The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has berated Atiku Abubakar over his new comment on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) deadline for Nigerians to swap their old naira notes. 

The forum in a statement signed by its president, Sa’ad Abubakar, said the former vice president’s comment were self-serving and did not reflect the true desire of suffering Nigerians. 

Since the implementation of the policy began, Nigerians have faced untold hardship in accessing their money. 

“Former VP Atiku’s call was out of place because it is coming on the heels of growing complaint about the kind of sabotage that is causing untold hardship to Nigerians over this policy.

“Atiku stands alone in his call on the CBN not to review the deadline. He is against prominent Nigerians who made passionate appeal for deadline review, notably the Sultan of Sokoto, the Senate and House of Representatives leaders and experts,” the statement said. 

Several public figures including the Sultan, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, have urged the CBN to consider a more gradual implementation of the policy and additional extention in the deadline of returning the new notes.

Mr Abubakar, while urging the CBN to address the difficulties being faced by the populace, opposed the proposition of other voices and asked the apex bank not to extend the February 10 deadline. 

The forum said Mr Abubakar’s comment was borne out of political opportunism, and was meant to improperly manipulate a programme intended to improve the economy to become a plot against his political rivals. 

“The AYCF wishes to state that it will be suicidal for this nation to consider Atiku’s advice against a review of the CBN cash swap deadline, because for any policy to succeed, it must have a human face and we believe the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, won’t  turn against overwhelming public interest, like Atiku has just done.

“The AYCF is therefore warning the ex-VP not to turn this policy into a weapon of political manipulation or political attention-seeking opportunity.

“He should forget about the continuation of a policy in the midst of loud calls for positive review for the sake of his selfish political and self-serving interests. We will not stop emphasising that Nigeria is never a Banana Republic,” the statement added.