* Declares redesigned currency a failed policy that inflicted suffering
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The Archbishop of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Dr Alexander Ibezim, has said the administration of the outgoing president, Muhammadu Buhari, was fraught with several challenges, including insecurity, corruption and hardship among others.
Delivering his presidential charge at the weekend during the 1st Session of the 13th Synod of the Awka Diocese of the church, which held at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ibezim said the redesigned naira notes was a failed policy that inflicted suffering on the Nigerian people.
According to him, Buhari’s government inflicted all manner of hardship and suffering on Nigerians, including killings, kidnapping, looting, inflation, unemployment and other forms of hardship.
“These eight years have been very challenging. The administration was marked with incessant killings, kidnappings, unresolved agitations, looting and inflation, increased rate of unemployment and hardship, lopsided appointments, and fuel scarcity.
“The people are yet to breathe the air of democracy. Our politicians show little or no interest in the people they are supposed to be representing. The people are tired and they are yearning for a new Nigeria.
“Nigeria as a nation is blessed by God with human and material resources, which ought to be utilised for the good of the people, but unfortunately, the resources that are meant for the benefit of all have been hijacked by few in authority,” he said.
He identified the introduction of new naira notes as one of Buhari’s failed policies, which further plunged the citizens into suffering, even though the policy was good, poor circulation, he maintained, marred it.
He urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure adequate circulation of the new notes before the 31st December deadline so as to avoid subjecting the people to another phase of suffering.
The Archbishop told Nigerians to keep their hopes alive, while commending the pattern of voting in the last election as championed by the youths.
“A new Nigeria, where justice, fairness, equity, peace and progress reign would emerge at the end,” he said, just as he knocked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its performance during the presidential election, saying the institution dashed the hope of millions of Nigerians.
The Anglican prelate, however, urged the incoming government to place the interest of the people above ethnicity and acrimony, stressing that a progressive city would thrive on fairness and justice.
