Residents of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday expressed their displeasure over shortage of new naira notes as they staged a peaceful protest in some popular areas of the metropolis.
The protest, involving majorly youth, reportedly started at Gerin Alimi and later spread to places like Oloje, Ogidi among other adjoining roads in the state capital.
Bonfire made of used tyres and wood were used by the aggrieved youth to cause traffic gridlock in the town.
Also, men of the state Police command had been drafted to the affected areas to restore normalcy.
The state governor Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Rafiu Ajakaye, urged the people to remain calm, saying “we’re in this together”.
The statement said that Governor Abdulrazaq sympathized with the people of the state on the continuous scarcity of the naira as a result of the recent CBN’s currency redesign policy, while he appealed to the people of the state to remain calm and peaceful, and not give in to any frustrations over the naira scarcity.
“I testify to the inconvenience this development has brought. We are in this together, and we are not missing any opportunity to work with the CBN and the Federal Government to bring ease to the people within reasonable time. I admit it has been tough, and we do not take your patience for granted,” he said.
“I sincerely appeal to you to remain calm. We are a resilient people who are popular for our peaceful nature and our history of seeking reliefs with calmness and absolute restraints. This is a passionate appeal to the good people of Kwara State. Again, I share in your pains, and I urge you to exercise the highest level of restraints as we surmount this challenge together”.
