Ex-Presidents, other Council of States members endorse new naira redesign policy

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday got the support of the National Council of States for the new naira redesign policy amid opposition by some governors and chieftains of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At the council’s meeting chaired by Buhari, the former Nigeria’s leaders said the idea was laudable but insisted that the new Naira notes should be made available.

In the alternative, the Council said the Central Bank of Nigeria should recirculate old Naira notes to assuage the untold hardships being faced by the people.

Persecondnews reported that former presidents and ex-Heads of State who attended the meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, are retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, while former President Olusegun Obasanjo, joined the hybrid meeting online which lasted about four hours.

Two former Chief Justices of the Federation, Alfa Belgore and Mahmud Muhammad, also attended.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Inspector General of Police also briefed the Council on preparations for the 2023 polls.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting were Governors of Taraba, Darius Ishaku, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Ishaku said: “The CBN was advised to make money available in quantum. The old money can also be recirculated to ease the suffering of the poorest of the poor.”

On his part, Malami said: “The two major resolutions that were driven arising from the deliberations of the meeting are one; that we are on course as far as election is concerned.

“We are happy with the level of preparation by INEC and the institutions.

“Two, 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 is made with particular regard to the supply of the Naira in the system.”