Senator Ndume
The Chairman Senate Committee on Army, Sen. Ali Mohammed Ndume said that the shortage of new Naira notes being experience as a result of poor implementation of the CBN policy is affecting military operations in Borno.
Ndume made this known on Saturday in Maiduguri while speaking to newsmen on hardship being experience by the populace in Borno and military personnel in accessing thier feeding allowance.
Ndume said many soldiers deployed to rural areas were finding it difficult to eat because they could not access the new Naira notes that remain scarce, while those of them that were able to reach ATM points were helpless because of long queues.
Ndume said that attempts by the soldiers to find shutcut to long queues always lead to conflict with the angry people in queue.
According to him, there was a case of a soldier being mobbed by angry people in queue.
The senator who is representing Borno South Senatorial District, said his encounter with many soldiers during his recent tour of his constituency enabled his to see they hardship they are experiencing over the new notes.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on CBN and whoever is responsible to make sure the needed cash by the military and other security agencies for thier operations is adequately provided,” Ndume pleaded.
While noting that the policy was a good one, Ndume said the timing and dateline were wrong, and ended up being in conflict with the constitution as well as causing hardship to the populace.
“As a senator, I requested for money and left a cheque since Thursday and I am yet to get a kobo!
“You can imagine what the poor people out there are facing, ” Ndume lamented.
He advised CBN to not only use ATM but to also start giving POS operators the new notes to ease the scarcity which continue to raise tension and frustration across the country.
