Fuel/Naira Scarcity: ASUU lauds Supreme Court ruling, criticises government’s ‘anti-poor policies’

*Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President of Academic Staff Union of Universities, states the governments at the Federal, state and local council levels appear enamoured to policies aggravating the suffering of the Nigerian consumers

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the Federal Government over the Naira swap policy and fuel scarcity that have caused socio-economic dislocations in the country.

ConsumerConnect had reported the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Naira swap policy has stated objectives in replacing the N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes with redesigned ones ahead of the February 25 and March 11 elections.

Photo Collage of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Governor of CBN and Bundles of New Banknotes 

The fuel scarcity and price hike regime also has been blamed on cross-border smuggling over time.

In the Union’s latest reactions to the status quo in Nigeria, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU, in a recent statement issued in Abuja, FCT, said the governments at the Federal, state and local council levels appear enamoured to policies aggravating the suffering of the mass of Nigerian consumers.

The ASUU leader in the statement titled, ‘Mitigating the Suffering of Nigerians’, applauded the Supreme Court ruling suspending the earlier February 10 deadline for phasing out the old N200, N500 and N1000 denominations in line with the Naira redesign policy.

He said the order should somehow alleviate the suffering of Nigerian consumers.

According to Osodeke, the current socio-economic difficulties are largely occasioned by what he described as “yet another anti-poor policy.”

Fuel queues in Abuja, FCT  File Photo

He further said that the “ambush tactic” of CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele to “eliminate cash” was applied in India in 2016 with unsalutary consequences.

The statement also noted: “So, ASUU commends the Supreme court for siding with the suffering Nigerians whose miserable lives would have been compounded by Emefiele’s policy if they are not sent to their early graves by it.”

Odeje as well stated that it is unimaginable that a transitioning government would elect to “swim in an ocean of chaos”, as exemplified by the currency swap crisis and scarcity of petroleum products on the eve of an election season.

Commitment to liberating Nigerians from ‘anti-people policies’

Osodeke, who re-echoed the popular Labour slogan, ‘the struggle continues!, added: “Let’s work with patriotic Nigerians in Labour and civil society to resist anti-people policies and mitigate the people’s suffering.

“On our part, ASUU shall work closely with the new leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other patriotic Nigerians to protect and further the interests and well-being of all Nigerians at all time.”