RESIDENTS of Ogan, Iguelaba and Evbuosi communities, a rural area in Edo State have breathed sigh of relief following Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) extension of deadline of use of old notes from January 31 to February 10.
The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the extension approved by President Muhammadu Buhari was to allow for the withdrawal of more old notes.
It will be recalled that the people of the communities, a border communities with Delta State, were unsettled with the CBN deadline as some traders refused to accept the old naira notes even when there was still days remaining to the initial deadline.
“I hear say CBN don carry the date go February 10. I no fit happy; because na since yesterday (Saturday) I dey battle to use the old money, but many people no gree collect again.
“Now, everybody go rearrange themselves before the deadline. Nobody wan run up down again because of old money matter”, Anselm Obele, a fuel black marketer at Igbanke community, stated in pidgin.
Also, a firewood seller in Iguelaba community, who does not want her name in print, explained in Benin dialect that, she had put her old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes together, for exchange with the new notes.
The rural dweller called on the Central Bank to invest more on sensitisation as well as take its cash swap programme closer to the people living in rural and underserved areas.
“My son say make I gather all the old money, which I don do since last Thursday, but he never still come from Benin to go help me change dem to new ones.
“Thank God say dem don extend am, and I believe say before then I go don change am, make person rest,” she said
At Evbuosi community, the people could not hide their excitement as those who spoke to maintained that they earlier thought the deadline extension was not true until they read about it online.
“Person mind go come down now. Old money wahala no let person see road,” a trader said
Emefiele had on October 26, 2022 announced the introduction of new naira notes to replace the current N200, N500, and N1, 000 notes and also given Tuesday, January 31, as deadline for phasing out of the old naira notes.
The move forced many to race against time to rid their pockets, wallets and purses of the old notes before CBN announced an extension on Sunday.
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