While the controversies regarding the redesigned naira notes by the Federal Government continues, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) took it upon themselves to visit the Garki modern market in Abuja, on Thursday, where they engaged in shop to shop sensitisation of the traders on the importance of the cashless policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Despite claims by some of the traders in the market lamenting the unavailability of the redesigned naira notes in banks and rejection of old naira notes by their clients, leaders of the CSOs urged them not to be deterred but rather make haste to return all old notes in their possession to the bank before January 31 as directed by the CBN.
President of the Coalition of Civil Society on Good Governance, (CCSGG), Bassey Etuk who led the sensitisation rally, informed the traders that the CBN has resolved not to extend the January 31 deadline for the implementation of the new policy, hence the need for them to do away with the old naira notes to avoid expiration.
Etuk insisted that the implementation of the policy will strengthen the Nigerian economy, noting that the cashless policy has come to stay.
He said: “We support the policies by the CBN Governor, and we will educate other Nigerians about these policies because it is for their good and wellbeing including unborn Nigerians.”
“CBN has mandated all banks that they should desist from putting old naira notes into the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). When you go to ATM machines, what you will find now is the new baira notes. And that is why CBN has come so boldly to tell all Nigerians that the deadline for you and I to return all notes is January 31, which is next week, Tuesday.
“Nobody should take advice from anybody apart from what CBN has said. Go to your bank. Approach your banks to provide you the new naira notes.”
A Point Of Sale (POS) operator who identified himself as Mohammed Jegu during an interview lamented the level at which customers were rejecting the old naira notes at his stands, maintaining that the new notes are not available in the banks.
He urged the federal government and the CBN to extend the date of the expiration of the old naira notes until the new notes are fully in circulation.
