Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Action Alliance governorship candidate in Abia State, Mr Okoro Chijioke, has accused unscrupulous bank officials and some Point of Sale PoS operators, of taking undue advantage of the current scarcity of currency notes to make merchandise of innocent and hapless Nigerians.
The governorship hopeful who made the allegation during a press conference in Aba, decried the biting economic hardship in the land.
He said that the excruciating economic pains Nigerians were subjected to by the ill-advised policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, posed substantial threat to the forthcoming polls.
Chijioke noted with deep concern, that too many families could barely feed since the currency scarcity and high cost of petrol began.
He decried the exploitative tendencies of the PoS operators, and called on the security agencies to place them under watch.
Chijioke called on the Federal Government to prevail on the CBN to rise to the occasion.
“The Federal Government should order CBN to push more cash into the system and effectively monitor the deposit banks in order to check the alleged sharp practices amongst them.
“Today, if you want to withdraw N20,000 through POS, you pay N8,000 to the operator.
“They claim that they are paying heavily to bank officials to get both the redesigned naira notes and old N200.
“To me, this act is criminal and condemnable and security agencies should wade in to arrest the development,” Chijioke said.
Chijioke, however, expressed delight that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was already rounding up bank officials caught sabotaging the Federal Government’s cashless policy.
The AA candidate, further implored Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to make a statewide broadcast to douse the tension generated by the cash crunch.
“There are some areas in the state where the old N200 notes are being rejected.
“Therefore, it is important for the governor to address the citizenry to know that N200 still remains a legal tender,” he said.
Chijioke said that his priority, when elected, would be to embark on massive road construction and improved security of lives and property.
“It’s unfortunate that Abia has no good roads so we will pay priority attention to roads in order to attract local and foreign investors to Abia,” he said.
He also promised to revive the moribund industries, including the Aba Textile Mill, International Equitable Industries, Aba, and Ceramics Industries, Umuahia, amongst others.
He said that reviving the industries would help to create employment opportunities, adding that the project could be achieved through Public Private Partnership initiative.
He regretted that Abia was the least developed in the South-East, in spite of its huge resources as an oil-bearing state.
“Our revenue from the Federation Account is far above what accrues to Ebonyi yet we are lagging fast behind Ebonyi in terms of infrastructure development.
“Abia’s internally generated revenue from Aba plus monthly Federal Allocation can turn the state around, if judiciously utilised,” he said.
Chijioke, who is an Ambassador of the Millennium Development Goals, promised to break the jinx, if elected governor.
The AA governorship candidate who is also the Director-General, Importers Association of Nigeria Special Task Force on Anti-Smuggling of Firearms, promised to rebuild Abia if elected Governor.
