Olusegun Olanrewaju and Seyi Odewale
Residents of Sapon in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday took to the streets to demonstrate their dissatisfaction over the scarcity of new naira notes and the attendant excruciating pains of the new naira policy and petroleum products.

The protesters were seen chanting protest songs on Aladesanmi, Fajol, and Somorin in the Obantoko area of Abeokuta.

It was learnt that one person was killed following the riot. The crisis leading to the death of the victim was said to have started at a branch of GTbank in the Asero area of Abeokuta, where customers had queued since 4am but could not withdraw cash.

The protesters were said to have attempted to attack the bank but they were repelled by the police following a prompt intervention.

There were bonfires in many areas as police officers mobilised at strategic areas to maintain law and order.

The angry protesters blocked the popular Moore in the Asero area of the state, along Abeokuta -Ibadan road, while another protest was witnessed in the Panseke area.

The scenarios forced some business owners to lock up their stalls over the fear of being attacked by angry residents, who cannot access monies at their various banks.

Also, it was noticed that there were long queues at various banks in the Panseke and Oke-Ilewo axis of the town.

Protesters set fire to unused tyres at Moore junction, thereby obstructing traffic inbound Abeokuta and outbound Ibadan to express their displeasure over the current situation across the country.

However, there were security agents, especially, the operatives of the Ogun State Police Command at the two spots to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incidents and assured members of the public to remain calm and go about their normal business.

He said, “We are aware of the protests in some parts of the state. Our men have been mobilised to the areas to ensure the protest is under control.

“We were able to put off the bonfire at Asero junction and we appealed to the protesters to vacate the road for motorists.”

An eyewitness report claimed that a bank branch in Sapon was vandalised as the protesters attempt to set it ablaze.

IGP orders posting/redeployment of DIGs, AIGs, CPs to various departments, commands, formations

*Abiodun sues for peace, meets traditional rulers

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called on the protesters to stop their protests and allow the outcome of his engagement with the Bankers Forum and the CBN to yield fruits.

Abiodun who made this known during the Statutory meeting of the council of Obas, held at the Oba’s complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria is doing its best to arrest the situation.

The governor said the matter was being discussed at the highest level with both President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, in the quest to resolve the crisis.

He recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors had met with President Muhammadu Buhari, pleading that the old naira notes should be allowed to run as legal tender along with the redesigned currency, pending the resolution of the cash crunch crisis.

While calling for calm, the governor said the voices of the protesters had been heard loud and clear and that the government is responding.

“I call on our youths to discontinue the street protests and constructively engage the government in finding solutions.

“It has become necessary to formally appeal to all concerned, having heard from many concerned Nigerians and having conducted a series of meetings, along with my brother governors, with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele and security chiefs on the challenges, sufferings, and pains being experienced over this cash scarcity and cash swap occasioned by the redesigning of our currency.

“I have also personally had to engage the controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Abeokuta and other bank managers to seek relief on the amounts that citizens can withdraw in exchange for deposits made in commercial banks and extracted a commitment that people would have access to their deposited funds without hitches, as CBN will supply adequately to the commercial banks.

“I understand the frustration, and disappointments of our citizens queuing at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), waiting to cash for hours or entering banking halls only to be turned back or given so little that is not enough to meet their immediate needs”, the governor said.

He added that he does not doubt that the intention of this policy was not to unleash hardship and suffering on our teeming populace.

Abiodun further said it is disheartening to see bank buildings being vandalised and people resorting to violence to register their displeasure.

“We shouldn’t allow our state to descend to that level.  We are a peaceful and peace-loving people and the safest state in the country. I want to use this medium to plead with our youths that when there is a problem, the solution is not to hit the streets and start protest marches; we cannot solve a problem with another problem.

“Civil disobedience will rather exacerbate the anguish in the land. Let us stay away from the avoidable loss of lives and properties. Please, let us embrace peace. We are a very peaceful state; we are very orderly and we have spent a lot of time and energy investing in the peace and security of our people. We must eschew provocation that could lead to a breakdown of law and order.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas and the Paramount ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi while thanking the Governor for looking after the welfare of the traditional institution in the state, noted that the 2021 Obas law is a comprehensive piece of legislation.

*CSOs shut down CBN in Edo

Also, the Edo Civil Society Group led by Comrade Agho Omobude yesterday blocked the main entrance of the CBN in Benin City over the scarcity of the naira notes which has brought suffering for millions of Nigeria.

As a result of the protest, vehicles coming into the Ring Road through Akpakpava were forced to go through Igun Street to Sakponba 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 is 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 until the head of the Central Bank, Benin branch, come out to address them on the situation, adding that it is 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 the left they (Civil Society Group) left the bank’s gate at about 1pm.

He said, “We are tired of the crises 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 a member of the Civil Society Organisations in the monitoring team set up by the apex bank to ensure monies given to bank are disbursed.”

*NLC laments hardship, accuses FG of pushing workers to the wall

In a related development, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, yesterday accused the Federal Government of pushing the working population to the wall with its money swap policy.

He said the President and his economic team, comprising the CBN, should as a matter of urgency take immediate action to end the excruciating suffering being experienced by Nigerians, occasioned by the scarcity of new naira notes.

Lamenting the situation at the 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the NLC in Abuja, Wabba wondered why there should be the scarcity of new naira notes and fuel crisis, both essential needs for Nigerians daily to live a reasonable life.

He said the stance of the government shows no action to arrest the situation.

Wabba said, “Many Nigerians and workers have been pushed to the wall owing to the chaotic situation in our banks and filling stations, where Nigerians are queuing up endlessly to assess new currency notes and PMS. This is not acceptable and is condemned.

“We have more than enough to address those two issues. First, we’re a major oil-producing country but unfortunately, the only country in the world that is a member of OPEC that still depend on importation.

“Secondly, we don’t understand the rationale that you lodge your money in your bank accounts, yet you are limited from withdrawing what you want to use.

“Our government tends to forget that our economy is rural and informal, and therefore people need to transact business in cash. Go to our local markets, our commodity markets, you will see that people cannot transact businesses without cash.

“This policy, if not addressed within the shortest possible time, nobody can predict what will be the outcome. That is the truth of it. Yesterday by midnight, I went to Area 8 to get some funds but [none of] the ATMs was dispensing.

“We have seen a situation where people are protesting in banks [in the] nude, they want to access their money, yet they couldn’t access their money. Our political elite must understand the situation and the challenge that people are going through. We want this situation to be addressed very quickly.”

Speaking on why NLC has not taken its displeasure and disappointment on the two burning issues to the street, he said, “There is a theory that possibly labour is working towards making sure that the forthcoming election does not take place in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.

“That is why labour has restrained itself from taking to the street in a bid to make sure we have a peaceful transition because we fought for democracy. We supported democracy. We shield our blood for democracy, and therefore will continue to support democracy.”