Violence won’t resolve Naira crisis, Makinde tells Oyo residents
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has reiterated his warning that the state government will clamp down on banks and businesses rejecting the old Naira bills.

Explaining that the state was considering getting security agencies to arrest those rejecting old Naira notes, the governor said the directive became imperative after an on-the-spot assessment of business transactions at some filling stations in Ijebu-Ode.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, stated, yesterday, that old N1,000, N500 and N200 bills “are still valid” and anyone who refuses to accept them would be dealt with according to the law.

His words: “It has come to the notice of the state government that some people were rejecting the old Naira notes from the citizens, a development that is not healthy, thereby inflicting untold hardship on the people of the state.”

While urging the people not to take laws into their hands, the governor directed those whose old notes are rejected to report to the state through the telephone numbers 09099611266 and 08103341344.

IN Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has called on residents to demonstrate restraint over the biting hardship occasioned by the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), noting that violence would not solve the problem on the ground.

This is just as security commanders in the state resolved to be firm against hoodlums who might try to hijack peaceful protests by Oyo residents over the ongoing scarcity of Naira notes.

A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that while the governor addressed residents of the state from Igbojaye, Itesiwaju Local Council, where he was concluding a three-day campaign in the four local councils in Iseyin Federal Constituency, the commanders spoke in Ibadan, after on-the-spot assessment of the situation, yesterday.

According to the statement, Makinde appealed to residents of the state, some of whom engaged in protests across some locations in Ibadan yesterday, that though it was the right of everyone to protest peacefully, they should be wary of hoodlums who might hijack the protests and cause breakdown of peace and order.

The governor maintained that the situation Nigerians found themselves in was rather unfortunate, stating that as good as the Naira redesign policy is, its timing was wrong; hence, the state government has engaged the Federal Government on the matter.

He, however, called on Oyo residents not to resort to violence, as, according to him, the state would not like to lose any soul to the crisis.

Urging residents to rather react with their votes at the polls next week, Makinde said it is important to stay alive and bring about a change of government.

The governor added that apart from palliative measures emplaced by the state government, practical engagements were also ongoing to resolve the crisis.

“Peaceful protest is the right of everyone; but once it becomes violent and violates the peace of other people, it has become something else. I can say that the rights of protesters stop where the rights of some others begin.

“Yes, we have found ourselves in a very unfortunate situation, but violence will not solve the problem. We have the opportunity to speak through our votes in 10 days’ time and it is someone who is alive that will enjoy what the new government will offer the people,” he stated.