The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has raised the alarm over the inability of many rural dwellers to exchange their old notes for new ones, saying the ordinary people, especially in the North would lose their hard earned moneys through no fault of theirs.
The ACF secretary-general, Murtala Aliyu, in a statement issued yesterday, called on the government to be sensitive to the plight of the citizens and safeguard their interests in all areas.
He called the president and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to, as a matter of urgency, extend the expiration date of the exercise and improve on the arrangements so as to accommodate everyone with genuine cases.
“As the deadline for the exchange expires this coming Tuesday, we are afraid that majority of our people in rural areas are unable to change their old currencies for the new ones. This is because even in the urban centres, the new notes are scarce.
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“Also, where the CBN made some arrangements to facilitate such, the exercise is being challenged by numerous factors, such as lack of adequate access to bank services on the part of the people, cumbersome exchange procedure etc. This has subjected innocent people to hardship, uncertainty and anxiety.
“We are of the strong belief that ordinary people, especially in the North, will lose their hard earned moneys through no fault of theirs.
“The government must be sensitive to the plight of the citizens to safeguard their interests in all areas,” the statement reads.
He appreciated efforts by the National Assembly to intervene and call to order what he described as ‘the arrogance and insensitivity being displayed by the leadership of the CBN’.
