The group made the call in a statement signed on Monday by its Country Director, Ene Obi.
Obi said Nigerians were going through multiple issues in the country, which had been compounded by government agencies, adding that it was important to note that actions and inactions of any sector of the economy could affect the coming 2023 general elections.
She added that while the intention of the apex bank in redesigning the naira notes was applaudable for reducing the amount of cash in the system, and promoting a cashless economy, it was however leading to frustration among Nigerians, as there were scarcity of the naira and the sudden disbursement of coins over the counter.
The AAN Country Director, while condemning the actions of the students of the University of Benin and the army, noted that the scarcity of the naira notes was a contributing factor to the assault and reprisal attack by the military on students and workers of the University.
Consequently, the group urged the CBN to place more stringent sanctions on banks, opportunists and POS operators who were not complying with CBN guidelines.
The statement read in part, ‘‘There are multiple issues Nigerians are dealing with right now, which are being compounded by the Government and her Agencies, like the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Department of Petroleum Resources. As we approach a change in administration across all levels (excluding some state governors), it is important to know that the actions and inactions of any sector at this time, will affect the economy and the 2023 general elections, which will in turn impact the citizenry.
“For instance, the quadrupled cost of most forms of transportation and the high cost of running businesses. Consequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission has noted that the lingering fuel scarcity may affect the movement of election materials and personnel on election days, if not addressed.
‘‘The scarcity of the new Naira notes and the sudden emergence and disbursement of coins over the counter are increasingly leading to the frustrations of Nigerians. This is in addition to the sales of the new naira notes by independent POS operators and Opportunists and an over 200% increase in charges for the collection of old notes.”
The group also urged the FG to take swift action to rehabilitate and refurbish refineries across the country.
“We are calling on the FG to take swift action in rehabilitating and refurbishing all the refineries across the country to spur them into production. Now is the time for FG to stop operating an opaque subsidy regime and adopt a citizen-led subsidy administration for efficiency and transparency,” the statement added.
