Borno Residents Decried Lack of New Redesigned Naira notes, As Traders, POS Operators Reject Old Notes
By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri
The Borno state residents have decried the rejection and non availability of the redesigned N1000, N500 and N200 notes by traders and Point Of Sales (POS) operators.
It could be recalled that, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Governor, Godwin Emefele reiterated that the 31 January, 2023 for the collection of the new notes remains sacrosanct .
A residents, Ibrahim Sani said” it is unfortunate, that traders have started rejecting old Naira notes even before the January, 31, 2023. Now I wanted to buy some foodstuffs but I couldn’t do so due lack of the new notes.”.
” I was at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) point, but only few machines are dispensing the new notes with long queues, while others are still dispensing the old notes . Even the Banking Hall was filled to capacity, as many people are trying to deposit their money ahead of the January, 31 deadline”,.
Another resident Abubakar Idris said ” we don’t know what to do, the new currency is in scarcity and people have started rejecting the old ones. Except fuel stations, most of the traders have stop collecting the old notes “.
Idris said ” today, I don’t know what to do, My firewood has finished, but I couldn’t buy more, because the firewood sellers refused to collect the old Naira notes and I don’t have the new ones”.
Also speaking, a trader, Sharu Damboa said ” yes, we have started rejecting the old notes because, we have only few days to the deadline and there is long queues in the banks there is no way we can deposit our cash before the deadline “.
” We too, we are in dilemma , because if you go to buy goods the dealers are rejecting the old notes. As I am speaking to you, I don’t have many goods but due scarcity of the new notes I can’t buy goods that I don’t have “, he added.
He said some POS are even charging more for new notes than the old inches that is when you get the new notes.
Reacting, a POS operator, Alhaji Musa said “yes we don’t want to collect old Naira notes because now people have stop collecting it from us and when we get to the bank there is long queues and even at that the new notes are difficult to get.”
