According to our reporters, the country’s currency shortage worsened yesterday, and there doesn’t seem to be any hope of relief in sight.
Many Nigerians were irate and upset yesterday due to the shortage of the naira.
Those who had old N1,000 and N500 notes were unable to deposit them with the Central Bank of Nigeria as the crisis worsened (CBN).
It was a sad sight to see rural businessmen stuck at the CBN branch in Minna, Niger State.
Their old naira notes couldn’t be deposited.
Some of them said they had been in Minna since last week.
They said they were not getting any positive feedback or explanations from the branch officials.
Some of the traders came from Wushishi, Kagara, Tegina, Bida, Gurara, Lavun and other towns.
A yam trader from Tegina, simply identified as Haruna, told our reporter that he and his friends had to hire a Sienna to travel.
“On Friday, the officials here told us to go to the commercial banks but when we went there, we were directed back to CBN.
“Later, they told us we have to fill out a form and generate a code before coming. We did all that but up till now, they have not attended to us.
“We sleep in a relative’s house, and all through the weekend, we have been coming here. We were even here yesterday (Sunday). We have no hope of being answered.”
Lawyers lament
Some lawyers in Lagos decried the inability to pay for filing of court processes.
The lawyers told newsmen that even the transfer of money using bank applications or codes, as well as Point of Sale (POS) machines had been troublesome.
Mr Spurgeon Ataene described the situation as tough and called for quick interventions.
“My experience in the filing of processes has been gruelling; a simple application will take days to file without success, and old Naira notes are not welcome.
“The registries do not also have transfer facilities such as POS and dedicated bank accounts for the purpose of the filing.
“The filing system has become convoluted with no end in sight, for now,’’ he said.
Ataene appealed to commercial banks to make the new Naira notes accessible to the masses.
“I condemn hoarding of new notes while urging the banks to make these notes available to remedy the inadequacy associated with lack of facilities to withstand the cash scarcity,” he said.
Mr Anthony Makolo, also a rights activist, described the situation as worrisome.
According to him, the situation is worse at the lower courts where cash payment must be used for filing processes.
“At the high courts, we know there is usually a dedicated payment channel but the situation is terrible at the magistrates’ courts.
“There is a serious problem with filing at the magistrates’ courts.
They ask you to produce cash for filing, and this is practically impossible because they do not accept old notes.
“The new notes are nowhere to be found and the old notes are not being accepted, yet they demand cash payment, and where a lawyer is unable to make payment, he is left stranded,” he said.
Makolo urged that fees for filing of court processes be made digitally so as to prevent corruption and enhance the work of the judiciary.
Another lawyer, Mr McAnthony Aikharialea, who noted that the demonetisation policy was well-intended, however, told NAN that the difficulties being encountered by lawyers in paying filing fees had been much.
Aikharialea said that he was optimistic that the difficulties would end soon.
“This policy is a good development, although we find issues with some banks when it comes to filing of processes.
“I think it is only for a while; things will soon normalise,” he said.
The Country Director of the Advocacy for Justice and Accountability, Mr Ogedi Ogu, advised Nigerians to be careful not to compound the problems.
He described the difficulties as `teething problems’ that would soon end.
“The way out of the challenges being encountered in the filing of processes is not rocket science.
“It is a fact that long before the Naira notes re-design, Lagos State High Court stopped accepting cash for filing of processes.
“The high court opted for either payment through the banks or ATM card channels, and these had initial challenges which later ended.
“At the magistrates’ courts and the Federal High Court, I am urging the authorities to make available POS machines for such a payment.
“Availability of POS machines and other channels will end the challenges,” he said.
Ogu urged offices and businesses to encourage government policy by making available alternative payment channels.
“Failure to provide such channels is simply sabotage and should be condemned because payments at the various courts are payment into government coffers,” he said.
Expectant mother’s death in Kano sparks anger
Kano State Civil Society Forum expressed deep pain over the death of an expectant mother, Hajiya Shema’u Sami Labaran, at the Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Hospital.
The forum has launched an investigation into her death, alleging doctors’ negligence, caused by the scarcity of new banknotes.
Hospital sources said the deceased could not receive doctors’ attention on time due to the delay in making cash available.
The President of the Kano State Civil Society Forum, Ibrahim Waiya, said he was devastated by the incident.
Waiya said in a statement: “The attention of the forum has been drawn to an incident regarding one pregnant woman who lost her life at Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Hospital, because of alleged negligence.
“The Forum regretted that the pregnant woman’s death was attributed to an alleged negligence of some medical personnel of the hospital, who were said to have refused to attend to the deceased, when she was in dire need of medical attention.
“The multiple complaints and calls from different quarters and responsible citizens within and outside Kano were too many to be ignored.
“It is therefore, against this backdrop that the leadership of the Kano Civil Society Forum, approved the establishment of a seven-man committee, to investigate the alleged circumstances surrounding the death of the late Hajiya Shema’u Sami Labaran and advise accordingly.”
But, the Commissioner for Health, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, said there was no connection between Labaran’s death and naira scarcity.
He said the medical officers complied with the policy on all medical emergencies.
“The 33-year-old multigravida, at 36 weeks gestation, presented to the hospital around 5pm on the 11th February 2023, with a complaint of PV bleeding and cessation of fetal movement.”
He said the doctors took the needful, including taking samples for tests.
“The doctor later did the detailed clinical examinations where he found her to have mild anaemia, a BP of 150/90mmhg with tachycardia and marked abdominal pain with absent fetal heart sound.
“He made a diagnosis of Abruptio with Intrauterine fetal death secondary to preeclampsia, patient was given Magnesium sulphate and started augmentation of labour for the patient under close monitoring. The labour progressed, and six hours later, she delivered a fresh stillbirth at around 11 pm.
“She, however, started bleeding profusely. The doctor on call assessed the primary postpartum haemorrhage and quickly attempt to stop the bleeding while trying to transfuse the patient.
“She was given all the necessary medications and had the first point of blood given and the second one started around 1:00 pm. The patient’s condition was noticed to be deteriorating.
“The doctor called other senior doctors who supported in resurrection but unfortunately, the patient gave up and was certified dead around 3:50 pm.”
Edo govt extends free bus
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, extended the free bus service by all Edo City Transport Service (ECTS) buses till Friday.
The governor, through his Special Adviser on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, said the extension became necessary due to the cash crunch.
He said: “While the government intensifies efforts to bring a lasting solution to this issue, the government calls on the people to remain calm and law-abiding, as normalcy will be restored shortly.”
Adeleke warns CBN
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke asked the CBN leadership not to take the patience of residents for granted.
In a statement by spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, he decried the increasing shortage of the new notes.
“The situation is getting out of hand. The CBN must act fast. Any bank hoarding the new notes must be sanctioned. We should not treat such banks with kid gloves.
“My people are patient but we should not take their patience for granted. Why are the new notes not available? Is the supply small or inadequate?”
Banks reopen in Benin
Some commercial banks in Benin reopened for business after shutting down on Thursday following sporadic attacks on some facilities in the city.
Some banks came under violent attacks by some customers, who were enraged by their inability to make withdrawals.
The angry customers destroyed some bank buildings, Automated Teller Machines and some vehicles belonging to bank officials.
Residents were relieved to see that some of the banks around Sapele Road, Mission Road and Aduwawa Axis of Benin reopened for services.
A correspondent, who monitored the situation in the city, reports that there were long queues of customers within and around the bank premises.
While many who got access to the banking hall were seen waiting to be paid over the counter, others clustered at the entrance gates and ATM points.
Some of the customers, who spoke on the development, said they were happy that some of the banks had reopened after the unrest.
Falana seeks information
Activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) asked CBN Godwin Emefiele to provide information on the disbursement of the new Naira notes.
Falana made the request in a February 16, 2023 letter addressed to the CBN governor under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.
He said the request followed a statement by Emefiele that ‘some politicians have mopped up the new Naira notes made available to all commercial banks by the CBN’.
Falana vowed to file a suit against Emefiele if he fails or refuses to provide the requested information in seven days.
Abia cuts workers’ biometric attendance
The monthly biometric attendance of local government workers was reduced to 65 per cent.
This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Chris Ezem.
Local government workers are required to record 80 per cent attendance at work before getting their salary.
But Ezem said the attendance was eased to empathise with workers suffering the cash scarcity and so cannot meet the earlier required attendance ratio. He added that the directive only covers February and March.
Kaduna residents seek salvation at petrol stations
Residents of Kaduna turned to petrol filling stations for salvation. People troop to petrol stations dispensing fuel, hunt buyers paying with cash, and agree to transfer payment to the station while they collect the cash.
“I knew of this arrangement today (yesterday) and went to a petrol station dispensing fuel, talked to a commercial bus driver, and he accepted to help me.
“We agreed that I should pay N7,000, through the station’s PoS, being the cost of his fuel, which I did.
‘When it was his turn, I presented the N7,000 slip and collected the cash from him in return. It was a big relief to me as I had no cash on me,” said Adamu Saleh, a resident.
Atiku faults APC governors
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, described the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors as a call to anarchy.
In a statement by one of his campaign spokespersons, Phrank Shuaibu, Atiku accused the APC governors of preparing the ground for anarchy through their utterances over the naira redesign.
The APC governors, joined by the party’s national leadership, have called on the Federal Government and the CBN to obey the Supreme Court ruling on the old naira notes.
The highest court had on February 8 and 15, ordered that the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tenders pending the determination of a suit filed by some APC governors challenging the February 10 deadline for the expiration of the old currency notes.
The Federal Government and the CBN have disobeyed the Supreme Court ruling on the old notes by insisting on withdrawing the N500 and N1000 from circulation, leaving only the old N200 notes to coexist with the redesigned currency notes.
But Atiku said the appeal by the APC governors to commercial banks to accept deposits from their customers in old Naira notes amounted to incitement.
This, he claimed, had emboldened rioters to burn down commercial banks in some parts of the country.
He said: “The President made it clear that the old N1,000 and N500 notes are no longer legal tender.
“Those who are dissatisfied with the President’s proclamation should go to court rather than resort to self-help. Two wrongs do not make a right.
“The APC and their governors do not love the masses. Their only grouse is their inability to buy votes because of this policy. Nigerians must not be deceived by these unscrupulous politicians.”
He called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to infiltrate the ranks of those staging riots with a view to identifying their sponsors.
According to him, the ultimate goal might be to force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the election on the grounds of insecurity.
“With elections less than five days away, the ultimate goal of the sponsors of these riots may be the postponement of elections. We commend the military and the police so far for curbing some of these riots.
“However, we call on them to go a step further by identifying their sponsors.”
