Mrs. Ekerebong Umoh, the chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service Commission, has lamented the hardships brought on by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless policy, which is being overseen by Godwin Emefiele (CBN).
Umoh, who spoke candidly at the funeral service for Late Elder (Mrs) Maginah Elkanah Akpabio over the weekend at Edem Idim Ishiet in the state’s Onna region, said the slow network frequently encountered when using bank apps on mobile devices or through the POS system during transactions, as well as the lengthy lines outside in the sun and in the rain for hours, are avoidable pains that the CBN inflicts on the public.
She observed that sometimes people return home after long wait without cash, leaving them hopeless and in very desperate situation.
She thanked Nigerians for their tolerance, patience and resilience in the face of the hardship.
“Ordinarily, a cashless economy, as practised in developed countries, is a very seamless financial practice but in Nigeria, the terrible sufferings placed on the people by the Emefiele’s-led CBN is turning the policy into a tale of woes.
“People can no longer buy fruits, not even udara, due to lack of money and those, who have money, now use it as an escape route not to assist the poor and the needy around them. The common parlance now is – ‘you know we are now cashless,” the CSC chairman stressed.
She expressed sympathy for the bereaved family members since, in her opinion, she can only image the suffering they endured while planning the burial service given the country’s appallingly dire financial circumstances.
A former permanent secretary from the State Civil Service, Ms. Ikemesit Ekpro, also bemoaned the ineffective implementation of the cashless policy in his contribution, noting out that in other contexts, the populace would have vehemently revolted against the inhumane treatment meted out to them. She expressed her gratitude to Nigerians for surprising the world by keeping composed and focused in the face of adversity.
According to Ekpro, “in other climates, the elections wouldn’t have gone so painfully and uncertainly, but we quietly got through the electoral processes successfully.”
She commended the grieving family for overcoming their difficult financial situation to arrange a really admirable funeral for their late mother, whom she characterized as a “no-nonsense woman” in her day.
Speaking about the drawbacks of the cashless system, Mrs. Grace Akpan, the commissioner for information and strategy’s representative and director of public relations, expressed hope that the difficulties would soon come to an end and urged Nigerians to continue to be patient, tolerant, and resilient.
A daughter of the departed and Principal Information officer at the Akwa Ibom State Liaison Office, Lagos, Mrs. Grace Edem, thanked the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, the Permanent Secretary, Akparawa James Edet, the management and staff of the Ministry for according their late mother the last respect.
src
