Nigerian Govt Ban On Foreign Use Of ATM Cards: Is This The Only Way, Mr President?
Dear Mr. President and C.B.N Governor,
I write today on-behalf of the Nigerian Students all over the world and especially those in the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine cum Russia.
If there is one thing we agree on, it is that the Nation needs saving, from internal and external forces. To this effect I believe all Nigerians should put aside political differences and work to delivering the Nigeria of our dreams.
As Nigerians, naturally we have been toughened up by life that is why we stayed behind in Crimea even after the European Union hit Russia with sanctions upon sanctions last year.
“There is nothing the eyes would see that would make them shed blood”
This is a popular Igbo adage, but most recently our eyes are threatening to shed blood.
It takes us 26 long hours on the road to be able to withdraw money for use. This is because Master and Visa cards stopped their services in our region after the annexation, making it highly difficult for us to withdraw money for our upkeep and to pay for utilities.
And this already has its down side. As opposed to Central Bank Rate of One Hundred and Ninety Nine Naira (199) we have been withdrawing for over Two Hundred and Sixty Naira (260) depending on the commercial bank and how they feel to dispense the cash to us.
This difficulty comes after the slam of withdrawal rates hit everyone. The fight for the Naira has further made our situation precarious as just like everyone we are able to withdraw a maximum of #40,000 per day or less again depending on the commercial bank and how they feel to dispense the cash to us for these 26 long hours we spend on transit.
Life is already difficult for us here, and this of course we know is not the doing of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria, hence we didn’t complain about it because after all, all we have to take is the risk of travelling 26 hours across land and water each time we go to withdraw
Reality is we don’t own businesses here neither do we work; hence livelihood for us is the monthly or weekly stipends we get from our parents or whomever from Nigeria. All we came here to do is study and that we have been doing over the years. The various universities in this region that we go to, have produced quite a number of Nigerians who right now are giving the knowledge they acquired from to our Mother Nation.
News broke recently about the intention of the government to ban the use of “ATM” cards outside the country and this was followed by the implantation from the 1st of January 2016.
We may not have said anything earlier because we thought there would be a compromise, but there was not, and we DON’T HAVE CASH right now.
The prognostication of hunger and suffering and distress for the Nigerians here is already coming to pass and the effect is highly disastrous.
We are young Nigerians with no interest in propaganda or scandal, we don’t know what else the government can do to save the country, but we make this plea today, DON’T DO THIS.
Many of us risk expulsion from our various universities as some of us are yet to pay or complete payment for tuition and other necessities.
We all risk hunger and starvation combined with homelessness and loss of purpose. Do we talk of the emotional damage?
Don’t send us back home; please don’t end our future, careers, aspirations and dreams.
Don’t ban the use of “ATM” cards abroad at least until you provide an alternative.
Yours faithfully,
Odekpe Ugochukwu Nkanta Shadrach Sackiel
General Secretary, N.S.A. President, N.S.A.
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