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The chaos incurred on the masses by the scarcity of Naira notes owing to ongoing exercise of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to mop up old naira notes to allow for the newly redesigned ones has forced poor widows, and other vulnerable Nigerians to sleep for days in front of offices of some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
The Chief Emeka Agba Foundation, a Lagos-based NGO, which raised the alarm, yesterday, said the poor and vulnerable how tuned offices of NGOs willing to distribute cash gifts to help alleviate their suffering to their homes.
The foundation, therefore, urged the Federal Government to urgently address issues bordering on the scarcity of naira notes and fuel before they escalate into an unbearable and overwhelming crisis.
In a statement, yesterday, in Lagos the NGO said: “The Chief Emeka Agba Foundation caters to over 7, 000 vulnerable persons across the country with orphans, widows and the elderly swelling this current figure, and as such the foundation relies heavily on the availability of cash to run some of its day to day outreach to the less privileged through its petty cash program.
“It is against this backdrop that the Chief Emeka Agba Foundation observed with dismay the current scarcity of the naira due to the emergence of the new notes which has caused untold hardship on the public thereby resulting to pockets of violence in some parts of the country. The activities of the foundation have been hindered due to this with rippled effects felt across areas where the impacts of the foundation have contributed positively over time. As I speak to you, the Chief Emeka Agba Foundation is faced with serious issues of humanitarian outreach challenges as some centres of the foundation are crowded with vulnerable persons in need of help especially widows, orphans, and the elderly, who cannot access the little stipends the foundation assist them with. Currently, some elderly persons have besieged one of the foundation’s centre sleeping at the entrance of the foundation building as we cannot render some of our emergency services due to the unavailability of ready fund, as banks and ATM machines are crowded with little or no money to give.
“The foundation is dismayed at how operators of POS now charge exorbitantly just to withdraw small amounts, banks are hoarding the new notes, and many videos making rounds on social media now is about how people are using money to buy money, going naked in banking halls as well as dying all because you cannot withdraw your own money, this is very sad.
“The Chief Emeka Agba Foundation would want as a matter of urgency task the government to immediately find lasting solution to this anomaly before the pockets of violence being experienced in some parts of the country degenerate to bigger ones.
“The Chef Emeka Agba Foundation is also not happy about the current fuel scarcity plaguing the country alongside the scarcity of the naira notes because of the cashless policy of the government. Though the foundation commends the government on its cashless policy, but the untold hardship in its wake on the citizenry is not right. The foundation hope this twin challenges would be quickly addressed by the government as it wishes to progress on its service to humanity through outreaches to the vulnerable in the society.”
