The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday said it would shut down the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) starting from Wednesday next week for its failure to make cash available to Nigerians, thereby causing untold hardship to the citizenry.
Already the NLC has directed all the affiliate unions to begin the mobilisation to ensure total compliance with the proposed shutdown of the apex bank.
Besides, it directed workers to sit at home from Wednesday of next week and also stockpile foodstuffs that would take them as the industrial action lasts.
The President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja at the end of the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting to review the seven-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government to make cash available to the people.
Ajaero urged Nigerians to bear with the NLC as the action was meant to reduce the sufferings Nigerians are passing through as a result of the cash crunch.
“We will be physically present in all the CBN offices nationwide,” he said.
According to him, “Last week at the end of our CWC meeting, we gave a one-week ultimatum for the Federal Government to address immediately, among other issues.
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“Issue of cash crunch that was caused by the policy. As of this morning (Wednesday) when the CWC met again to review the situation, we discovered that not much, improvement has been made.
“The situation is still almost the same. People are still buying our currency with our currencies. People can no longer assess the currency and the government seems to be very adamant about this. No moves have been made to reduce the suffering of Nigerians.
“Consequently, the CWC-in-session resolved to go into the process of actualizing the one-week notice.
“From Friday, there will be mobilisation of all state councils through an NEC meeting. All unions have already been directed to mobilise all their organs and their branches. By Wednesday, next week, all Central Bank of Nigeria offices nationwide will be picketed.
“All Central Bank from the CBN headquarters will be shut till further notice. Workers are directed to stay at home and join in the picketing exercise.
“We call on Nigerians to understand the circumstances we’re operating in. People will be telling you about the political situation. The political situation is self-inflicted and the economic situation is worse than the political situation because people cannot eat.”
He further said, “Workers can no longer go to the office and nothing is happening. So we have been pushed to the wall having given one week and we thought they could address the situation which is not addressed.
“We have decided to take our destiny into our hands. So, comrades, the mobilisation commences immediately and when we talk of action from Wednesday, it’s total. Until further notice.”
Recall that the Supreme Court had in its judgment on the suit brought by some governors against the deadline given by the CBN for the cash swap ordered that the old and new naira notes should circulate side by side till December 31, 2023.
There are allegations that the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele had taken instruction from President Muhammadu Buhari not to obey the nation’s apex court judgement.
*Presidency exonerates Buhari over non-compliance with S’ Court judgement
But the presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu had exonerated Buhari over the non-compliance with the court judgement.
On the concerns that President Buhari did not react to the Supreme Court judgement on the issue of the N500 and N1,000 old currency notes, he stated that there was no time the President instructed the Attorney General and the CBN Governor to disobey any court orders involving the government and other parties.
He noted that since the President was sworn into office in 2015, he has never directed anybody to defy court orders, in the strong belief that the country can’t practice democracy without the rule of law and the commitment of his administration to this principle has not changed.
He said, “Following the ongoing intense debate about the compliance concerning the legality of the old currency notes, the Presidency, therefore, wishes to state clearly that President Buhari has not done anything knowingly and deliberately to interfere with or obstruct the administration of justice.
“The President is not a micromanager and will not, therefore, stop the Attorney General and the CBN Governor from performing the details of their duties under the law. In any case. It is debatable at this time if there is proof of wilful denial by the two of them on the orders of the apex court.
“The directive of the President, following the meeting of the Council of State is that the Bank must make available for circulation all the money that is needed and nothing has happened to change the position.
“It is a fact that the President is an absolute respecter of the judicial process and the authority of the courts. He has done nothing in the last eight or so years to act in any way to obstruct the administration of justice, cause a lack of confidence in the administration of justice, or otherwise interfere or corrupt the courts and there is no reason whatsoever that he should do so now when he is getting ready to leave office.
“As for the cashless system the CBN is determined to put in place, it is a known fact that many of the country’s citizens who bear the brunt of the sufferings, surprisingly support the policy as they believe that the action would cut corruption, fight terrorism, build an environment of honesty and reinforce the incorruptible leadership of the President.”
