Just in] Reps probe CBN over black marketing of mint naira notes

The House of Representatives, yesterday, at plenary, mandated its Committee on Banking and Currency to investigate the alleged black-marketing of mint naira notes on the streets.

The House also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to commence the immediate withdrawal of mutilated, dirty and oiled notes from circulation and replace them with new ones.


It equally resolved to constitute an Ad-hoc Committee to probe the award of pipeline surveillance contracts by Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, in Bayelsa State and asked the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to arrest the killers of four policemen in Edo State.

The resolutions followed three separate motions considered by the House.

Black marketing of mint naira notes

Moving the motion on the “Need to Investigate the Sale of Mint Naira Notes and Sources of Black-Marketing of the Naira,” Adekoya Adesegun Abdel-Majid from Ogun State, said mint naira notes sold on the streets were perpetually unavailable in banks.

He also called the attention of the House to the health implications of the dirty note in circulation, asking for their withdrawal and replacement.


Agip Oil’s award of pipeline surveillance contracts

Similarly, Federick Agbedi, who moved the motion on the “Need to Investigate the Award and Payment of Pipeline Surveillance Contractors by Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, in Bayelsa State,” co-sponsored by five other lawmakers from Bayelsa State, told the House that Nigerian Agip Oil Company in Bayelsa State awarded the pipeline surveillance contracts to some favoured allies, instead of the host communities.

The lawmaker stated that the decision had resulted in several conflicts in the respective communities as the youths felt marginalised and had, on several occasions, expressed their grievances through violent protests, sometimes clashing with security operatives attached to the contractors, which had resulted in loss of lives and property.

Agbedi warned that if the situation was not reversed, it would continue to brew violence in the state.

Killers of 4 policemen in Edo

On the need to arrest the killers of four policemen at Sabo-Uzebba junction checkpoint on July 14, 2018, in Edo State, the House called on the Inspector-General of Police and Chief of Defence Staff to set up joint patrol team along the Iruekpen-Sabon-Uzebba-Ifon (Ondo State) road to forestall such occurrence in the future.


Motion to that effect was moved by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Pally Iriase, who represents Owan East/West Federal Constituency of Edo State.