In a new twist to the 5000 note saga, activists from the Concerned Human Rights Nigeria (CHRN), Civil Societies for Good Governance (CSGG), Joint Action Front (JAF), United Action for Democracy (UAD), Gani Fawehinmi Foundation (GFF), United Middle Belt Youth Congress (UMBYC), among others, took to the streets yesterday protesting the planned introduction of the new 5000 note scheduled to be in circulation by 2013.
The protesters, led by the national co-ordinator, CHRN, Declan Ihekaire, carried coffins which they say symbolizes the rejection and death of the proposed policy.
They began their procession from Funmilayo Bus Stop, Ipaja Road, Lagos, and trekked many kilometres holding placards bearing various inscriptions such as “Nigerians do not need N5,000 note”, “Jonathan! Nigerians say no to N5,000 note; it is evil”, “Nigerians are wiser than Jonathan and his team”, “Sanusi – Mr. Central Bank; we thought you were wise”, among others.
Ihekaire spoke with reporters saying, “The Federal Government wounded the masses through its ‘wicked’ fuel price hike, now is an attempt to bastardise our currency with no recourse to the masses.
“Who told them that currency printing is the masses’ desire? I submit that this administration is lazy, wicked, callous and insensitive to the yearnings of the masses,” he said.
He maintained that the currency review policy will further encourage money laundering and that it is against the CBN’s recently introduced cashless policy.
The president of the UMBYC, Abuka Onalo-Omababa said, “The printing of N5,000 cannot help us in any of the issues affecting the country such as insecurity, hunger, poverty, illiteracy and epileptic power supply.
“I think the whole exercise is an attempt to divert Nigerians’ attention from bad governance and other issues in the country,” he added.
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