Residents of Bauchi have expressed happiness over the return of the old naira notes in circulation which improves business transactions in the state.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on March 13 ordered commercial banks to commence payment of old currency notes over the counter as well as loading them in Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

This follows the Supreme Court ruling on return of old currency notes as legal tender.

Some of the residents who spoke on Thursday in Bauchi said the return of the old notes brings relief from the hardship people are going through.

Austine Sabo, a trader in Wunti Market, Bauchi, said the old notes are gradually returning and this is causing heavy monetary transactions.

“Business activities have changed, unlike before when there was much scarcity of money in circulation but with the return of old notes, businesses have been picked up,” he said.

Murjanatu Sani, a Zenith Bank customer, expressed delight that normalcy is gradually returning to the banks and business cycle in the state.

“Last month, when I came with my husband’s ATM card, I spent three to four hours waiting to collect N4,000 in the Bank. My husband doesn’t have such time to wait in banks.

“But with the return of the old notes in circulation, it didn’t take me 30 minutes to collect N20,000 from the counter. I am delighted for not wasting time,”

Another customer at Zenith Bank, Alhaji Musa Sallama, said he collected N300,000 from the bank.

“Today, Thursday is the market day of Marrarraba Liman Katagum where we buy cows. So with the return of the old notes in circulation, the market activities have returned.

“I have not been to the market for two weeks because, without money in hand, the market activities were not too good.

“The release of the old notes has brought a relief, cows will come to the market at last. We sold not less than 100 cows. This hasn’t happened since the crunch started.”

A customer at Union Bank in Bauchi, Aliyu Sambo, said the banks are paying both old and new notes at the counter and at the ATMs. This is commendable, and he appealed to the government to release more notes.

“We thank God for their change of heart. Bringing back the old currency has brought visible relief.

“The ATM queues are not flooded again. Before you see people waiting for hours, I appeal to the government to release more of it, to reduce the suffering of the people,” he said.

Alhaji Hassan Ganjuwa, a trader at Muda Lawal Market, said the circulation of the old notes and the new notes have boosted commercial activities in the market.

Rifkatu Samsu, a Point of Sale (PoS) agent in Wunti Market, said her shops remain closed last month but with the return of the old notes she has reopened her shop.

“My charges remain the – same N100 for N5,000 to N10,000, N200 for 20,000 and so on

“The money we get is not much as it should be, it has made life significantly better and I am back in business,” she said

(NAN)