Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has called for the review of the naira swap policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Wike on Friday told President Muhammadu Buhari that the policy does not in any way fight corruption or vote buying as intended but has brought untold hardship on Nigerians.

Speaking during his address at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally at Okrika Local Government Area (LGA) in the State, Wike reminded Buhari that the business of governance does not include inflicting hardship on the people.

Recall the CBN in December 2022, rolled out re-designed N200, N500 and N1,000 notes and set a deadline for Nigerians to replace their old notes with the new notes.

However, anguish and pain has been the portion of Nigerians owing to the scarcity of the new notes.

Recall also that the federal government said its intention was not to bring hardship on Nigerians but to curb vote buying, tackle corruption, counter holders of illicit funds, and fight other vices.

In Wike’s reaction, he said the policy does not have anything to do with fighting corruption but is making the masses suffer.

The G-5 leader called on the President to device other means of fighting corruption.

In his words,

“Mr President, I know the pressure. But please, since two of us are going at the same time, this policy has nothing to [do with trying to] fight corruption at all. It has nothing to [do with trying to] fighting politicians at all.

“The policy aims to suffer the people who elected us to govern over them (sic). Our business is not to make the people suffer. We all know how to fight corruption; we all know how to fight politicians. This particular one does not come in at all.”