IKA RESIDENTS GROAN, AS NAIRA, PETROL SCARCITY BITE HARD
By Nicholas Ebegboni
A couple of weeks ago, citizens of Nigeria started experiencing untold hardship due to government economic policies and decisions, and as if that was not enough, a product which the entire country depends on, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as fuel became scarce that citizens had to queue for hours before they can get the product.
Ika nation is not left out in the ugly situation which the trend has thrown the nation into.
The scarcity of the Naira notes both the outgoing ones and the newly redesigned currencies has greatly affected the operation and functionality of banks in Ika land as most banks such as the Union Bank, Access Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA), First Bank, were closed to customers as at Thursday, February 9, 2023.
The only bank that was operating fully as at the time of filing this report was Zenith Bank but the crowd in the bank made it near impossible for customers to be attended to. Banks like Polaris bank, Fidelity bank and Unity bank were partially opened to customers.
Meanwhile, the scarcity of petrol and the hike in price have further increase the hardship of Nigerians. Ika people after queueing up to get cash even using the Naira to buy the Naira, would still queue up to get petrol, at exorbitant price.
A businessman based in Agbor, Mr. Dan Oshiegbu noted sadly that the present administration led by President Muhammed Buhari does not have the interest of the people at heart, as he averred that no sensitive government would make its citizenry go through such hardship with unpopular policies like what the government has done.
Mr. Oshiegbu maintained that Nigerians do not deserve such treatment from a government they stood under the sun for hours to vote in.
The business man, queried the rationale behind the naira redesign and how it was meant to salvage the dwindling economy of the nation. He noted that on his own, he didn’t see any sense in the naira redesigning.
Another resident who spoke to our correspondent. Mr. Tony Ekam Egede described the whole scenario as an unforgivable error by the federal government, and the Central Bank of Nigeria and condemned the ongoing campaign by political parties. He wondered how political parties would be campaigning in a time like this.
Mr Ekam noted that at a moment like this political parties, most especially the two major political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are not supposed to be campaigning but apologizing to Nigerians for the mess they have put the country into.
He said the government never considered the plight of the masses before introducing policies that are inimical to the well-being of the citizens.
Speaking also to our correspondent, a building material merchant, Deacon Sunny Odozi popular known as Don Sunny, maintained that there are no leaders in the country, because those who assume to be leaders are just demons in human clothing.
Deacon Odozi stated that if it was not so, how will one explain the way the poor masses are treated in their father land, adding that the people have no say in the way they are governed, something he said that do not happen in other parts of the world.