Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle has described the recent Supreme Court verdict on old naira notes and subsequent compliance by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as a victory for all Nigerians.
According to the Governor, the Court judgment, which culminated in the reversal of the earlier CBN’s rash implementation of the cashless policy, is for the good of the country’s micro-economy and for the wellbeing of the common man.
This was contained in a press statement issued to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital by the Special Adviser to the Governor, Comrade Zailani Bappa.
“Those who accused us of going to Court for the sake of the presidential and National Assembly elections, even as Nigerians groan under the policy implementation, are now proven wrong as we did not relent until we succeeded in achieving our demand to its logical conclusion.
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“All Nigerians can now heave a sigh of relief on this matter, and we expect more cash to be in circulation to ease our pains, while those who were unable to replace their old naira notes with the scarce new notes will no longer lose their hard-earned money,” he said.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for distancing his administration from any attempt to disrespect the verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue.
Oil marketers reject old naira notes
Meanwhile, oil marketers, on Monday, rejected the old naira notes from buyers, despite an order from the Central Bank of Nigeria that the currencies remain legal tender.
The marketer argued that Deposit Money Banks were to issue a directive on the matter.
Marketers of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, and other petroleum products however insisted that since the Federal Government redesigned the naira notes, it should make it surplus and stop putting Nigerians into confusion.
Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abuja-Suleja, Mohammed Shuaibu, said:
“They said they have redesigned the naira, and if they have done that, then the Central Bank of Nigeria should release the new money. Why are they taking us backwards and confusing people? What are we going to do with the old money?
“The Federal Government said it had directed the CBN to destroy the old notes and that the notes cease to be legal tender. So as far as we are concerned, and as businessmen, it will be very difficult to go ahead and start collecting that money.
“For it is until we hear that banks have started collecting it before we will start collecting it from the public. But as far as we are concerned, we will not collect any old money in any of our petrol stations.”
Shuaibu also said he was awaiting directives from banks to accept the old currencies.
