Buhari’s Ministers Opposed To Naira Swap Policy – Rep

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Sergius Ogun, has accused ministers in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, of working against the federal government’s naira swap policy.

This is as a good governance advocacy group, YIAGA Africa, has said the recent migration of voters from their polling units to newly created polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as the scarcity of naira notes occasioned by the naira swap policy of the federal government may disenfranchise a lot of eligible voters during the general election.

Ogun, who represents Esan North-East/Esan South-West federal constituency in the House of Representatives, spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, at the “National roundtable on the roadmap to a credible 2023 general election,” which was organised by the Equity International Initiative (EII).

He said: “Most people in government are not in support of the naira swap policy. The ministers working with Mr. President are not speaking for the policy.

“So, if they are not speaking for it, that means they are against it. If I were to be the President, I will fire all of them. So, just to let you know that most people are not in support. We don’t want corruption in our country, yet, no one wants to take steps to correct it.”

The federal lawmaker, who appealed to politicians to play by the rules during the general election, called on INEC and security agencies to ensure free, fair and credible polls.

He said, “I appeal to politicians to behave well and I also admonish INEC and security agencies to ensure that we gave credible election.”

In his goodwill message, representative of YIAGA Africa in Rivers State, Obinna Ebogidi, described the 2023 election as the only election which Nigerians have genuinely shown interest in participating in.

Ebogidi said, “This is an election the citizens have shown interest in voting but they don’t have access to cash. Without money, how will the voters access the locations where they will vote?

“Our observations have shown that in the past one month, thousands of voters have been migrated from their polling units to newly created polling units. A lot of them are not aware of this and this is just few days to the election.

“YIAGA Africa is hopeful that the Independent National Electoral Commission will address these challenges before the Election Day.”

Earlier, the country director of Equity International Initiative (EII), Dr Chris Iyama, said the organisation has engaged 3,000 volunteers to feed its situation room on happenings across the country on the Election Day.