Falana’s group criticizes the price of fuel and the lack of cash and urges Nigerians to demonstrate nationwide
The Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) has denounced the country’s ongoing problems with gasoline and new naira notes shortages.
The group claimed in a statement released on Monday and signed by its acting chairman, Femi Falana, that the currency and fuel crises pose a serious threat to the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians.
If the Nigerian government did not offer an immediate solution to the crises, the group warned a national protest.
Falana asked pro-democracy groups to step up and protect the nation from potential anarchy, state terrorism, and arbitrary mass persecution.
He also demanded that anyone found stockpiling the new naira notes and making life difficult for regular Nigerians be prosecuted by the Nigerian government.
“The Federal Government has inflicted immense agony on the people of Nigeria through the unprecedented Naira scarcity, petrol scarcity, and stratospheric spike in fuel prices,” the statement stated. It is undesirable and unreasonable that fuel and money are scarce. As required under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the Federal Government has disregarded its duty to ensure the safety and welfare of the Nigerian people.
“Peaceful protests have broken out randomly around the nation, demonstrating the deep resentment of the people.
Leading human rights and pro-democracy organizations now need to take the initiative in channeling the energies and rage of the crowds in order to give the protests direction and avoid anarchy, state terrorism, and more arbitrary mass repression. The Central Bank should let both the new and old Naira notes to be accepted as legal tender in Nigeria because it is now obvious that not enough Naira notes have been created. According to Section 22 of the Central Bank Act, new currency notes may be substituted for old ones after the CBN’s deadline has passed. This idea is in line with that provision.
To serve as a deterrent to other economic saboteurs, officials of the CBN and other banks involved in hoarding or selling the new currency notes should be prosecuted.
“The soldiers that attacked University of Benin students and the irrational soldiers who killed a young man and injured several others in Ibadan, Oyo State, must be detained and brought to justice as soon as possible.
“The currency and gasoline crises pose an unprecedented threat to the ability of the average person to maintain their standard of living and could jeopardize the 2023 elections, which will give voters a chance to select a party they believe best represents their objectives.
“ASCAB has decided to urge the Nigerian people to start a series of peaceful mass actions in their communities to resist the unjustified economic hardship that may force INEC to postpone the upcoming elections, as it has hinted, unless the twin crises of fuel and currency scarcity are immediately resolved within the timeline provided by the President.
Nigerians would stage nationwide non-violent mass protests if the federal government fails to address the twin crises of gasoline and cash scarcity by February 10, 2023.
