“NAIRA FOR NAIRA?” HOW EMBARRASSING!

“3k for 10k!” That was what the POS operator at Eleganza told me. 

“Ehn, you say?” I asked. 

“3k for 10k!” She repeated herself.

I gave her a disdainful look and walked away. While walking to get a bike simmering with anger, I said to myself, “If I give you da money, make I bend!”

Who would have thought a day would come when Nigerians would need to pay naira to get naira? 

I needed to cook and visited the bank hoping to get some money. I stood in the bank for about an hour and got only ₦2000. What exactly was I supposed to do with ₦2000? I was going to buy beef, but the meat vendor wouldn’t take a transfer, so I bought ‘eja kika’ and put it in my stew. Guess what? My stew never tasted more delicious. While I was in the bank, a senior citizen came in to request for his statement of account. Apart from withdrawal transactions, the bank had closed down other operations because of violence that was taking place within Epe and Lakowe environs. This elderly man was denied his statement of account and was asked to make use of a bank app. Of course, he did not have the app and had no idea what to do. The manager sympathised with him, but his hands were tied at that time; he had shut down things to protect his workers. I could not blame him. Hmm, I cannot even complain because some people have it worse. They cannot feed nor can they move around since they have no access to cash. The downside of this is that there are non-literate people, elderly men and women with no access to internet banking, USSD transfer, and mobile money. 

There has been a report of sprees of violence across the country. People are hurting badly due to the scarcity of cash. This situation is not funny. It is sad and embarrassing for us as a nation. I understand that CBN is trying to reduce vote buying and election malpractice as much as possible. But the little cash in circulation is being given to the same set of people that the CBN is trying to check. The masses suffer for nothing. Could things get any worse in this country? I pray and hope that by some miracle, there is relief soon.

As I sit here pondering about the situation, all I can think of is ‘3k for 10k’. “Rara, ko po!”

Foot Note 

3k for 3k’- You are to pay ₦3,000 to withdraw ₦10,000.

‘eja kika’ – Smoked fish

“Rara, ko po!” - No, it isn’t possible.

“If I give you da money, make I bend!” – I could never give you that sum of money.