IDRIS AHMED, LOKOJA.
Following non compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the legality of the old N500 and N1000 notes, Kogi State Government and some officials from the financial sector have stormed the streets of Lokoja to sensitize the people on the need to accept the old naira notes.
Addressing a huge crowd of motorcyclists (Okada) riders, market women under the newly constructed Ganaja Flyover in Lokoja, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo congratulated Nigerians over the Supreme Court judgement, saying the people can now use both the old and new naira notes together till December 31, 2023.
“We have met with the banks and they have agreed that they will accept old naira notes as deposits. So we urge all Okada riders, Keke riders and market men and women to accept the old naira notes.
“The State Government is grateful to the banks for their cooperation and commitment to the ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. It is criminal to reject old naira notes after the judgement”, he said.
The Commissioner further that the the State Government will monitor compliance strictly, as it is contemplating taking stringent measures against persons that will want to sabotage the economy of the state and the entire nation.
In the same vein, the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd) harped on the need for the people of Kogi state to cooperate with the State Government in her bid to ease the current financial strains occasioned by the current cash policy.
Omodara warned his office will work with security agencies to ensure compliance.
In his remarks the Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mukadam Asiwaju Idris Asiru, said the banks are already accepting old notes as deposits, urging the people to take advantage of the cooperation of the banks.
He also said he has already gotten the commitment of the banks to load their ATM with old and new naira notes to ease the cash scarcity in the state.
The representatives of the major banks in Lokoja also assured the people of the readiness of the banks to accept old naira notes as deposits. They said the directive took effect on Monday morning, urging customers to freely accept old naira notes.
The sensitization train visited all transport unions, fuel stations and major markets in Lokoja, assuring the people of sustained sensitization on radio and other medium of communication.
