Some residents of Kogi have decried the non-availability of the new Naira notes in the state. This is because some of the residents complained that some of the banks operating in the state were still dispensing the old notes through their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and on the counters.
Some of the residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, expressed worry over the scarcity, with only two weeks to the CBN deadline of Jan. 31 to phase out the old notes.
Hajia Lami Audu, a Kogi-based businesswoman, said the way CBN and the manner commercial banks were going about the release of the New Naira notes of 1000, 500 and 200, could breed a crisis unless there would be an extension of the deadline.
Mrs Jumai Agada, a fish seller at New Market, Natako, also complained that she gets more of the old notes from customers that pay her. She also said she has fear and dislike for the new Naira notes because each time she goes to buy fish by the river bank with the new notes, they wash or fade as soon as water touches them, that the new notes are not as good as the old notes, which are water resistant.
Mr Abdullazeez Musa, a meat seller at Adankolo Market, wondered why the new notes were not very much in circulation, considering the directive of the Apex Bank to the banks to ensure reasonable flow and circulation in society.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through its Director of Currency Operations, Mr Ahmed-Umar, had on Jan 9, mandated commercial banks to stop putting old Naira notes in their ATMs.
Ahmed-Umar claimed that the apex bank had enough of the new notes to meet the demand of the public as It also promised to monitor commercial banks, to ensure compliance with the directive. He said that the directive was to implement the Jan. 31 deadline for the withdrawal of old notes in circulation.
But a medical doctor, Adeiza Mathias said that as good as the Apex bank’s intention is, the situation here Kogi deserves more pragmatic action to ensure that people don’t lose their hard-earned monies, especially the villagers.
