Commuters stranded as drivers, okada riders reject old naira notes

Commuters were stranded in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Wednesday as commercial drivers, motorcyclists, and tricyclists refused to accept old 200, 500, and 1,000 naira notes.

The situation forced some commuters to resort to trekking long distances to their respective destinations, while those who could not trek returned home.

Roads in some areas within the metropolis like Omi-Adio, Apata, Challenge, and Mokola roundabout were deserted as only a few commercial drivers collected the old naira notes.

The situation was further compounded by the protests that rocked some parts of the state capital over the scarcity of fuel and new naira notes.

A commercial bus driver, Mukaila Akanbi, said he refused to collect old naira notes because filling stations were rejecting old notes from him.

READ ALSO: Protest rocks Ibadan over naira scarcity

“If I collect old naira notes, how do I spend it? Unfortunately, most banks are not opening for business,” Akanbi told NAN.

A trader, Alice Adebola, who boarded a bus and paid with old naira note, said the money was rejected by the driver.

Adebola, however, appealed to the government to provide enough new naira notes before the situation get out of control.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to do now. I took my wares to the market but old notes were being given to me. If I reject it, I will not sell and be able to feed my family; if I accept it, nobody will collect it from me,” she said.

A trader, Kabir Mohammed, who had many people milling around him for accepting old naira notes, however, said he decided to do so as a strategy to sell his wares.

“I decided to collect old naira notes with the hope of selling my wares, restocking and reselling again,” he said.

Mohammed urged the government to save the situation by making new naira notes available or, in the alternative, allowing old notes to be accepted as legal tender to bridge the supply gap.

The Star