Despite President Mahmoud Buhari’s declaration against the Supreme Court ruling in the early hours of Thursday, the Abia Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu has directed his Attorney-General, Chief Ihediwa, SAN, to immediately put machinery in motion that would facilitate all necessary legal processes needed by the State to be joined In the suit.
Ikpeazu, in an application was seeking to ensure that the new policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to change old naira notes to New ones would be implemented in such a way that it will not continue to threatened the peace and economic well being of Abians and Nigerian citizens in general.
This declaration which was contained in a release by the state information commissioner, Barr. Eze Chikamnayo, noted that the welfare of Abia citizens everywhere, remains the cardinal principle of the Governor.
According to the release, the decision of Abia to join as one of the states challenging the anti-people policy that has become a litigation tussle at the Supreme Court, was hinged on the untold hardships being experienced by her citizens over their inability to access the new naira notes.
“Today in Abia, the cash crunch occasioned by the haphazard implementation of the CBN Naira Swap policy is leading to endless queues at ATM centres, and all manner of exploitations of the citizens at the Point of Sale (PoS) centres across the state,” Ikpeazu noted in dismay.
The Governor further observed that the persistent scarcity of the new banknotes has not only become a in slow wheels of economic development but posed as an imminent security threat given the palpable tension the policy has generated thus far since it’s introduction.
In the suit, the Governor is however praying the court to prevail on the CBN to as a matter of urgency, resolve the lingering crisis occasioned by the draconian policy that has thrown Nigerians living in both urban and rural areas into agony.
It would be recalled that virtually all APC Governors have joined in the suit challenging the CBN new naira notes policy.
Though, Ikpeazu, a PDP Governor, is a member of the Integrity Group otherwise known as the G-5 Governors, may have toed the line of his political acolytes who are currently at daggers drawn with other stakeholders of their of party.
