Zamfara gov orders arrest of persons rejecting old naira

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has instructed the security agents to arrest anybody who refuses to recognise and accept old naira notes as legal tender in the state.

Matawalle who gave the directive at a swearing-in ceremony of the new High Court Judges and Special Advisers held at the Government House Gusau on Friday said the redesigning of the currency was ill-timed and wrongly implemented.

He therefore directed that, “Anyone who refuses to accept the old currency notes of N200, N500 and N1000 in the state should be arrested.”

He said the old currency notes remain legal tender until the final verdict of the case instituted against the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government by three northern governors of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states at the Supreme Court.

The governor explained that he and his counterparts in Kogi and Kaduna are seeking the Supreme Court to order the extension and validity of the old naira notes.

Matawalle said, “As you are all aware, the economy of the country as a whole has been plunged into a serious crisis by the decision of the Central Bank to cease recognition of the old naira notes as legal tender from February 10.

He said, “This decision compounded the already dire situation of our state occasioned by banditry and sundry crimes, which significantly disrupted economic activities in the state and the subregion over the years.

“It was in consideration of the grave consequences of this disruptive policy which was not well thought out, that I took the decision to team up with the sister states of Kaduna and Kogi to seek the intervention of the Supreme Court to ensure that both the new and old naira notes remain as legal tender beyond February 10.

“Gladly, the Supreme Court has given an interim injunction barring the CBN from the enforcement of its plan of phasing out the old notes as legal tender from February 10, pending its final ruling on the matter on February 15.”

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