CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Hammed Shittu

Deputy National Vice-President,  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Issa Aremu, Monday called on the Federal Government to respect the views of Nigerians on the proposed introduction of N5,000 note into circulation.

Aremu said the failure of the government to succumb to the opinions of the populace on the issue would be vehemently resisted by the labour unions.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Ilorin on yesterday, Aremu also called for the democratisation of the appointment of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to him,” I want to appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to consider the views expressed by most Nigerians on the introduction of the N5, 000 notes.”

He warned that the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, must not be allowed to plunge the country into another crisis just as he did during the last January increase in the price of petrol.

Aremu recalled that despite the opposition of the organised labour and Nigerians to the hike in fuel prices last January, “Sanusi grandstand and that eventually led to the crisis that greeted the increase in pump prices of fuel.”

He posited that, “the CBN governor was not elected by Nigerians. Therefore President Jonathan who was elected by the people should listen to the people on the issue.”

Aremu added, “CBN should respect Nigerians’ position on this issue. It should not pursue policies that will kill production. Nigeria should be one of the leading countries of the world.”

Describing the planned N5,000 note  as “road to financial anarchy,” Aremu queried why the Bangladesh economy should be stronger than Nigeria’s.