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Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, says he and his colleagues took the federal government to the court over the naira redesign policy to save the country.
Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara states had filed a suit against the federal government at the Supreme Court seeking a restraining order to stop the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from implementing the February 10 deadline for the naira swap.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court temporarily restrained the CBN from implementing the deadline.
In a statement by Zailani Bappa, Matawalle’s spokesperson, the governor described those against their action and triumph at the court as “misguided”.
“Following the uncouth comments trailing the decision of the apex court to listen to and act on the demand of the triumvirate governors on naira swap, Matawalle carpeted the attacks as mere political vendetta,” the statement reads.
“I am fully convinced that those against our action and victory at the Supreme Court are either misguided or blinded by political chauvinism.
“I and my Kaduna and Kogi states counterparts found it necessary to approach the Supreme Court in order to save the economy of Nigeria from being plunged into more crises.
“And to relieve the pains that ordinary Nigerians are experiencing in the face of scarcity of both the old and new naira notes.”
He said it is common sense to say that the CBN and commercial banks must make the new naira notes available for day-to-day business transactions before the old naira notes were declared illegal.
The governor expressed dismay at comments from his opposition, noting that political parties challenging the decision of the court do not have the country’s interest at heart.
“The decision of our wise and revered Supreme Court judges on this matter is the best way to address the current problem and its impending consequences at the moment,” he said.
“At this critical time of our transition, it is only patriotic for all of us to put political considerations aside and address the challenges at hand so that together, we can cross the bridge ahead of us.”
