Senator representing Borno South and Chairman Senate Committee on Army, Mohammed Ndume, has stated that the Naira redesign and cashless policy in the country is having a negative impact on the operation of troops on the frontline.
The senator, who said this on Saturday, while addressing newsmen, explained that soldiers’ daily stipends are easily accessible from the Points of Sales and ATMs to enable them to make provision for their daily needs to sustain their fighting spirit because the terrains of their operations are inaccessible for their daily rations to be delivered to them.
Ndume, who countered the claim of the new Naira redesign aiding the fight against terror financing, explained that terrorists have said that they are already in possession of the new notes.
While appealing to the CBN and the Federal Government to make arrangements for the troops to access their cash easily in view of the critical nature of their duties, he said, ”Naira redesign and the CBN’s cashless policy are gravely affecting the troops’ strategic operations at all front lines of insecurity in the country.
”It’s difficult for the troops to survive at the front lines due to the fact that they lack money to buy their daily needs at the remote areas across terrains of insecurity in Nigeria where they cannot access cash due to the challenges posed by the cashless currency policy.
“Now a soldier queues for hours at the ATM or PoS when he should be at the front line discharging his duties. This situation has dampened the morale of the troops at the front line.”
