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BBC Pidgin of Sunday, 19 February 2023

Source: BBC

Pipo dey ginger Nigerians to protest and cause violence ahead of election - Police

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Police don draw ear give Nigerians against making comments wey fit cause kasala for di kontri.

Di police issue di warning for statement wey di force public relations officer bring on Saturday.

Protest don rock different part of Nigeria since di implementation of di new naira policy of di federal goment.

Di naira redesign policy, alias naira swap policy of di Central Bank of Nigeria wey direct pipo to stop to dey use old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes and embrace di new ones.

Di CBN bin extend di deadline for di swap from 31 January to 10 February 10 following complaints by many Nigerians but di Supreme Court come say di Federal Goment, di CBN, and di commercial banks suspend di deadline till 15 February to allow dem hear di suit wey three state govnors - Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara bin file to challenge di police.

Since di implantation Nigerians don carry protest enta different parts of di kontri.

Politicians and sabi pipo don also carry di matta for head dey tok different tins against president Muhammadu Buhari and di CBN govnor Godwin Emefiele.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, tok-tok pesin of di Nigerian police force say di force dey monitor di situation across di kontri.

“Amidst di prevailing outcries and reactions on di new naira policy for di kontri, di Nigeria Police Force don decide to caution groups and individuals against divisive comments and utterances capable of heating up di polity and triggering crisis for di kontri,” e tok.

Wetin dey happun for Nigeria now

Plenti tins dey happun for Nigeria at di moment but di major ones wey dey bite di kontri hard na scarcity of naira and fuel.

On 3 February, President Buhrai bin beg Nigerians to give am seven days to resolve di cash crunch after di Nigeria Governors Forum urge am to allow all old notes to dey circulate in di system to ease di hardship on ordinary Nigerians.

Di 10 February deadline wey di CBN govnor, Godwin Emefiele give for di old naira notes deadline don pass but di new naira notes dey scarce for di kontri.

Pipo dey find am hard to see money run dia daily activities wit many sleeping overnight for commercial banks ATM, so dem go fit withdraw money ahead of odas.

Dis scarcity of naira and di hardship wey im cause don dey make pipo para sotey, violent protest don dey erupt across di kontri.

Di Nigeria Governors Forum say di naira policy by di Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) don cause kasala around di kontri and call on di apex bank to do sometin about am.

Di govnors say dem stand wit Nigerians wey dey experience difficulties sake of di naira re-design and cash withdrawal restriction policy of di apex bank.

Dem say di CBN and di goment need to listen to Nigerians and oda stakeholders before di policy cause ogbonge damage wey go dey too big for di next administration to fix.

On Thursday President Muhammadu Buhari direct di Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release di old notes of 200 for Nigerians to continue use am as legal tender.

Di President tok say di 200 go function as legal tender alongside new 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes.

''To further ease di supply pressures particularly to our citizens, I don give approval to di CBN say make dem release di old N200 bank notes back into circulation and dat make dem allow am circulate as legal tender with di new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 wen di old N200 notes cease to be legal tender,'' Buhari tok.

Make evri body behave

From Ogun, to Ondo, to Oyo, Kwara and Edo down to Delta, angry Nigerians dey para and carry waka enter streets to protest.

Di matter reach Lagos and Port Harcourt on Friday.

Protesters dey attacks commercial banks and destroying dia properties.

For oda places, dem dey attcak bank staffs and even blocking di roads wit bonfires.

Govnors like Zamfara, Ogun, Kano, Kaduna and Lagos don draw ear give banks for dia states to dey allow deposit of old naira notes or dem go show dem pepper.

Na dis one make di police issue di warning. Di Force headquarters also appeal to Nigerians to remain calm despite di challenge wey dem dey face.

Adejobi say, “Dis call dey very important as di Police perceive di reactions and utterances of certain groups and individuals as attempt to heat up di polity and spontaneously instigate di populace against di goment and its policies for dia peculiar interests and gains.

“Di NPF, dia fore charge di citizens of Nigeria to remain calm and embrace peace.

“We urge di Nigerian populace to desist from any act of violence, hooliganism, and vandalism wey fit jeopardize di ongoing electoral process, wey dey significant and critical in di transitional advancement of democracy for Nigeria.”