By Amos Aar
US dollars (USD) rained at Government House, Makurdi on Thursday as various political groups trooped in to take delivery of the physical cash as mobilisation allowance for the Presidential and National Assembly (NASS) elections coming up tomorrow, Saturday, February 25, 2023.
This is as naira scarcity bites harder following the non-availability of the redesigned naira notes.
Bureau de change agents made brisk business at Government House, Makurdi during the disbursement of dollars by Governor Samuel Ortom to groups as they exchanged dollar to naira for people at prescribed rates.
Some people, especially those from rural areas, who are not conversant with US dollars were confused in transacting business with the agents for exchange of the currencies. Most of those in this category, National Record finds, resolved to take their dollars home in order to be guided by their relatives even as they were stranded, owing to lack of transport fare due naira scarcity.
Efforts by National Record to ascertain whether the dollars were sent from the PDP national secretariat, Abuja or sourced by the state chapter of the party amidst ceaseless cries and complaints by the state government that there was no money to run government since the naira redesign policy took effect on December 15, 2022, were fruitless.