By Abdullahi Yusuf
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has condemned the support of the opposition People’s Democratic Party(PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP) for the CBN’s “ill-timed” Naira redesign policy.
A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary,Malam Abba Anwar, said the Governor made remark while launching the distribution of palliatives to ease the hardships caused by scarcity of Naira notes, which held at the Open Theatre, Government House, on Monday.
“To our surprise, apposition parties took the situation to court supporting and protecting CBN in this ill-timed and anti-people policy. That was not done in the most appropriate way and time.Governors of Bayelsa and Edo are all PDP states and are in the forefront in this blunder.
“So also NNPP came out and said what the governor of Kano State said in rejecting CBN’s Naira Swap was wrong, according to them.”
“I wonder what is wrong in speaking the truth that all Nigerians are seriously suffering because of this anti-human and ill-advised phenomenon,” the Governor asked.
Adding that, “What PDP and NNPP want is for people to continue wallowing in poverty. We will not stop blaming CBN for this economic blunder. We love our people. Therefore, anything that will disturb their well being must be rejected, till proper channel and good time are put forth.”
Ganduje then disclosed that the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had promised Nigerians that he would end the current hardships caused by the CBN,if elected.
On the palliatives distribution, the Governor said the State Government was distributing the items in order to cushion the effects of the hardships caused to deliberately disturb the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Lamenting that, “We didn’t invite this situation, neither did we pray for it. And therefore, we don’t welcome it at all. We gave similar palliatives during the COVID-19 days.”
“And today our citizens are being faced with COVID-23 caused by the CBN. We earlier thought it was a simple disease, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a very serious virus going viral.”
Explaining that, “…the virus coming from the CBN has affected all our commercial banks, our POS, our ATM machines and all other things associated with this. Being the most populous state in the country, we are most affected by this unfortunate development.”
The Governor said beneficiaries of the palliatives would come from all the 44 local governments areas of the state.
“Today’s event is just to launch the distribution. It will continue from today. As we continue providing free buses for our people, just to cushion the effects of the CBN’s virus, COVID-23,” he added.
