Following the scarcity of the United States dollars
in the country, the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to President Muhammadu
Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has urged Nigerians to be
more creative so as to attract more foreign exchange.
He gave the call against the backdrop of a protest by some
Nigerians in Abuja on Friday who called for an immediate action to curb the
disparity between Naira and US Dollar.
Featuring on Channels Television Programme: “Politics Today”,
Shehu said the issue of dollar scarcity would have been worse but for the
measures taken by the government.
Shehu said, “Unfortunately, I am not an expert in these matters
but to my layman’s understanding, we have a Dollar crisis. Dollar inflow into
Nigeria is short. Whatever that is short in terms of supply creates demand in
high proportions.
“It would have been worse if the government has not taken quite
a number of measures including the restriction of our scares foreign exchanges
to sectors that are very critical, that create jobs, that generate income to
the country.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN had already dismissed those
protests. In a system, no matter how rotten it is, it produces beneficiaries.
People are happy with the old order, when people will go, take US Dollar form
the CBN, and go to the Bureau De Change. Now, CBN doesn’t sell Dollars.
“It is the commercial banks that sell. What I think needs to be
done is that beyond the government, all of us as Nigerians have a
responsibility. What do we do? Let us be more creative, try to export more, try
to produce local goods that sell abroad, so that more Dollars would come.
“Let us continue to stabilize the ongoing situation in the Niger
Delta so that earnings from the oil sector are not disrupted. When we have more
Dollars coming in, they will sell cheaper.”
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