Scores of traders in Warri Main Markets have expressed disappointment over their inability to lay hands on the new naira notes in commercial banks.
They complained to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) team on Thursday while the officials stormed the market to sensitize the traders on the need to return all old naira notes to banks ahead of the January 31, 2023 deadline.
The traders said that some banks were not stuffing their ATMs with the new naira notes or giving the notes out during cash withdrawals.
Meanwhile while speaking to traders, the Central Bank of Nigeria Branch Controller in Asaba, Godwin Okafor, urged Nigerians to deposit all their old currencies in banks.
Responding to the complaints, the team leader and representative of CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, Deputy Director of Finance, Mr Sunny Amorighoye Daibo, while fielding questions from journalists on the sidelines, promised that beginning from Monday, commercial banks will intensify efforts in giving out the new naira notes to customers in all their outlets.
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While highlighting the significance of the currency redesign, he urged the traders to insist on collecting the new naira notes whenever they are in banks for cash withdrawal.
“When they go to banks for withdrawal, they should insist on collecting the new notes and not the old notes. They should not accept the old notes from the banks, again,” he admonished.
The sensitization programme, which includes sharing of flyers to the populace of the new development amid music, continues as the CBN team heads for Ughelli, Sapele and other towns in Delta State.
The CBN Asaba Branch Controller Okafor had earlier, however, said they should insist on collecting the new naira notes when withdrawing from the banks.
He said since CBN had abolished bank charges for any amount deposited by Nigerians in commercial banks, they should take advantage of the remaining days.
The CBN staff said while the old naira notes would cease being a legal tender after January 31, 2023, the new and redesigned N200, N500 and N1000 notes are still to circulate side by side with the old ones till the deadline.
He, however, urged the traders to buy into the cashless policy by transacting their businesses via electronic transfer, USSD, internet banking and other channels.
“We advise members of the public to ensure that they deposit cash holdings in these denominations at their commercial banks.
“There’s no limit to how much a customer can deposit between now and January 31, 2023, as CBN has suspended charges.
“Nigerians should accept it, use and respect it as our national symbol,” he charged.
