Residents of Enugu on Saturday started rejecting the old naira notes for transactions despite the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Investigation showed that many residents still possessing the old naira notes find it challenging to spend them.

A resident, Maryline Ugwu, also claimed that her bank refused to collect old notes from her and she became confused.

A member of staff of one of the commercial banks in the city, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it was possible that the bank refused to collect old notes.

“It is possible because we have not received any official directive from the CBN on the next line of action,” he said.

George Nweze, a resident of Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area (LGA), said he observed the situation when he gave a bus driver an old N500, which he rejected.

“I was surprised that the driver rejected the old note because I thought he could easily use it to buy fuel. He flatly rejected it,” Mr Nweze said.

It was observed that even tricycle operators now ask intending passengers if they have new notes before boarding.

A tricycle operator, Ejike Ogbodo, said the problem started when an NNPC mega station around town started refusing old notes, insisting on new notes or transfer.

“We queued to buy fuel yesterday at the NNPC mega station, and they refused to collect old notes from us, so we decided not to be collecting old notes again,” Mr Ogbodo said.

A petty trader, Marta Chukwu, also said she went to buy provisions with old naira notes, totalling N25,000, but her regular customer rejected this.

Ms Chukwu said her customer declined to collect the notes from her, insisting that he stopped collecting old notes on Friday.

“What saved me was that the person who sells recharge cards mercifully collected the notes from me, if not, I would have lost N25,000 just like that,” she said.

John Nwabueze, a civil servant, said he paid old notes to a taxi driver while going to work on Friday, but when coming back in the evening, things changed.

“The rejection actually started (yesterday) evening because I paid with old notes in the morning while going to work.

“In the evening, when I boarded a bus, the driver said anyone with old notes should come down,” he said.

However, at Mayor market, Agbani Road, some market women still collected old notes as a last resort.

A vegetable seller, Anthonia Ede, said she had no option but to collect anything that came her way.

“I collect anyone I see,” she said. 

(NAN)