Protest In Ibadan Over Fuel Hike And Naira Notes Scarcity

 There is protest in the ancient city of Ibandan as the residents are on the strets protesting against the hardship caused by the fuel hike and new notes swap accross the nation.

El-Rufai: Buhari Should Campaign For APC & Leave Free & Fair Election For INEC

 

Mr. President should not be assuring Nigerians of a free , fair and credible elections , it is the responsibility of INEC to do that, he should be campaigning for our Party and our Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai 

Protesters Attack Oyo Governor's Office

 Hundreds of protesters have stormed the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi Ibadan.

A police officer attached to the Governor’s office was injured in an attack by the protesters.

The Secretariat gate was locked following reports pockets of protests had rocked different parts of the capital city.

The protesters, who came with sticks, woods and other dangerous weapons, forced the two main gates of the Secretariat open, making security operatives on ground to take cover.

Buhari Asks Nigerians To Give Him 7 Days To Resolve Naira Notes Scarcity

 President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to give him seven days to resolve the crisis caused by the scarcity of new naira notes.

The president said he has seen reports about cash shortages and the effect on local businesses and ordinary people.

He said the remaining seven days of the 10-day extension will be used to crack down on the encumbrances mitigating the successful implementation of the currency redesign policy.

“I will revert to the CBN and the Minting Company. There will be a decision one way or the other in the remaining seven days of the 10-day extension,” the president said on Friday.

His position was made known after meeting with governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Osogbo-Kwara State Boundary Road: Governor Adeleke Mobilizes Contractor to site

After four years of abandonment, the contractor handling the Osogbo-Ikirun-Kwara boundary road, SAMYA Construction Company Limited, has returned to the road, Osun Daily gathered. 

It would be recalled that the Osun State government under the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, flagged off the construction of the road in 2012. 

The State government has signed an N17.8 billion contract agreement with SAMMYA Construction Company Limited for the dualisation of the 45 kilometers Osogbo-Ikirun- Kwara State Boundary Road.

A statement from the state government then said "the dualisation had been segmented into three of Osogbo-Dagbolu (International Market) to Alamisi Market in Ikirun (9.52 kilometers); Osogbo (Old-garage) to Ikirun junction road (20.5 kilometers) and Ikirun-IlaOdo- Kwara State boundary road (16.5 kilometer)".

However, the road which was not completed before the Aregbesola administration handed it over to its predecessor and immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, was only dualised to Ikirun with the rest abandoned for the last four years. 

Residents Attribute Abandonment To Fight Between Aregbesola and Oyetola

Meanwhile, residents of the abandoned area have attributed the decision of the past government not to finish the road to the fight between Oyetola and his predecessor, Aregbesola.

The residents who spoke with Osun Daily said it was vindictive of Oyetola to abandon the road, while adding that the lack of a good road in the area has caused them a lot of hardship.

"It is very sad that the past governor abandon that road because of the fight between him and Aregbesola. That is so callous. 

"Whatever will benefit the society, irrespective of whatever is happening between the two man, he ought to have continue that good work. 

"The road was dualised from Osogbo to Ikirun and it stopped there but we are very glad the incumbent governor has ordered the contractor to return back to the road".

Kudos To Adeleke - Residents

Also, some residents who were joyous over the re-commencement of the road hailed the governor of the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke for the kind gesture. 

"We are very happy with the latest developments. Once this road is complete, it will be beneficial to all of us. 

"We want to thank Govenror Ademola Adeleke for his kind gesture and we pray that Almighty God will give him the grace to do more". 

Allow Old, New Notes Coexist, APC Governors Beg Buhari

 Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to allow the old and new naira notes co-exist to ease the suffering of Nigerians.

Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who spoke to some journalists in Hausa language on Friday, said that while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mopped up over N2 trillion of the old notes, it printed only N300 billion, which he said is not enough.

El-Rufai, who was accompanied by his Kano counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, said even if the CBN had wanted to implement the cashless policy, it should have printed half of what it mopped up, for a start, which ought to be N1 trillion. 

He said they told the President the masses are suffering and traders are losing their goods due to lack of patronage. 

He referred to tomatoes seller that travelled to Lagos with their goods but got nothing because people had no money to buy.

The Governor said they appealed to the President to reconsider his stances. 

El-Rufai however said Buhari did not tell them yes or no. 

He disclosed Chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu, has gone back to meet the President privately with the hope to convince him.

At of the time of filing this report, he was being awaited to address the media.

A Governor Collected N500m New Notes From One Bank – El-rufai

 An unnamed governor got N500 million worth of new naira notes from a bank, according to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

In an interview with BBC Hausa Service, El-Rufai said politicians who are targets of the naira redesign policy already have their way.

“It is not wrong to change currencies, every country do but you can not change it at this season of elections and give this limited time, where in this world that ever happened?”

“Politicians and big businessmen who are targeted by the policy have their ways of accessing the new notes, some of them own the banks, but what of poor, petty traders?

“All APC governors met on the issue, we saw how people suffer, we support the change of currency but time should be extended to months.

“We said let CBN, banks managers and we governors sat and discussed the issue, let’s work together and have a proper plan on how to go about it, we should have plans to follow people to their homes, villages and change the notes for them but not forcing them to go to banks which take some of them a hundreds kilometers.

“I tell you this change does not affect politicians, they have their money and they are prepared, they know how to access the new notes, it is poor don’t have ways, even yesterday we were told one of the governors was given 500 millions of the new notes.”

El-Rufai’s thought aligns with that of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, who also said the policy would not affect the rich.