ABUJA – Even as President Muhammadu Buhari has granted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approval to extend the deadline for the old naira notes to cease to be a legal tender, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna has blamed Buhari for giving approval for the naira redesign in the first place.
He also blamed some of the government policies, including the naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity in the country on fifth columnists, saying that naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity may cause unrest in the country.
El-Rufai, who was a guest on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, said that the policy of currency redesign at this moment is the idea of few people in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, adding that it was never the policy of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Said he: “The policy of currency redesign is the idea of few people in the Presidential Villa. APC never promised naira redesign. This is not the right time to embark on such an exercise because most parts of the areas in Nigeria have no banking facilities”.
The Kaduna State governor insisted that the naira redesign and fuel scarcity across Nigeria are the handiwork of fifth columnists, saying that they want to bring down the government of APC.
“I must say that the naira redesign and fuel scarcity is the handiwork of fifth columnists because they want to bring the country down, otherwise why must redesigning of naira will be the priority of the federal government at this time”, he posited.
El-Rufai, who is a prominent member and co-founder of APC, also alleged that most of the people in the Presidential Villa are not APC members hence some of the policies they are churning out from time to time are even those that will hurt APC.
Asked if he is not using his close relationship with Buhari to make suggestions on how to solve some national issues, el-Rufai dismissed it with the wave of the hand, saying that he cannot remember when he has made suggestions that were accepted.
“I stopped going to Presidential Villa four years ago. What is the use when every suggestion you bring will not be accepted.
”I rather stayed back solving the problems of my state (Kaduna), which I believe will be more important to me and my people. I don’t go to the Presidential Villa anymore”.