The National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, on Thursday said the organised labour had written to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, demanding a review of the policy and an extension of the deadline.
The labour leader also said the new naira policy was inflicting pain on Nigerians and this would force the masses to react very soon.
Speaking in an interview with selected journalists in Abuja, Wabba who is set to step aside as the national leader of the body, also decried the non-availability of the new naira notes.
The union leader noted that although the rich were targeted by the policy, the poor people were suffering more from it.
He said, “We have tried to respond officially by writing to the CBN governor. We also wrote to the President to say that this new policy of changing our naira needs to be revisited. And it is obvious that even in the city centres, they are still dispensing old notes. I remember I went to about 10 banks and none was actually dispensing the new notes.
“So, the new notes are not available, they are not in circulation and the old notes are being rejected. They are pushing people to the wall and very soon people will react. Importantly, even in city centres, where we have banks, the banks are not dispensing.
He added, “People see the policy as a policy meant to punish the masses. We align ourselves fully with the position of Senate. So, basically, we call for this policy to be reviewed, and to give an extension, so that all the old notes can then be mopped up by the bank.
Wabba further stressed the challenges Nigerians in the rural areas were facing to withdraw the new notes.
