Naira Redesign: Commercial Activities On Hold Nationwide Amidst Anger And Frustration.

Commercial activities in many parts of the country have been put on hold due to fears arising from CBN's deadline for the collection of old Naira notes which is barely three days away.

Our correspondents went round the streets and markets in the FCT Abuja and it's environs to monitor compliance with the policy and how people are coping. 

But majority of the places visited we found that people are confused and commercial activities were grounded due to fears. No one want to receive the old Naira notes because it's becoming a Herculean task to swap them to new note as the CBN deadline approaches and to make matters worst there are no newly redesigned notes available thus grounding activities to a stand still.

When asked about the situation Mallam Sahabi a fruit seller in Amac market Lugbe Abuja lamented " as you can see we are all here everyone wants to buy and sell, but sellers won't accept old Naira notes because we cannot swap them but buyers don't have New notes to buy so it is a standstill. " 

He blamed President Buhari for causing unnecessary hardship to the public saying they regretted ever voting him. When asked if he is not looking at it in the angle that it is the CBN that's undergoing the exercise Mallam sahabi added " who is CBN? Why do we have a President? That's what made him even more worthless. "

Hajiya Zainab a restaurant owner said " Buhari has disappointed his most popular support base the masses God will deal with him. "

 

The story is similar in most places in and around the FCT with only few exception where trade continues with the old Naira notes.

Generally speaking there are no newly redesigned notes available on the streets. All the POS operatives we interviewed non has any new note available. 

The issue is similar with the pos operators as customers are reluctant to receive the old notes  whose lifespan is coming to an end in a matter of hours. 

Regardless of this how ends this is going to be a major test on the acceptability of the President whose party is going into a major election in less than a month.