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Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has flayed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cashless policy about to be introduced, saying the policy would bring more hardship to Nigerians.
Chief George expressed this concern while speaking in Lagos at the reception in his honour for the Award of Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS), the highest in the state given to him by Governor Nyesome Wike.
The PDP chieftain, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land, while decrying the move, said his opinion on currency rebranding would only further destroy the nation’s economy, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the matter, before it further caused more havoc.
“To come up with the latest CBN pronouncement on daily cash transaction, with the present ugly state of our everyday life of epileptic power supply, high rate youth unemployment and sundry social challenges can only lead to one thing: fiscal and economic suicide.
“All over the country, from Sokoto to Onitsha, to Jankara market here in Lagos, the people will only be more burdened with such policy as our economy is presently cash based in outlook.
“The CBN policy is just too sudden. It will rather make the people sink deeper into misery and poverty. I make bold to say that the country cannot cope with what I foresee as an anti-people policy.
“80% of businesses are still cash based, so it is only instructive for Mr President to wade into this rudderless monetary policy of the CBN.
“Nigeria cannot just move away from a cash- based economy to a complete cashless regime overnight like the CBN wants to implement. Please note that the internet service is still epileptic and electric power is hardly available. How can we transact financial business in this state of hopelessness.
“I appeal to Mr. President to intervene immediately before we fall headlong into calamitous abyss,” George said.
Speaking on the rumour doing the round that he was planning to dump PDP for Labour Party (LP), Chief George declared that nothing of such was true, saying that he was truly committed and would remain in PDP.
“The day I leave PDP, am going to my house, I will never, never, never abandon this ship,” he said.
Speaking further at the reception attended by other party leaders, including PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Dr. Remi Akitoye; former Lagos State deputy governor, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor- Akerele; Alhaja Onikepo Oshodi, among others, George noted that the disagreement rocking the main opposition party was about the unilateral, selfish and subjective action of a few to sow a seed of discord which, according to him, may lead to its disintegration if care was not taken.
It would be recalled that the G5 governors otherwise called Integrity Group led by the Rivers State governor, Wike, having the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom; Engrn. Seyi Makinde (Oyo), among others had insisted that the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu, must resign his position for a Southerner to take over, positing that it was against the principle of zoning which the party’s founding fathers agreed upon in forming it.
According to the group, the six top positions in the country must be shared and distributed across the geo- political zones, saying that it would be wrong for the party’s presidential candidate to come from the North and also the national chairman to come from same zone, among others.
“By insisting that the presidential candidate, national chairman and Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of PDP should come from a particular section of the country, you are trying to destroy the culture and norms of the party in a nation with diverse ethnic groups and sectarian plurality, where the strong fiber of national union is still much tenuous, where suspicions still flare, where sectarian divide is yet volatile.
I make bold to say the recourse to the principle of zoning is the stop gap that induces a sense of belonging and unity among our people,” he said.
“Our disagreement is about the unilateral, selfish and subjective action of a few to sow a seed of discord which, if we are not careful, may lead to the disintegration of our great party.
“I make bold to say that I remain firm in my commitment to the advocacy of the very core principle of the founding fathers of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“This principle is called ‘rotation and zoning’, the very Foundation and Political Spinal Cord that has held our great party together since its formative hours in 1998.
“This is what some of us refer to as ‘Turn by Turn Nigeria Limited’, a tradition of inclusiveness, deeply embedded and deep-rooted in the general concept of equity, fairness and justice,” he added.
“This is boldly written in our party constitution and we are determined to defend this legacy left for us by Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Bola Ige and other founding fathers of our great party.
“My humble self and my co-travelers in the struggle for justice and fairness, the G5 governors, now called the Integrity Group, want to make it abundantly clear, without any equivocation, that we remain committed and loyal members of PDP, despite the present crisis,” he added.
Party leaders at the reception paid glowing tribute to Chief George for his contributions to the PDP and his commitment in engaging in social welfare policy that makes life better for others.
Senator Bucknor -Akerele, in her remark, described him as a responsible leader that was interested in upliftment of others, and who by his action and attitude had made his race proud, saying that was why he was singled out for an honour in Rivers State.
Also speaking, Onikepo Oshodi equally lauded Chief George, saying that nobody in Youruba land had the same pedigree the PDP former deputy National Chairman possesses, adding that was why he was recognised outside his base.
“He is not a selfish person, he is committed to upliftment of people around him,” she said.
Former National Secretary of PDP, Dr. Remi Akitoye, recalled that George recommended him for the post of the party’s scribe, describing him as a good leader.
“He is a good leader, I am not in doubt why people of Rivers State honoured him with the highest honour.
“He has been fighting for the interest of his race for a long time, that is why he was given the title of Atona Oodua. He has a good legacy,” Akitoye said.
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