Traders, drivers reject old naira notes in Nasarawa
By Halima Abdulkadiri
Several traders in Nasarawa state on Monday reject the old naira notes of N200, N500 and N1,000 despite the extension of their validity by the Supreme Court.
Many residents of the state with the old naira notes were stranded in several locations in the state capital since they could not spend it.
Speaking with the NORTHEAST STAR, a thrift collector in Masaka, Nyanya, who preferred anonymity, said that she was depressed when she heard that many banks were no more collecting old notes from customers.
According to her, she called some bank officials who told her that the bank would no more accept the old naira notes.
Read Also: CBN Activates Portal For Old Naira Note Deposits To Minimize Losses
The thrift collector pleaded with the Federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to allow the naira policy to affect the masses despite the hardship they face due to the poor economy.
“Government should not give us hypertension. How will rural dwellers survive? The authorities should reconsider this policy.
“It is worrisome that the Supreme Court’s order could not be obeyed,” she said.
Also speaking, a taxi driver Iyanya metropolis, said that he was surprised to have learnt about the refusal to collect the old naira notes.
He said that the refusal if not quickly checked would send many to untimely graves.
“But I know that they are not more powerful than God. I have stopped collecting it from passengers since I can’t spend it.
“These banks should be sanctioned by the court, and the government should allow people to continue to spend it until the new ones are abundant in circulation,” he said.
According to him, filling stations have stopped collecting the old naira notes as well.
In her words, Mrs Choima Eke, a POS attendant in Masaka, Nasarawa state, said that Zenith Bank was initially collecting the old naira notes before it stopped collecting them from customers.
Choima explained that a First Bank POS agent instructed other POS attendants to deposit all their old naira notes between Monday and Tuesday unfailingly, saying she had stopped collecting the old notes from customers because of the risk involved.
She said that it was worrisome that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other authorities were not talking to Nigerians.
“Though the court is supreme there is no statement from the CBN leadership,” she said.
According to her, the effects of disobeying the court order would be felt mainly by poor Nigerians.
