Enugu residents on Saturday began rejecting old naira notes for transactions, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Many residents who still have the old naira notes find it difficult to spend them.
George Nweze, a resident of Awkunanaw in the South Enugu Local Government Area, told NAN that a bus driver to whom he gave the old N500 ticket refused it.
“I was surprised because I thought I could easily use it to buy fuel. She flatly turned it down,” Nweze said.
A small shopkeeper, Marta Chukwu, said she went to buy groceries with old naira notes, totaling N25,000, but was turned away.
Ms. Chukwu said her client refused to collect the notes from her, insisting that she stop collecting old notes on Friday.
“What saved me was that the person selling top-up cards mercifully collected the notes from me, otherwise I would have lost N25,000 just like that,” he said.
NAN noted that even pedicab operators now ask prospective passengers if they have any new notes before boarding.
One official, John Nwabueze, said he paid a taxi driver for old bills when he went to work on Friday, but another taxi driver refused the old bills when he returned in the evening.
“The rejection actually started (last night) because I paid with old bills in the morning while going to work.
“In the evening when I boarded a bus, the driver said that anyone with old notes should get off,” he said.
Speaking to NAN, a pedicab operator, Ejike Ogbodo, said the problem started when an NNPC mega station in the city started refusing old tickets, insisting on new tickets or transfers.
“Yesterday we lined up to buy fuel at the NNPC mega-station and they refused to take our old bills from us. So, we decided not to collect old banknotes again,” Ogbodo said.
A resident, Maryline Ugwu, said her bank refused to charge her for the old bills.
An official from a commercial bank in the city, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained why banks may reject old notes.
“It is possible because we have not received any official directive from the CBN on the next course of action,” he said.
At Mayor Market, Agbani Road, some market women were seen collecting the old banknotes.
A vegetable vendor, Anthonia Ede, said she had no choice but to collect everything that came her way.
“I collect anyone I see,” he said.
(YAYA)