Despite the pronouncement by the governors of Kano and Jigawa states, Abdullahi Ganduje, and Muhammad Badaru, that the old N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tender in their respective states, traders and citizens of these states rejected the old currency notes.
Residents of neighboring countries can be seen trooping to deposit old naira notes into Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in both states as directed by the federal government.
On Thursday, the government of Jigawa State took a counterposition to President Muhammadu Buhari, who insisted on the injunction of the Supreme Court that the old N500 and 1000 notes are no longer legal tenders.
Governor Badaru urged citizens in the state to continue using the currency as a legal means of payment for goods and services and for other business transactions. The state government makes a decision on the Supreme Court’s decision.
“The Jigawa State Government respects the rights of its citizens and those who reject the now obsolete currency are ordered to disobey the law and cause hardship to the citizens of Jigawa State. The Jigawa State Government will not hesitate to use section 287 (1) of the Constitution (as amended ) and other existing laws to implement the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Governor Ganduje also, business owners across the country rejected the old naira notes not to do so. They threatened to revoke their licenses and convert commercial bank structures into public schools for refusing to accept old N500 and N1,000 notes.
Mr. Ganduje asked the people to keep transacting with old and new paper. The governor also promised to close business facilities that refuse to accept the old notes as valid tenders and sue the owners.
In both countries, PREMIUM TIMES observed that between Thursday and Saturday, citizens are doing their routine business by implementing a cashless policy. However, they rejected the old currency notes.
A resident of Dutse, the Jigawa state capital, Rufai Adamu, lamented that despite the state government’s order, business owners including petrol stations and shops are rejecting old naira notes.
“The unfortunate part is that most of the businesses that reject old naira notes cannot offer other payment alternatives. Some also reject inter-bank transfers, probably because of repeated network failures,” Mr Adamu said.
On Saturday, a journalist in Jigawa, Ali Rabiu, who visited Taura and Ringim Local Government areas noticed that the N500 and N1,000 were invalid.
I was in Taura for a wedding, and they refused old naira notes, on the way back I transited to Ringim to buy something, and I also told them that they don’t accept old naira notes.
partial difference in Kano
In Kano, some shops collect old naira notes to sell certain products.
Abdullahi Worker told PREMIUM TIMES that between Friday and Saturday, some egg traders in Gaida area of Kano metropolis collected old naira notes from residents who wanted to buy eggs.
“I witnessed how shops selling eggs collect old naira notes, but whatever money you use, they will not give you change, and they increase the price of eggs for buyers with old naira notes,” Mr. Labor said.
However, like in Jigawa, traders in Kano are also rejecting old naira notes.
On Friday, a traveller, Ibrahim Haruna, said he planned to travel to Adamawa State from Kano by taking the Kano government mass transit (Kano Line). However, it was delayed because the motor park management did not collect the old naira notes from him.
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“According to the government’s announcement on the collection of old currency, I was sure they would collect old naira money, but when I got to the park, I realized that the situation was against the government’s decision, but I was lucky that I paid through e-transfer,” said Mr. Haruna .
On Saturday, a PREMIUM TIMES correspondent went around Kano and found out that traders were rejecting old naira notes. How some detergent peddlers made a quick business of collecting old naira notes.
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