The National Council of State has thrown its weight behind the redesign of N1000, N500, and N200 naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made this revelation while briefing members of the press at the end of the council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Friday.
He revealed that the decision to back naira redesign was reached by the council, which is the highest advisory organ to the President during the closed-door meeting.
Malami also said the council charged the central bank to do more to make the new naira notes available through an aggressive circulation across the country.
“Relating to the Naira redesign policy, the policy stands but then the council agreed that there is need for aggressive action on the part of the CBN as it relates to the implementation of the policy by way of ensuring adequate provision being made with particular regard to the supply of the Naira in the system,” he said.
Malami did not, however, say whether the council called for an extension of the 10 February deadline for the use of the old naira notes.
The Council of State is an organ of the Federal Government of Nigeria which advises the executive on key policies.
Present were former Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar as well as former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo joined the meeting virtually as only about 14 governors were present both physically and virtually with some represented by their deputies.
Also present were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, two former Chief Justices of Nigeria, amongst others.
The New Diplomat reports that this decision comes amid agitations from governors like Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state who had alleged that the naira redesign policy was a tactic by some elements in the presidential villa to jeopardise the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25th election.
There has been huge uncertainty in the country over the naira redesign.
This was caused by an earlier judgment given by the Supreme Court barring the CBN from implementing the February 10 deadline for old Naira notes.
While the apex court had given the interim order, the CBN is yet to react or give directives over its deadline which it had earlier fixed for Friday (today), fuelling uncertainty and speculations in the country.
