Ogun governor to banks: Refuse old naira notes,remain shut

161
Spread the love


Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state.
Photo credit: Vanguard news.
By Correspondent in Abeokuta & Lokoja.

The governor of Ogun state,
Dapo Abiodun, vowed to close any commercial bank that refused to accept the old naira notes.

The governor,who gave the admonition

In a brief statement on his official Twitter page.

He warned:”We will shut down any Commercial bank operating in Ogun state that refuses to accept old naira notes.”

Our Correspondent in Lokoja reports that most banks in Lokoja refused to accept the old naira notes from customers on Tuesday.

In similar vein, operators of filling stations, market women and men as well as and other commercial outfits have stopped receiving the old nairs notes from customers.

Many residents of the area who spoke with our Correspondent said that the development had put them in a more fix, adding that they have been spending long hours in banks to withdraw as low as N2,000 in some banks instead of the N20,000 limit ordered by the Central Bank of Nigeia, CBN.

A branch manager of one of the latest generation of banks in Nigeria, who spoke with The Reporters in Lokoja on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity, said “the only answer to this currency crisis is for CBN to supply commercial banks with adequate new naira notes.”

“Once more new naira notes is made flood the commercial banks, these endless queues will disappear and normalcy in business transaction returns.”

“For instance was given N6 million last for dispense to customers, the amount is not even enough to serve our ATM, not to talk of paying customers on the counter. It most unfortunate,” he said.

Meanwhile,banks in Lokoja and its environs continued to witness mammoth crowd of customers with disclosing that they went home disappointed as they could not withdraw money after a long hours of queuing.

They renewed their call on the federal government to do something urgent to arrest the situation and stop their agony of searching for scarce new naira notes.

Feelers from other states of the federation indicate that the controversy over the currency crisis in the country has started taking a more serious dimension.

In Benin,Edo State, three persons are feared dead following the spontaneous protest that erupted in the early hour of Wednesday in the City over the rejection of the old naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and traders.

Our Correspondent reports that the protesters blocked the Ring Road and the adjoining streets in the city centre, giving room for gridlock.

The angry protesters made burn fires on the roads and hauled stones at the First Bank at the Ring Road.

It, however, took the intervention of the military personnel who drove in to save the situation.

The Reporter learnt that protesters, despite the presence of the security personnel, regrouped and became more violent, leading to the alleged killing of three persons

Speaking at the scene of the protest, Godwin Osemwingie, a resident, said he was so frustrated when he went out to buy things with old naira notes but was told by the seller that the old naira notes were no longer acceptable in the country.

“The problem right now is that, I went to bank to deposit my old naira notes , they said they are not accepting it and even the bus drivers are also rejecting it. You cannot buy anything. I just went to the Bank, look at the money, this is Nigerian money and they are rejecting it.

He further said:” How do they want us to survive? We can’t buy and we can’t sell.

“Even the CBN has rejected the old money from us, why? That is why we are protesting.Look, all these moneys in my hands are now wasted. We can’t even board vehicle now.

” We need our old money back. I am going to Upper Sakponba and I want to trek to the place now, no money.”

Another respondent, Osasere Enadaghe, said he just went to change his 50 Euro with the assurance, adding that the old and new naira notes can co-exist but was disappointed when the old naira notes were rejected.

“What I see in this place now is very typical for us. We are passing through a difficult time.

“I went to the market to buy things but I was told that i cannot collect the old naira notes.

“I just changed fifth Euro this morning and I was given N30,000 old naira notes and the money is just a waste in my hand. What am I going to do with the money now?”, he asked rhetorically.

For Precious Oruche, she said she went to CBN office along Akpakpava Road to deposit her old naira notes but she and others were driven out by security agents attached to the bank.

“It is frustrating. We did not see new money and we didn’t see old money. The little ones we have, you said deadline and now that we want to return it, the CBN said no way .

*The People you see protesting, they really don’t want it but they are frustrated.

“It is the poor masses that are suffering, We are calling on the Nigerian government to make a fast U-turn before things go over board,”he said.

He also confirmed the CBN was no longer accepting the old naira notes.

“We have been here since morning.
“They gave us forms to fill and later, used the security personnel attached to the bank to ask us to leave. That is why the people got angry”, Oruche added.

When Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO, for of the Police Command in the state, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, for comment on the number of deaths resulting from the protest, he said it was too premature for him to speak on the subject matter.

The Reporters/Nigerian Post.

Edited by Dada Ahmed.




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *