CSOs takes cashless policy, new naira note campaigns to Garki market

..Warn against expiration of old notes

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Thursday took over Garki modern market in Abuja in a bid to sensitise market men and women on the importance of the cashless policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Even as traders in the market expressed concern over the unavailability of the redesigned naira notes in banks and the rejection of old naira notes by their clients, leaders of the CSOs urged them to return all old notes in their possession to the bank before January 31 as directed by the CBN.

Speaking, President of the Coalition of Civil Society on Good Governance, (CCSGG), Bassey Etuk informed the traders that the CBN has resolved not to extend the January 31 deadline for the implementation of the new policy, hence the need for them to do away with the old naira notes to avoid expiration.

Etuk who insisted that the implementation of the policy will strengthen the Nigerian economy said the cashless policy has come to stay.

He said: “We support the policies by the CBN Governor, and we will educate other Nigerians about these policies because it is for their good and well-being including unborn Nigerians.”

“CBN has mandated all banks that they should desist from putting old naira notes into the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). When you go to ATM machines, what you will find now are the new naira notes. And that is why CBN has come so boldly to tell all Nigerians that the deadline for you and me to return all notes is January 31, which is next week, Tuesday.

“Nobody should take advice from anybody apart from what CBN has said. Go to your bank. Approach your banks to provide you with the new naira notes.”

A Point Of Sale (POS) operator who identified himself as Mohammed Jegu during an interview lamented the level at which customers were rejecting the old naira notes at his stands, maintaining that the new notes are not available in the banks.

He urged the federal government and the CBN to extend the date of the expiration of the old naira notes until the new notes are fully in circulation.