Naira Swap Policy May Affect Fight Against Boko Haram, ISWAP, Others –National Security Says

 

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Make.-Gen. Babagana Momguno ( retd) has said that the change of currency and cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may affect the operations of troops fighting terrorism and insurgency.

 

 Nigerian troops have been fighting Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists as well as other major threats to the country’s security.

Monguno disclosed this when he appeared before an Ad hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on change of currency and cashless policy on Thursday in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Monguno, who was represented by the Head of Defence Unit, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, said that even in advanced countries, such policies could affect operations of troops if not well implemented.

“Because of the sensitivity of some of this information that will come and bordering on security, there are things we cannot say in the media.

“Globally, military operations, even in first world countries, such policies, if not well properly thought out, will affect some certain operations.

“Some of our soldiers are deployed in places where they cannot actually access digital means of paying for their daily subsistence; that is the main issue that NSA has been talking about.

“It is important that this committee sits down and articulates better ways of actually addressing these issues,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Ado Doguwa (All Progressives Congress-Kano) said the committee was interested in knowing the implications of the policy on national security.

He said that the committee would interface with major stakeholders to determine the effect of the policy on the economy.

According to Doguwa, from what the committee had so far gathered, the policy posed a challenge to agriculture, economy and security.

He described the policy as unpopular among Nigerians, saying it has caused hardship and may affect the forthcoming general elections.

Doguwa adjourned the meeting to Friday, February 10 for the committee to meet with the Minister of Finance, leadership of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc and National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

 

Federal Government Accuse Boko Haram, Bandits, ISWAP, IPOB, Yoruba Nation Agitators For Food Scarcity

Federal government has blamed Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Yoruba Nation agitators for increasing food scarcity across Nigeria.

Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, says the prevalence of these groups has adversely affected food security thereby posing a new dimension of threats to the country.

“Regrettably, the prevalence of these threats has continued to endanger not only national security and economic growth but also food security.

“In particular, food security has been adversely affected with the attendant rise in the prices of foodstuff across the country which portends a new dimension of threat,” he said.

Mr Magashi said this at the opening of a retreat for Defence Advisers/Attaches Conference, organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on Monday in Abuja.

He said the attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East and banditry and herder/militia in the North-West and Central posed serious threats to Nigeria.

According to him, states in the South-South region are plagued with illegal oil bunkering, piracy and militancy while the South-East is challenged with secessionist activities of IPOB.

He added that the South-West region is equally faced with secessionist inclination driven by ethnic agitators as well as occasional tension between herders and farmers.

Mr Magashi called for collaboration between the security agencies to “come up with innovative ways of identifying and confronting” these challenges.

The minister said this was necessary in order to “create an enabling atmosphere for economic activities to thrive and to attract Foreign Direct Investment.”