Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the House of Representatives has berated people criticising President Muhammadu Buhari over the redesigned naira notes.
Dogora, noted that those criticising Buhari are committing treason, even as he urged the CBN to make the new Naira notes available to people.
He commended President Buhari over the iniative to curb vote buying in the forthcoming general elections, adding that he is aware of the hardship caused by the Naira redesign and swap policy.
While pleading with Nigerians to endure the hardship for a few weeks as sacrifice for a free, fair and credible election, he said, “It’s a life lesson: that just as injury has pains so also recovery has pains. But if we have to get healed, we have to endure the pains. I urge us all to trudge on in the hope that these pains may truly be the birth pangs we may endure for a New Nigeria to be born.
“For those criticising the President on the issue of timing, I want to remind them in the words of Dr King Jnr that time is eternally neutral and, ‘the time is always ripe to do right.’ Let me end by calling on CBN to ensure the redesigned notes are made available to our people but even if the CBN failed to do so, my plea to all Nigerians is to endure the pains for a few more weeks for our votes to count and for us to elect a President we truly deserve.”
Speaking further, Dogara said, “Let me emphatically say that the President has the sole Constitutional powers over currency matters and all those busy running their mouths because they have been denied the opportunity to deploy the ill gotten naira they have stashed to buy votes, that they are committing treason.
“The President is absolutely right not to have given in to the greed of the few against the needs of the many. While the President is right to have acted on what he knows and in the best interest of the country, his traducers are petty, unpatriotic, treacherous, and grossly irresponsible.
Dogara added, “Therefore, Mr. President deserves our thunderous applause. Whoever writes it, history will be kind to Mr. President if he doesn’t give in or give up on his resolve to ensure a free, fair, and credible democratic election no matter the cost on the 25th February, 2023 as scheduled by INEC.
“Let me remind us that Nigeria is tottering on the precipice and for everyone who has ever wondered what the bottom looks like, this is it! No doubt these are moments of national peril! That is why we need a President who will hit the ground running from day one. If we love Nigeria, we cannot afford to foist a rookie on her as President.”
Describing Atiku Abubakar as the best man to get the job, Dogara said, “Other candidates do not come close to Atiku. Tell me if any of the candidates comes close to HE Atiku Abubakar in terms of readiness to hit the ground running from day one. In case you don’t know him, let me attempt the impossible task of introducing him to you.
He added, “HE Atiku Abubakar, the Wazirin Adamawa is a statesman like no other and a father in every sense of the word. He is a demonstrable source that gives life to everything around him.
“We need a steady hand not a hand that must always be steadied because only a steady hand can steady a volatile Nigeria. We need a hand on which nothing dies not the hand that spills everything that is placed on it if we do not want our collective national destiny to be spilled.
“We need a grounded leader not a feckless gormless pretender who has become a perfect gift to every level of comedy both locally and internationally. By our votes, let us send a strong and clear message to those who want to foist this tasteless joke on us that Nigeria is no Comedy Cellar or Viva Blackpool,” Dogara added.
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