From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has warned commercial banks operating in the state against hoarding new naira notes and rejecting old naira currency.
In a statement by his spokesperson on Wednesday, Adeleke lamented the pain and suffering of the people of the state under the currency redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), calling on all stakeholders to reach a consensus to put an end to the current hardships.
He decried the continuous rejection of the old currency, saying the banks must be compassionate by either making the new notes available or continuing the acceptance of the old currency notes.
He said, “I am pained by the current hardship inflicted on our people. Daily living has become a nightmare. All sectors of society are witnessing untold hardship. I call on bank chiefs to have mercy on the poor, the middle class, and even the rich.
“We must make the new naira notes available or we continue to accept old notes. We must stop punishing the citizens even when they do not sin.
“I hereby warn the banks in Osun state to be humane. We should not encourage insurrection against the government by citizens through unfair policies and actions. Those banks that have stopped receiving old notes must reverse that policy. Our people are being pushed to the wall,” Adeleke added.