[HAPPENING NOW] New naira: Protesters block CBN entrance in Edo

A civil society group in Edo State, Edo Civil Society Group led by Comrade Agho Omobude on Tuesday blocked the main entrance of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Benin City over the scarcity of the naira notes which has brought suffering to millions of Nigerians.

As a result of the protest, vehicles coming into the Ring Road through Akpakpava were forced to go through Igun Street to Sokponba before linking up with Ring Road.

The protesters called on the appropriate authority to make the new naira notes available to reduce the suffering of Nigerians who are presently going through hell to access their money, while urging the CBN to start giving out N100, N50 and N20 notes if the new notes were not available.

Omobude said the naira swap policy at this time was a deliberate attempt by the central bank governor, Godwin Emiefele, in connivance with the Federal Government to subject the masses to untold hardship.

He vowed that the group would remain at the entrance of the bank until the head of the central bank, Benin branch, came out to address them on the situation, adding that it was inhuman to continue to allow Nigerians to remain in this suffering.

Omobude told The PUNCH that the CBN in Edo and the Civil Society Organisation reached some agreements before they (Civil Society Group) left the bank’s gate about 1pm.

He said, “We are tired of the crisis the shortage of the new naira note is causing. People are suffering and we say no to it. We reached an agreement with the CBN to disburse the smaller denominations across the counter with each customer getting N20,000.

“They also told us that the new notes should be made available and disbursed across the counter and through the Automated Teller Machines in all the banks.

“They have also accepted to include members of the Civil Society Organisations in the monitoring team set up by the apex bank to ensure monies given to banks are disbursed,” he added.