Chief Okey Nwosu former Chief of Staff to Owelle Rochas Okorocha has blamed the Governors of ten States that dragged the Federal Government before the Supreme Court over monetary policy indicating that with the directive for the old N200 notes to be used along with the new one the President has shown that he cares about the common man
Nwosu who spoke in Abuja on Monday at a press briefing said the policy is a very good one adding that the president has done his homework well.
He asked rhetorically why the governors are crying when the president has taken care of the masses.
He asked thee CBN to comply with the President’s directive to produce more of the N200 notes to alleviate the suffering of the people
“Most people are blaming Buhari but he has a reason why he has stuck to this decision. Do you know that no politician can withdraw N50m or N20m in N200 denomination because he will not be able to carry it.
“So when you blame Buhari also look at the good side of what he has done.
Nwosu who is also a stalwarts of the ruling All Progressives Congress said,
“In most of the developed nations we have cashless policy but it does not mean that there will be no cash at all. What it means is that the level of cash transactions will reduce.
“I see some people carrying N20m, N30m but go to UK, and some of these countries, if you are seen holding £50 they would be looking at you, even the attendant would have to go behind the counter and the supervisor will come to crosscheck if the currency is genuine. Why? because some of them have never seen £50 in their life
“My problem is with the National Orientation Agency, through the ministry of information who were supposed to have educated Nigerians. Nigerians were not educated on the cashless policy before it started.
“It is not CBN that is to educate Nigerians. There are other government agencies that are meant to disseminate information of Government policies and that is the minister of information and National Orientation Agency
“During the time of Jerry Gana once government policy comes out the jingles will be on TVs , radios before long people will be abreast with the policy
The problem between governors, Presidency and the masses, no politician in his right senses will want to see people that will vote you suffer because of currency redesign.
“Who among the politicians, the Governors will go to UK and bring out £100, 000 or even £50, 000 cash? They don’t do that.
“In every society once there is a new policy there must be some pain but after sometime they will be used to it
He said what he gained from the policy, is the fact that praise singers at events can no longer make him to part with money as before.
“Before now if you go to a function you see praise singers, you bring out N5000, N10000. D you know that the last one I went I told them I don’t have cash, they asked for transfer to their account number, I told them the network was failing. They were just looking at me. It has saved a lot of wastage.
He said the rural dwellers who would have been worse hit, have been taken care of with President Buhari’s approval for the N200 to be used along with the new N200 note
“What we should do is to also comply with what the President has said that the N200 naira notes which is the common denomination of the rural people be made available
Is it ripe for us to fully begin the implementation of the cashless policy
Let me start with the National Orientation Agency. It KS an agency under the ministry of information and I believe ghat the minister of information have access to the president. I have not heard the minister say that they are cash trapped, remember we have some government media, NTA, NAN, Radio Nigeria hoe many times have you heard
Take the location that is coming, is it not the duty of the National Orientation agency. I saw INEC, Parties doing the voters education
“It is the duty of the National Orientation Agency and ministry of information to highlight how people should vote uphill now we have not seen them do that
“They don’t need to pay NTA or radio Nigeria so there are some government agencies you can start from first, everything cannot be money.
“When the head of any agency is wrong the entire agency will be wrong. So we blame the ministry of information and the National Orientation agency for not being able to disseminate the messages of the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari in Rural areas
“Every policy comes with it its own side defects but it takes time for people to get used to that policy. Before now do we do internet transfer? Everybody goes n. I remember when we used to go to NITEL very early in the morning or late in the night to make calls
“Before now people go to bank to fill forms and submit to do transfer but now they do that with their phones so things come bit by bit. I am of that within a short period of time, this shouting and crying we are having now, things will soon come back to normal but it depends on the agencies that are concerned.
“CBN should be able to put more cash into the system. They should print more of the N200 notes
“The banks are also a problem, whether you like it or note some of the banks will take the cash and give to the politicians. We have to beam search lights on those banks. I thank God that the EFCC, ICPC and some of the government security agencies are on their trail so let them beam their searchlight on banks.”