The Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria has expressed great concern over the widespread usage of Bit-coin, a form of Crypto-currency and other ponzi schemes across the country.
This was consequent upon a motion moved by Senator Benjamin Uwaiumogu (Imo North), who expressed concern that Nigerians were freely advised, and even persuaded to invest in crypto-currency as it promised quick returns, in certain instances, a triple or quadruple of the invested sum as profit within days.
He noted that Google, quoted one (1) Bit coin to be the equivalent of N5, 706, 713.20 as at 10th December 2018.
The motion was titled ‘urgent need to investigate the proliferation of Bit-coin, a form of Crypto-currency, to ascertain the worthiness of same as a form of investment in Nigeria’.
The senate stressed that not only has the proliferation of Bit-coin become one of the forms of investment in the country, it is openly marketed across the country on the local television and radio stations, mostly to Nigerians not aware of the consequences.
Leading the debate, Senator Uwajumogu said that, “Bit-coin is not recognized by the Central Bank, does not exist in any tangible form and is also not subject to any international or local monetary regulations, or backed up by any established government institution for that matter”.
The lawmaker also reminded the senate that the MMM bubble of 2016, left millions of Nigerian families broken, devastated and many business men lost all their capital in the phony scheme.
“As Nigeria is recovering from recession, it will be devastating for our citizens to lose their hard earned money on schemes they could easily have avoided had they been properly advised by the government”, he said.
Mr. Uwajumogu lamented that the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission and the National Orientation Agency were not doing enough to educate Nigerians on the investment risks inherent in Bit-coin as he expressed worry that the wonder banks like Bit-coin traders, Swiss golden traders, had carried on their businesses unchecked in Nigeria, mostly to the detriment of the citizens.
Contributing to the motion, Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) urged Nigerians as well as relevant intelligence agencies to learn from the MMM saga.
“Many lost their lives due to MMM. No country, no intelligence agency will allow financial scams like MMM, Bitcoin to operate in the borders of their country. Nigeria is so docile that everything comes in.
“If it is a lottery, it should go through national lottery commission, if it is a form of exchange of currency where the CBN can regulate that. The motion is coming because as a senate we need to defend the people”, he said.
Senator Bala Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South) urged the Senate to intervene as he claimed to be an analogue senator.
“I don’t do internet banking. I like to count my money myself. I’m analogue, I don’t want to go digital. It is safe that way.
“They will just go and pop up something and return them (Nigerians) back to square one. It is not nice, it is not ethical and I think we must intervene in this kind of situation”, he said.
The senate therefore urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, the NDIC and the Nigerian Stock Exchange to make an unequivocal statement across all the News platforms in all dialects on the dangers of Bit-coin as a store of value in Nigeria.
The senate also resolved to “call on the National Orientation Agency to spread the News against all forms of Wonder banks and Ponzi schemes Operating in Nigeria.”