The Coalition of Southern Groups (CSG) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele over the lingering scarcity of fuel and new naira notes in the country.
The group in a statement co-signed by its Chairman, Aare (Barr.) Oladotun Hassan and Secretary, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, accused the duo of having a “systemic circulated agenda to scuttle the success of the 2023 general elections.”
CSG is the apex coordinating body for the majority of various groups of the Southern Nigeria extraction viz: Yoruba Council Worldwide, Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council, Ijaw Youth Council, Istekiri Youth Council, and Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council among others.
Their demand comes as President Buhari, on Friday, told Governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that he would revert to the apex bank for major decisions within seven days, ahead of the February 10th, deadline imposed on old naira denominations, (N1,000.00, N500,00 and N200,000) across the country.
The statement by the Group read, “We have jointly taken the lead to give backing to the voice of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) and align ourselves with the Federal House of Representative’s legitimate resolution against Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on signing of his warrant of arrest and sanction in contravention and gross violation of the House Rules and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while equally calling on the Senate to toll same part of Honour in defence of the helpless and strangulated Nigerian masses, in view of the persistence in the lopsided height of crescendo on the perennial hydra-headed factors bedeviling the state of the nation, particularly on issues bordering on fuel Scarcity, Change of Currency and Unavailability of New Notes, coupled with INEC red alert on hacking of its data base, insecurity; all this are systemic circulated agenda to scuttle the success of the 2023 general elections, precipitating our resolution to align with all the bold positions reached and taken by the CNG on the unfolding double Jeopardy just a few days to the conduct of general elections in Nigeria.
“Noting especially, the setting in of major factors that negatively affect ordinary Nigerians and potentially frustrate the patriotic interest concerning the coming elections on fuel, electricity, redesigned of naira notes, withdrawal limit, hike in tuition fees and a general, a controversial population census, all that have been unjustly shrouded in secrecy under the veil of authority of the President, surprisingly without the concurrent inputs of the National Assembly respectively.
“We are equally suspicious of a grand plot to scuttle the 2023 polls, having keenly observed the preceding scenarios in the polity all pointing towards a pariah state of disrepair, regrettably we are at a boiling point of no return considering the high-level complicity and conspiracy whereby silence has become unpopular and no longer an option to embrace.
“We are suspicious of the varying undercurrent factors has extremely predicated on maladministration at various critical sectors of the economy, leaving the citizens very helpless and neglected, while reiterating the position of the CNG particularly, the endorsement by President Muhammadu Buhari on his personal ratification and vigorous pursuit of a regime of harsh, unrealistic economic and financial policies by the Central Bank of Nigeria less than a month to the election and few months to the end of the current administration, consequently inflicting unbearable pains on the electorates and heating up the political atmosphere irretrievably.”
“Most disturbing is the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele’s rigid earlier 31st January 2023 now extended to 10th February 2023 deadline regrettably 15 days to the all-important election slated for 25th February 2023 for the old and new currency exchange when just about 10% of the estimated population of 225 million people have never touched or seen the new currency notes, is this not an extreme aberration?” the coalition said.
