Naira Redesign: Kano govt ready to host Buhari after extension of deadline

Kano State Government will welcome President Muhammadu Buhari to commission some projects in the state.

The state government earlier postponed the planned visit, saying it was to forestall unforeseen circumstances due to the government’s refusal to postpone the deadline for the return of old naira notes.

After the government announced an extension of the deadline, the Governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, said Kano State is now prepared to receive the President.

Mr Ganduje alongside Barau Jibrin – chairman Senate committee on appropriation, led a delegation from the state, and met President Buhari in Daura, after which it was announced the state visit will proceed as originally planned.

“We are very much ready to receive him and we have a lot for him to commission including federal government projects and state government projects. They are state-of-the-art projects,” Mr Ganduje told reporters in Daura after meeting the president.

Mr Ganduje said his team from Kano also discussed with the president the issue of the ongoing currency swap and was happy with him.

“Seeing is believing. You can see that I have led a powerful delegation from Kano State on the issue of new naira notes and we have seen Mr President. We have laid the complaints of the Kano people and we are very happy.

“He explained to us and also assured us that the time is extended and the quantity of new naira (notes) will increase so that the suffering of the people will be reduced.

“We informed him that Kano is the most populous state in the federation and also the commercial nerve centre of the northern part of Nigeria, second to Lagos.

“But in terms of cash transactions, Kano is much higher than Lagos because Lagos has gone far in terms of a cashless society, and cashless transactions. But Kano State is comparatively a rural state, so say, still, we have 24 local governments without banks. Most of the banks are concentrated within Kano metropolitan.

“So, you can imagine the suffering of the rural areas, rural people in terms of cash transactions. But we are happy that the time has been extended and also the quantum of the naira notes will be increased.

“So, we are so grateful to the President for their effort, Mr Ganduje said.