By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Protesters on Wednesday, 3 May, 2023 stormed the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) to demand the resignation and arrest of the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, over the new naira notes policy.
The protesters, who were sighted at the premises of the apex bank holding placards, noted that Emefiele had inflicted undue hardship on Nigerians which had allegedly led to the death of many Nigerians
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read, “Emefiele Must Go”; “CBN Now Bureau De Change”; “Emefiele Bring Out The Names of Those You Gave Our Money To”; “Where Is The 500 Billion You Cried on Tape Is Missing?”; “What Happened To Anchor Borrowers Programme and many others?”
Addressing newsmen, the convener of the protest, George Uboh, said “We are demanding that Godwin Emefiele in his capacity as the Governor of CBN should make available the new naira notes. He must also come out here to address the people because the Supreme Court in its ruling pronounced that the new naira notes policy has caused the Nigerian masses undue hardship.”
Uboh, who added that the action of the CBN on the monetary policy was tantamount to genocide, added that it was not only guns that could be used to commit genocide.
According to him, their protest was informed by the Supreme Court judgment directing the CBN to release the new naira notes just as he described the policy as “insensitive” under the watch of Emefiele.