*Countdown to next week Saturday 25th February as Nigerians go to the polls to vote for a new president and vice president. It so happens that just before the election there is a currency crisis. The currency in question is Nigeria’s own NAIRA.
The country’s Supreme Court suspended the deadline to stop using old banknotes which were meant to be out of circulation, last January, with newly designed Naira notes denominations printed. There have been mob attacks on commercial banks, long queues, fights at ATMs, and restrictions on how much money an individual can withdraw from his or her own account. It’s been chaotic and every Nigerian has an account of their own experience.
Staff at banks are in fear for their safety due to irate customers. It is believed by Nigerians that this currency crisis is intentionally in place and being used to destabilize the elections next week on Saturday 25th February. There are not many new naira notes in circulation.
The question is why announce the change of Naira notes just last December 2022 before a major election every Nigerian has been looking forward to?
The head of the Nigerian election commission said some election service providers will need to be paid in cash, and that could prove to be difficult. Oh dear.
OTHER NEWS ON EURWEB: When Black Cops Beat Black People: The Journal of Steffanie Rivers | WATCH
Market Women, Politicians, and votes
Through the years, market women have continued to play a huge role in Nigeria’s elections. Nigerian politicians usually solicit their help for votes, but it is noted that once the politicians are elected, the women are neglected and unappreciated.
Market women have not been impressed with the politicians and support for them has been on the decline. Statistics have it that women make up 49.5 percent of Nigeria’s population, out of 206 million. Market women are good mobilizers and that is why Nigerian politicians turn to them for their support and votes. The role of women indeed, cannot be ruled out when it comes to nation-building.
TAYO Fatunla is an award-winning Nigerian Comic Artist, Editorial Cartoonist, Writer, and Illustrator is an artist of the African diaspora. He is a graduate of the prestigious Kubert School, in New Jersey, US., and recipient of the 2018 ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award for his illustrated OUR ROOTS creation and series – Famous people in Black History – He participated at UNESCO’s Cartooning In Africa forum held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the Cartooning Global Forum in Paris, France and has held a virtual OUR ROOTS cartoon workshop for SMITHSONIAN- National Museum of African Art, Washington D.C. His Fela Kuti outline image is featured in the Burna Boy’s mega-Afrobeat hit song “YE.” –– tfatunla@hotmail.com
The post Nigeria’s Currency Palaver/Crisis with 2023 Elections Looming – TAYO Fatunla Observes appeared first on EURweb.
