Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state, on Wednesday, January 25, urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the January 31 deadline for the validity of old naira notes.
Ortom made this known when the governing council and management of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University paid him a courtesy visit in Makurdi, the state capital, on Wednesday.
The CBN, on Tuesday, January 24, insisted that there was no going back on the stipulated deadline.
Ortom, while expressing his view on the apex bank’s stance, said that since the new notes were not much in circulation, it was not possible for Nigerians, especially rural dwellers, to meet up with the deadline.
He added that most people living in rural areas do not have bank accounts, The Cable reports.
Ortom said that, “The visible sign is that there are a lot of people, particularly in the rural areas, who are yet to return the old notes.
“Despite the fact that I’m a governor, I am yet to see the redesigned naira notes.
“This is the reason why I will join other Nigerians to look at this critically so that we don’t worsen the condition of our people.
“CBN must extend the January 31 deadline for the validity of old naira notes. The deadline is too short for this new policy.
“It is an understatement to say that our people are suffering in Nigeria. People are going through pain in this country. Things are not okay at all,” he added.
Ortom noted that CBN’s decision to not extend the deadline would further increase the pains of Nigerians.
“I support the directives given to the apex bank by the national assembly,” he said.
“If we do not say it as it were, we are liars and sycophants. Things are not right in this country.
“We want to let the president know that people are suffering and something must be done to reduce it,” he added.
It is worth noting that the apex bank recently launched a cash swap programme to enable people dwelling in rural areas exchange their old naira notes with new ones before the deadline.
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