Ondo Residents Storm CBN Office

By Leke Adegbite

Bank customers on Tuesday, stormed the Akure branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria ,CBN in Ondo State following rejection of the old notes by commercial banks.

The protesters, which included Okada riders, traders, artisans and other residents besieged the CBN office intending to change their old notes to new ones.

Those who spoke with Radio Nigeria said CBN ought to have respected the supreme court order which asked that the apex bank should allow the old and new notes to co-exist.

Radio Nigeria gathered that many commuters including students were stranded as taxi cabs and Okada riders refused taking old notes with complaints that filling stations all rejected the notes while traders followed suite.

Mr Henry Olaoluwa, who described the situation as confusing and chaotic enjoined President Muhammad Buhari to intervene and save the masses from the hardship since many residents still have a lot of old notes owing to bank closure for most of last week in Ondo State.

Also, Ondo NUJ Chairman, Leke Adegbite in a release enjoined Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to intervene and call the banks to order.

A banker, who did not want his name mentioned in a chat with Radio Nigeria exonerated the CBN from the crisis saying the banks and masses should be made to do the right thing.

Meanwhile , economic activities have been grounded in Akoko area of the state due to closure of banks for the fifth day running amidst rejection of old naira notes by residents.

Customers who came for one transaction or the other were stranded.

A community leader Mr Tijani Ganiyu in a chat with Radio Nigeria appealed to government and the CBN to abide by the Supreme Court injunction that old notes should be retained as legal tender.