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NMA
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) yesterday described the planned introduction of N5,000 banknote as wicked.
While the NMA said it will lead to inflation, CDHR urged the National Assembly to begin the process of sacking CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi before “a national mass revolt against this affront.”
National Vice Chairman of CDHR, Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, faulted the CBN governor for “his recurring display of power- arrogance and unapologetic agency for imperialist policies and dictates.”
Otitolaye who spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said: “The introduction of the N5,000 notes is a confirmation that Sanusi and his cronies are playing the script of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other Imperialist agencies. This is an attempt to further entrap our economy to the desires of Western countries. To enforce this economic regime is a lost focus by the Jonathan administration, hence creating a diversionary discussion.
“It is also a disconnect with the mass of our people. More than 100 million Nigerians live below the poverty line; must we commit over N40billion into a wasteful exercise when such money can be employed to create sustainable jobs for the unemployed?
“This is a roadmap to further inflation. Acceding to this obnoxious policy will lead to the introduction of higher denominations in the near future which continues to devalue our currency, erode our economy and dehumanise our people. The amount of money required for petrol (PMS) to fill a tank could buy a brand new Peugeot in the early eighties. Nigeria has become a dumping ground even for third world economies”, he said.
The chairman and secretary of the Kwara State Congress of Nigeria’s Political Parties (CNPP), Lekan Alabi and Adebayo Lawal in a statement said “the catalogue of misrule and anti-people policies of the Jonathan-led administration is assuming a greater dimension by the day as Mallam Sanusi’s action is threatening the welfare of Nigerians with the proposed introduction of the N5000 note.
NMA President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele who spoke in Abuja said: “NEC of NMA strongly advises the Central Bank Governor to review his planned introduction of the single 5000 Naira note, and 20 and 50 Naira coins, on account of the likely negative implications for the economy.
“The Association notes that despite several similar changes made in the past no significant improvement in the economy was witnessed. Increased inflation rate have more often than not been the lot of similar policies in the past.
”We therefore advise that rather than waste the country’s resources in such an unprofitable venture, such should be channeled into viable poverty reduction schemes to alleviate the sufferings of toiling Nigerians.
Worried by the growing insecurity in the country, the Association pushed for the liberalization of Nigeria’s policy on gun ownership in order to ensure Nigerians protect themselves by having access to guns.
“The prevalent forms of insecurity in Nigeria include kidnapping, armed robbery, ethno-religious crisis, settler-indigene conflicts, cultism, and terrorism. The Association calls on local, state and federal governments to improve security measures within public hospitals. In particular, the NEC calls for the establishment of police post/station in each public hospital/health facility as they have become ready targets of kidnappers and criminals. It will also curb the rising assault of health care workers by patients and their relations in the course of their duty within the hospital premises.”
On the need for Nigerians to have access to guns, he said: “NMA calls on government to liberalise the policy of gun ownership in Nigeria. The issue of insecurity has defiled all solutions by the present and past governments.
”Hoodlums and criminals feel that they have advantage because of their guns but they are scared of going near other Nigerians who already have possession of such weapons. This will help to curb the atrocities being committed by these criminals.” He stated
Claiming that the Prof. Julius Okojie-led National University Commission (NUC) is bent on destroying medical education and practice in Nigeria, he said “NMA rejects in totality this orchestrated agenda of NUC against the medical profession and will do everything lawful to protect the medical profession and the health of the citizens of Nigeria.
”The NUC should come out openly to tell Nigerians why it thinks Medicine should be taught and practiced with unsuitable and inadequate qualifications. In the next couple of weeks, the NMA will publish data to prove to the whole nation and world that the NUC is out to unduly harm the medical profession.”
The Association urged President Jonathan and the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyah Rufai, to urgently call Prof. Julius Okojie and NUC to order in avert an avoidable crisis in the country.
Recalling the tragic death of Miss Cybthia Osokogu, the Association urged the Federal Government to strictly enforce Prescription Rights in Nigeria.
It urged NAFDAC, State and Federal Governments to ban indiscriminate advertisements of medical /herbal products to halt rising medical complications from such drugs.
SOURCE: 6 September 2012.
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