CBN assures INEC of election operations cash
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has assured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that enough cash would be made available for ease of election logistics and other operations in the upcoming polls.
Governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele to INEC boss, Mahmoud Yakubu , that money would not stand in the way of smooth operations during the elections which is going to test the next level of Nigeria’s political evolution.
Emefiele made the promise while playing host to visiting delegation of top INEC officials who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Prof Mahmood Yakubu led the led the delegation that included 11 National Commissioners on a visit to the central bank.
“The CBN will not allow itself to be used as agents to frustrate the forthcoming election which is a positive assignment. If you require cash to pay some of your service providers, we will make it available to you. We will not allow ourselves to be seen as agents that frustrate a genuine assignment,” Godwin Emefiele told Mahmoud Yakubu.
The statement came as the CBN continues to allay fears that the prevailing cash crunch in the country would jeopardize smooth conduct of the 2023 elections, assuring that cash would not present operational hitches to the process.
In addressing concerns raised by the INEC officials over the prevailing cash crunch in the country just 17 days ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, Emefiele said the CBN would not allow itself to be “seen as agents that frustrate a genuine assignment.”
On concerns raised by many Nigerians about the processes that would drive the conduct of the election, the INEC chairman told the CBN Governor that the 2023 polls will be the best in Nigeria’s history.
He said whereas INEC has transferred all its accounts to the CBN, and expressed hope that there would access to cash to enable payment for services.
