By Nicholas Ojo
The Nigerian opposition, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has accused the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila of orchestrating a plot to scuttle the CBN policy with an illegal Currency Change Procedure Amendment Bill.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration will not go back on the plan of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign the nation’s highest currency notes of N1,000, N500, and N200.
The president said the naira redesign policy announced last month by the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, will be implemented.
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However, CUPP said the redesigning of the naira currency policy is a welcome one and has come to stay for the clean-up and development of our electoral processes.
The group alleged that the primary aim of the proposed Bill at the House of Representatives is to scuttle the CBN policy and stall the redesign of the naira currency, buying them time to use their stacked-up cash for vote buying in the February elections.
This is contained in the statement issued on Monday by CUPP spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who stressed that all the Godfathers with old naira warehouses are solidly behind the Speaker and House of Reps on the plan.
“The Nigeria Opposition, Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has hailed the CBN Governor on the redesigning of the naira currency. CUPP noted that this new policy from the central bank is vital and will help to ensure a credible election in the February polls.
“The redesigning of the Naira will be a major setback for illicit transactions and vote buyers who have already stacked up cash for the elections.
“Hence, CUPP commends the CBN Governor for this outstanding contribution to free, fair, credible, acceptable, and inclusive elections.
“However in a plot twist to undermine the elections a new plan has emerged from the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila of the ruling APC, has orchestrated a plot to scuttle the CBN policy with an illegal Currency Change Procedure Amendment Bill.
“The primary aim of the proposed Bill at the House of Representatives is to scuttle the CBN policy and stall the redesign of the naira currency, buying them time to use their stacked-up cash for vote buying in the February elections. CUPP states that all the Godfathers with old naira warehouses are solidly behind the Speaker and House of Reps on this.
“CUPP thus warns Nigerians and the remaining credible lawmakers to resist this move by the Speaker and his cohorts.
“The redesigning of the naira currency policy is a welcome one and has come to stay for the clean-up and development of our electoral processes.
“His unpatriotic move by the Speaker will fail woefully” The CUPP maintained that those who have looted Lagos state treasury over the years and now own Naira warehouses now want to use the stashed cash to buy power into Aso Rock just the way they purchased their party’s presidential ticket stressing that the opposition would support the CBN not to shift the 31st January deadline date for the current note to cease to be legal tender.
“The coalition also called not the Senate not to concur in passing the Bill and also urged the President where in the unlikely event the National Assembly members betray the people not to sign the Bill into law.
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“The godfathers behind this Bill have made handsome provisions to procure the support of majority of the members of the National Assembly. The opposition further wondered why Speaker Gbajabiamila would want to hurriedly pass an amendment that would render a laudable CBN policy ineffective if not for political reasons.
“The House had in a Bill to be presented on the floor of the House sponsored by Speaker Gbajabiamila and six other APC members proposed to move the three month notice required by the CBN to withdraw or redesign any currency to six month thereby forcing a shift in the 31st January 2023 deadline to sometime at the end of April 2023 after the Presidential, and Governorship elections have been concluded,” the statement partly read.