By Linus Aleke
The ECOWAS Election Observer Mission, Wednesday, lamented the lingering scarcity of naira in Nigeria, saying that the cash crunch may affect the coming elections.
The leader of the 250-man ECOWAS delegation, and former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, expressed this lamentations, when the observer team visited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
He urged the Nigerian government to address these issues before the polls.
He said: “So far we have had some concerns that have been raised that bother on the availability of fuel, as its limitation will affect the movement of everybody including the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC). Another concern is that of the scarcity of cash, limited liquidity in the system. This has been a concern that has been raised by our observers and also the political parties that we have met”.
He also raised the issue of security that affects specific locations and regions, adding that although there are isolated incidents of violence, the government should take steps to address them ahead of the polls.
The former President also lauded Nigeria for its ceaseless efforts and sacrifices in strengthening democracy in the sub-region, stressing that the world attaches so much importance to the success of the Nigerian elections.
“This election is critical because Nigeria is the biggest economy in the sub region. It is Nigeria because anything that succeeds here will send the right signal to the rest of ECOWAS and even to the AU and beyond,” he said.
In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, assured the visiting delegation that the Buhari Government has taken steps to address the issues of fuel shortage and cash crunch by ordering the circulation of the old N200 notes to ease the suffering of the people.
He lauded President Koroma for his sacrifices for democracy in the sub region and expressed optimism that Nigerians will gain from his bountiful experience even as he assured his guests that the government will conduct a free, fair and transparent election.
“President Buhari has made it absolutely clear that he wants to leave a legacy of peaceful transfer of power and he has put in place all the mechanisms to ensure peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections and this is really a wonderful legacy for us,” the Minister said.
