Lai: Opposition parties playing dirty politics with naira redesign policy

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has accused some opposition parties of preventing President Muhammadu Buhari from taking measures that would cushion the impacts of the naira redesign policy on Nigerians.

Mohammed spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the 23rd edition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration scorecard series.

He said the federal government was mindful of the inconveniences being endured by citizens as a result of the naira redesign and fuel supply disruptions.

The minister said the government was working to restore normalcy to the two “critical enablers of economic activities” and would take added measures, where necessary, to alleviate the pains of Nigerians.

He said the president had asked Nigerians to give him a seven-day window to resolve hiccups in the implementation of the new naira scheme.

Mohammed said it was surprising that some opposition parties went to court to obtain an injunction restraining the president and the CBN from extending the February 10 deadline for Nigerians to exchange their old notes for new ones.

“The court action came after a number of opposition parties threatened to boycott the 2023 general elections if the deadline was extended,” he said.

“These curious actions by the parties concerned are clear evidence that the opposition has turned this whole issue into a political game, preferring to make Nigerians suffer more on the altar of an unconscionable political gamesmanship.

“Or how else can one explain the fact that these unscrupulous opposition parties do not want any action that could reduce the pains being experienced by Nigerians?”

Mohammed said the opposition parties were playing dirty politics by putting their interests over and above the interests of Nigerians.

He said the desperate actions would not save the political parties from losing at the polls because voters had already seen that they were the real enemies of the people.

Mohammed assured that notwithstanding the antics of opposition political parties, government would take decisive steps to bring succour to Nigerians in the shortest possible time.