The Joint Front of Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (JFCSON) has said that the 10 day extension of deadline for the swapping of old with the new naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is unrealistic, considering challenges being faced in accessing the new notes.
In a statement on Friday in Kaduna, the group lamented the hardship ordinary Nigerians have been subjected to, as a result of the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cashless policy.
The statement signed by Barnabas Yock, National President of JFCSON, said the February 10, deadline was unrealistic, noting that the deficiency in technological infrastructure among other challenges in the implementation of the policy must be look into.
The group maintained that the implementation of the policy has caused widespread hardship among Nigerians and called on the authorities to adopt measures that will address the problems.
The group also lashed at the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, for opposing any further extension of the deadline for the swapping of the notes.
“Atiku’s recent remarks opposing the extension of the deadline for the swap; the PDP’s challenge to the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s patriotic intervention, had confirmed that Atiku and the PDP are insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
“We note the patriotic intervention of the ruling party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose courageous outburst led to the extension of the deadline by 10 days”, the statement said.
Yayock said, “It is unfortunate that Atiku, who has spent many years asking Nigerians to trust him with leadership, could support policies that negatively affect ordinary Nigerians.”
The group maintained that if the policy is not properly implemented, it will weakened the economic base of many ordinary Nigerians.
