Following the redesigning of the 1000, 500 and 200 Naira notes, the Federal Government of Nigeria had set a deadline of 31st January, 2023, for all old Naira Notes to become invalid as legal tender in Nigeria.
The grace was given for all Nigerians to put together all old notes that had been stashed up in cash at home and other safe places, to be deposited into Banks before the set deadline.
In view of this, the Federal Capital Territory Administration took the initiative of carrying out a sensitisation and advocacy campaign to all Area Councils of the FCT, with the aim of ensuring that no one was left ignorant of the current development and the urgency required in taking all old notes to the bank before they become invalid.
While briefing the Sensitisation team, the Ag. Director RC&SID, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, encouraged the team to ensure that the message was passed across in all the indigenous languages of the FCT, and the major languages in Nigeria.
She encouraged the team to ensure that all public places, market areas and highly populated areas were duly addressed.
The first visit which was to the palace of the Esu (Chief) of Bwari, was met with a warm welcome.
The Esu of Bwari was pleased at the concern of the Administration, “this gesture only shows us that the FCTA has the Area Council citizens at heart and not just concentrated on the metropolis residents alone”. “we are grateful to the FCT Minister for his show of concern because we were already worried that the enforcement team CBN sent to other states in Nigeria was not sent to the FCT”.
During the visit of the Sensitisation team to the Kuje Area council, the Gomo (Chief) of Kuje, HRH Haruna Tanko Jibrin in his remarks, expressed his appreciation and applauded the Administration for taking up the initiative.
He declared his stance with the Federal Government on the redesigning of the Naira notes “as far as it is for the good of Nigerians and the betterment of the Nigerian Economy, I support this policy of the FG”.
He further pointed that for the exercise to be effective, the deadline needed to be extended as the new notes were yet to be readily available to citizens.
“we don’t have access to these new notes, in fact, so many of my subjects have not seen the new notes with their eyes” he confessed.
The Ona (Chief) of Abaji, HRM Alh Dr. Adamu Baba Yunusa heartily welcomed the team and drew the attention of the Government to the inadequacies of the process.
“Before people can adhere to this deadline instructions, the Government first of all, have to play their part in ensuring that the new notes are readily available because as I speak to you, banks do not have these notes to give out. I personally had to go to the bank and requested to be paid in the new notes but sadly, I was informed that it was not available” he said.
He further lamented that “unfortunately, because of the fear of not being able to get the new notes in exchange, the old notes are already being rejected, and this is double jeopardy”.
The Aguma (Chief) of Gwagwalada, HRH Muhammed Magaji, was not pleased that “only a few days left to the deadline and we still get the old notes from banks and ATMs, what then are we expected to do?” he lamented.
He went on to appeal to the Government to as a matter of urgency, “make sure that at least Banks and ATMs are fully stocked with the new notes, that way, people will be encouraged to take their old notes to the banks not minding the long queues”.
The locals and residents of these FCT Area Councils expressed mixed feelings towards the process; excitement about the newly redesigned notes and disappointment that they could neither easily access nor do business with the notes.
