From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
In the wake of the recent Central Bank of Nigeria cash withdrawal policy announcement, Students For Liberty has expressed their displeasure over the policy.
Students For Liberty is the largest pro-liberty student organization in the world that supports student groups advocating classical liberalism.
Speaking to newsmen during the Launch, Bayonle Fesobi, the Community Mobilizer of the programme, stressed that the CBN had initially announced that individuals would be unable to withdraw more than #20,000 a day.
“However, an upward review was considered after the National Assembly asked the bank to considerably adjust the withdrawal limits in response to public outcry on the policy, which now allows individuals to withdraw up to N500,000 weekly and organizations, N5 million weekly.
According to him, the policy does great hardship on small and medium-scale business owners in Nigeria, disclosing that the end goal of the government is to introduce the e-naira through which they can gain access to monitor every person’s money”
He said that the policy declared a big threat to the Rights of Privacy of Citizens, their Correspondence, Conversations, and Communications, which the Constitution provides for them in section 38.
While noting that there is also no guarantee of security for the information, especially in a nation like ours, he added that if such information falls in the wrong hands, we can only imagine the extent of danger that portends for private citizens.
Mr. Bayonle further disclosed that a rally was carried out both at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, and at Ojurin, Bodija, Ibadan Oyo State, to pass a message through the very-busy Bodija International Market with banners and posters that bore #StopStealingOurFuture.
The fliers, he said were shared with passers-by, shop owners, passing vehicles, and every other person who cared or did not care about the cause of the procession, while ensuring that the message was well passed.
He called on the Federal Government to look into the policy in consideration of the well-being of its citizens and allowing enabling environment for businesses to strive.