…as Buhari presides over meeting; Jonathan, Gowon, Abdulsalami, attend physically
…Obasanjo, Lalong, Bagudu, others join virtually
OSAS EMMANUEL
The Council of State has called for aggressive action to ensure adequate supply of new Naira notes in the country.
Addressing the State House Correspondents in Abuja, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said the Council of State deliberations bordered on national crises including petrol and Naira scarcity, insecurity and others, ahead of the general elections.
He said that the Council was particularly concerned about the suffering that Nigerians go through to access the new Naira notes, as well as petrol.
“The two major resolutions that were driven arising from the deliberation of are that we are on course as far as election is concerned, and we are happy with the level of preparation by INEC and the institutions.
“Relating to the Naira redesign policy, the policy stands but then the council agreed that there is need for aggressive action on the part of the CBN as it relates to the implementation of the policy by way of ensuring adequate provision being made with particular regard to the supply of the Naira in the system.”
On his part, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, said that there is need for the time limit to be extended.
“For us in the Senate, initially we felt that this policy in the first place is not a bad one. But we also feel there is no need for time limit. Allow the old and the new to co-exist until the old is phase out. So, what is wrong in that? This is not going to be the first country to deploy it that way, other countries have been doing the same thing. And to say that in three months it will be okay, it is not okay. Especially in a country like ours where maybe 80, 85, 90 percent of the population have no access to banks.
“When Britain changed their currency, it took them over year to change and the validity of the old remains and remains a legal tender, so why ours? We are not cashless yet and that society is cashless already and they needed even more time.
“So, we should have an open-ended time but what will make it quick is for us to have more and and more of the new currencies and then they co-exist with the old ones until the old dies a natural death.”
The meeting which started at at 10:12am had former heads of state and president in attendance including; Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan, while former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, joined online.
Others who joined online are Sokoto governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Aminu Tambuwal, Kebbi State Governor and chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Abubakar Bagudu; Plateau Governor and Chairman Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong; Ebonyi, David Umahi; Kogi, Yahaya Bello Osun; Ademola Adeleke; Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru, and Ogun, Dapo Abiodun.
Others are Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu; Deputy Governor of Nasarawa, Emmanuel Akabe, and Enugu Deputy Governor.
Two former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alfa Belgore and Mahmud Muhammad, were in attendance.
Others the attended the meeting physically are; Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila, Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan.
Governors that physically attended the meeting are: Taraba, Dairu Isiaku! Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai,Borno, Babagana Zulum, Gombe, Inuawa Yahaya, Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak and Deputy Governor Bauchi, Baba Talla.
The National Council of State is an organ of the Nigerian government whose functions include advising the executive on policy making.
Membership of the Council comprises the President, Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, former presidents, former heads of state, former chief justices of Nigeria, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, governors of the 36 states of the federation and the Attorney General of the Federation.
