Ondo NUJ cautions CBN, banks over rejection of old naira notes in Akure

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council has urged the federal government to prevail on the Central Bank of Nigeria and commercial banks in the state to rescind their decision of rejecting the old naira notes from the members of the public.

BusinessDay reports that commercial banks in the state refused to accept the old currency notes in defiance to the Supreme Court order, that suspended the deadline for the phasing out of the old currency notes.

According to a statement issued by the State Chairman of the Union, Leke Adegbite and the Secretary, Olaoluwa Meshack, Ondo NUJ recalls that all commercial banks which did not open for three working days last week can not refuse to collect old naira notes when they reopened for business.

“In flagrant disobedience of the Apex Court ruling, the commercial banks and by extension traders in Akure and other parts of Ondo State as well as some filling stations, commercial centers and PoS operators refused to accept the old naira notes in the state,” the union said.

“The development has forced traders to reject the old naira notes across the state and thereby paralyzing commercial activities in the state and can lead to further suffering of the people.

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“The Union, hereby called on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to urgently intervene and call all the commercial banks to order as commercial banks and traders in other parts of the country are still collecting the old naira notes in line with the ruling of the Supreme Court to rescue the economy of the state from total collapse.

“According to the union, commercial banks across the state did not open for business for three days out of the five working days of last week, and then has no morality to reject the old naira notes on Monday when they reopened for business.

“While lamenting absence of naira swapping centres in Ondo State, NUJ also enjoined the CBN office in Akure to create outlets across the state where the people can swap their old naira notes for the new notes.”