Protesters block Lagos/Abeokuta road

Sanwo-Olu distributes palliatives to Lagosians

Protesters, yesterday, blocked the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway at Sango-Ota over their inability to withdraw money from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). They made bonfires of used tyres on both sides of the highway causing serious traffic gridlock.

Some of the protesters told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the cash crunch created serious agonising moments. Leader of the protesters, Mr. Kazeem Sanni, described the situation where bank customers could not access their money as unfortunate.

He said it had been double jeopardy for bank customers, as the banks would neither load their ATMs with money nor allow depositors into the banking halls to make withdrawal.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) instructed banks to load their ATMs with cash and to also allow depositors to withdraw a maximum of N20,000 across the counter. But the banks seem to observe the directive in the breach.

“The situation is really pathetic, as this has grounded business activities. We decided to demonstrate to show our grievances, as we can no longer bear this hardship, Sanni lamented.

He called on the CBN to urgently print more new notes and ensure that banks complied with its directives. NAN reports that banks in area were closed to customers and the ATMs were also not dispensing cash.Police, military and paramilitary personnel were seen at the scene of protest calming the protesters.

MEANWHILE, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commenced the distribution of palliatives to indigent Lagosians to ameliorate their plight following the Naira and fuel crises.

This is in fulfilment of his promise to cushion the effect of the hardship occasioned by fuel scarcity and dearth of cash on the vulnerable, civil servants, among others.

The move is to alleviate the hunger and hardship caused by the naira redesign by CBN, and other crises associated with fuel scarcity. During the flag-off of the distribution at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the distribution would be continuous, as the government would be reaching out to religious centres, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other distribution channels across the state.

Sanwo-Olu said: “What is inside the boxes are different items for the consumption of the vulnerable society.”

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Dada, stressed that the state government was mindful of the welfare of its people and that the challenges faced by citizens were due to the Naira swap and difficulty in accessing money.