The suspension of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank, has brought joy to many traders in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State.
The traders, who reacted to the news on Saturday evening, expressed their happiness and lack of sympathy for Emefiele in his current situation.
Speaking at Isi Gate and Orie Ugba markets in Umuahia, the traders accused the Emefiele-led CBN of causing significant harm to their businesses during the first quarter of 2023 due to the poor management of the naira redesign policy.
They also alleged that the suspended CBN Governor had shown stubbornness by disregarding the directives of the Supreme Court regarding the naira issue.
Joel Onyekachi, a butcher, revealed that he was still trying to recover from the losses he suffered during the cashless challenges of February and March. In many instances, he had to dispose of his spoiled meat purchases.
Similarly, Mrs. Kate Amadi, a fruit dealer, considered the news of Emefiele’s suspension and detention to be one of her happiest moments. She expressed her frustration with the man and his policies, stating, “That man and his policies gave me a hard time. So why shouldn’t I be happy now?”
She advised Nigerian leaders to be mindful of the consequences their actions could have on the well-being of the citizens.
According to Mr. Chibuzor Olileanya, a shoe dealer, the cashless policy was even more detrimental than the ongoing controversy surrounding fuel subsidies.
“You can’t compare the two situations. One is better or more manageable, and that’s the subsidy removal. Even though it’s harsh on us and fuel is expensive, at least you can see it and buy it. You can have the cash to buy it. But during the cashless days, you couldn’t even find any money to purchase anything,” lamented Olileanya.
The shoe dealer further criticized the poor network system that plagued the cashless period, which resulted in his money getting trapped in failed online transactions.
Sources
akelicious/TNN
