High Chief Samson Kunle Popoola, Ogun State Chairman, PCRC
The Ogun State Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), High Chief Samson Kunle Popoola, an avid crime watcher and social critic has given a thumbs-up to the Naira exchange exercise ongoing in the country, insisting that the policy, though presently inflicting pains on Nigerians as a result of paucity of the new notes in circulation, portends good for the country in the long run.
In a recent telephone chat with THE STATEPOST, High Chief Popoola said though the exercise seemed harsh, it has several innate advantages to the country on the long run.
High Chief Popoola who noted that though the implementation of the exchange exercise may be faulted, but within a short spate of time, the crime rate in the country has plummeted, reducing the daily reports of banditry and terrorism incidences by the media.
Enumerating the inherent advantages in the ongoing Naira exchange exercise, Popoola pointed out that armed robbery, kidnapping, Herdsmen and farmers clash, Boko Haram and all forms of terror has subsided drastically, if not totally.
He noted that terror and all forms of crime now, in a country where cash is not flowing freely is not rewarding to the perpetrators as transfer to another account is now very dangerous since they are under watch.
Citing an example, Popoola said it was the transfer of a huge sum of money by midnight to another account that helped the police to unravel the mystery behind the heinous murder of the Fatinoye’s family, the Central Bank staff who was recently killed with his wife and only child by his driver in Abeokuta.
High Chief Popoola noted that the chief crime now is looting but he quickly interjected that even that will soon pass away as it is as a result of lack of money being experienced now
by all.
The PCRC chieftain enjoined Nigerians to bear the pain which he noted would soon be a thing of the past as it could only lasts for a while.
He said Nigerians feel the pain more acutely because there are more ‘unbanked’ people in the country and those needing lots of cash to trade all the time.
Popoola also posited that the implementation of the policy is too sudden as it is not easy to effect a sudden change of lifestyle in the people.
He added that the difficulty in interbank transfer also added to the problems of the spending public.
