By Biodun Busari

The Paramount Ruler of Iwoland, HIM Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi has ordered the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele to apologise to Nigerian people over the indescribable hardship they are going through as a result of the scarcity of Naira.

Oba Akanbi said the Naira scarcity was inimical to human survival as Nigerians are stranded at bus parks and remained starved in the last few days as the battle to get new Naira notes becomes harder.  

The Oluwo of Iwo made these assertions in a statement issued on Wednesday, stressing the new naira regime has grounded economic activities in the country.

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The Osun state monarch said the implementation of such a policy ought to be gradual to ease commercial activities. He, then, called for urgent closed monitoring to ensure naira circulation.

The statement read, “The new naira regime has inflicted much hardship on Nigerians. It has grounded the country’s economic activities. It’s worsening every day. As a father with a voice, I must speak out.

“The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele owe Nigerians apology for inducing such a hardship. I’m yet to be convinced about the introduction of new naira notes without proper measures to provide an adequate/enough inflow of new notes in circulation. It’s gross gross insensitivity to human feelings.

“Many are stranded, immobile, and starved due to non-availability of new notes.”

Oba Akanbi called on stakeholders most especially the federal government to review the policy with a view to destroying the hardship on innocent Nigerians.

He revealed traditional rulers are not left out of the naira impasse, imploring the legislators to veto enforcement of extension and provision of enough naira notes by the CBN.

Oluwo said further, “I suspect an intention to blackmail the infrastructural legacies of President Muhammed Buhari. The federal government and federal legislators should checkmate the CBN governor, veto an unconditional extension of the deadline and ensure the new notes are widely circulated.

“Emefiele needs to address Nigerians again to holistically justify the introduction of the new note and the deadline without enough money in circulation. We can’t continue suffering and keep mute. This is really bad at a time INEC will need resources for logistics “