Some residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital want the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to comply totally with the Supreme Court order rather than dance around it.
Reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s national broadcast, the residents, who spoke with Radio at FUTA North gate area, insisted that returning only the old #200 note was not sufficient to clear the scarcity already created.
A taxi driver, Francis Ojo, who claimed he still had a lot of the old notes, enjoined the government to reason with the court verdict and restore order to the monetary sector
Another respondent, a civil servant, Mr Wale Ayeoribe said the Federal Government should lay a good example by obeying the highest court in the land.
Some banks in the state capital metropolis shut their doors today against customers while the queue at the CBN Akure office was massive.
Bank officials, who did not want their names mentioned, told Radio Nigeria this was probably due to yesterday’s pockets of protest at Alagbaka area of the town where many of the banks were located and other reported protests across the country during which banks’ properties were damaged.
Also in Idanre town, residents were unhappy with the return of only old N200 notes in circulation as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Many of the respondents, who spoke with Radio Nigeria, believed the directive would not address the problem created.
Community Reporter, Ganiyu Agbelusi reports that no bank opened in Idanre and ATMs did not dispense except for other transactions.
One of the bank managers, who spoke in confidence, revealed that the banks did not have the cash to give out, hence the closure in order not to get their customers angry.
In Akoko area of the state, residents expressed divergent views to President Muhammadu Buhari’s national broadcast this morning.
A woman leader from Arigidi Akoko, Chief Mrs Ajayi Ogidi welcomed the circulation of 200 naira old currency in addition to the new 500 and 1000 naira till April, saying this would douse tension in the country.
Mrs Ogidi said no good policy thrives without some sacrifices as Nigerians were experiencing now.
On his part, an Islamic leader, Chief Saliu Awesu said the president’s pronouncements had not solved the problem because even the old N200 notes were not available in circulation.
A retired Anglican Bishop, Right Revd Ezekiel Dahunsi, however, maintained that the Federal Government and the apex bank meant well for the country in an effort to stabilize the economy, block funds to bandits, votes buying and selling coupled with other corrupt practices in the country.
In Ikare Akoko, all banks remained closed with their ATMs not dispensing, with the exception of one ATM at a bank having hundreds of customers.
At Oba market in Ikare, Radio Nigeria observed a large crowd of people buying rice from two traders from the northern part of the country who were accepting all the old notes with the claim they would exchange them for new notes in the north.
Meanwhile, there were still short queues around some filling stations selling petrol between N250 and N290 per litre while there were no queues at those selling at N300 and above per litre.
There were no queues at petrol stations but prices still hovered between N350 and N450.
Dupe Isename , Ganiyu Agbelusi and Ibrahim Kilani
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