the five pillars of Islam. What I think necessitated that was the fear of not being counted out of the queue. But, is the action normal?
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Also, the most mind-blowing video clip perverting social media platforms is where a lady, who unscrupulously undressed in a bank; publicly displaying what ought to be kept private. She began to shout thus: “Give me my money, close my account, my children didn’t go to their citadel of learning yesterday, they didn’t go today.” Aftermath, a sympathetic banker got emotionally captured and she ordered her to follow him. What they did after that didn’t appear in the video clip I watched online. For how long shall we experience this?
Last week, commoners were pushed to the wall and they launched of protest which was turned into the orgy of violence by men of the underworld in Ibadan, the state capital of Oyo state. Unfortunately, it reportedly claimed the life of one person and left many injured. This is somber and it has been condemned by Engr. Seyi Makinde. The protest launched by the people is an indication that people are in discomfort.
Truly, the deadline for the collection of old notes has been shifted to February 10 yet, the new naira notes are yet to reach the general public or wider circulation. As the hardship lingers, it is pertinent to ask that: Are the bank managers or officials ceasing the new naira from being circulated? If yes, the federal government should take swifter action in bringing those banks and the bank officials to the infamous book of history and be punished in accordance with the law. Refusal to do that, it may be turned into a business and Nigerians may be vexed uncontrollably and a national protest may be launched which may deteriorate or worsen the security condition of the country to an irreparable degree and may have adverse effects on the upcoming presidential election.
At this juncture, the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria are herein beseeched to work hand in hand to alleviate the problem of the cash scarcity being encountered by the people. The earlier it’s done, the better it will be.
Inaolaji writes from Ogbomoso, Oyo state. inaolajiolayode@gmail.com
