Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that he played a significant role to ensure the presidency shift the deadline for the use of old naira notes.
Tinubu made the remarks on Sunday when he led other members of his campaign team on a courtesy call on the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare ll, in Benin City.
The APC presidential standard-bearer said he has in the past few days been intervening on behalf of petty traders so that they won’t suffer the difficulties that may be occasioned with the scarcity of new naira notes.
“Let me apologise to all the chiefs, respected leaders and traditional rulers for waiting since morning till now. This is not intentional but because of national politics. Some of your cousins, wives selling garden egg, carrots roasted corn need money and if naira is canceled, and we failed to intervene, then we have failed in our duty.
“We have been on this for three days. And, suddenly, in the afternoon, out of great respect, the presidency considered our request for extention. I was running back and forth calling him. So that’s what we have been doing. Luckily, even though we didn’t get everything we wanted, we got an extension for a number of days:” he said.
Read also: Chaos looms as old naira notes phase out nears
Tinubu, who said he was at the Palace to seek the monarch’s blessings ahead the presidential poll, equally acknowledged the Oba’s outspoken comments on the nation’s economy and rising unemployment level, assuring that his leadership would address the prevailing issues.
He also promised to leverage on Edo State’s resources and bring education reforms, including ending the incessant strike by academic staff of universities and students loans so as to bring relief to parents and raise the sector’s standard.
“Development is our programme. Benin is an economic centre of this region, rich in resources, knowledge and gas. We would have been making enough money today, if those who were in power for 16 years have talked about it, Nigeria would have been selling gas. We are going to end those anomalies and Edo will be a centre of economic activity for us.
“The artefacts are back but they made so many money out of it. Where is our share? We must house them and turn it to arts and exhibition centre. We will develop the museum. I will contribute, we will respect the culture and the museum will be built,” he said.
Responding, Oba Ewuare ll thanked the former Lagos State governor, the presidency and the Edo State government for their respective commitments and supports towards the success and construction of the Benin Royal Museum that will accommodate artefacts.
The Benin Monarch pointed out that the museum would be sited outside the palace ground for easy accessibility to tourists.
