Enugu traders reject old N500, N1,000 notes

Some business owners in Enugu have continued to reject the old naira notes for transactions in spite of the Supreme Court judgment validating them, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Many business owners, who spoke to NAN on Thursday in Enugu, said they were yet to receive directives from the appropriate authority to start collecting the old N500 and N1,000 notes again.

They said that it would be difficult to spend the old notes because many residents were rejecting the old notes as well.

A tricycle rider, Mr Uche Ossai, said he had not started collecting the old notes because he would find it difficult to spend them as many fuel stations were still rejecting them too.

A food vendor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she would not collect the old notes because nobody was ready to collect them from her.

“The transporters have refused to collect the old notes of N500 and N1,000; so you do not expect me to collect it from others because it may end up being a waste to me,” she said.

Mr Jude Okoye, a provision shop owner at Mayor Market, told NAN that he preferred his customers to pay him electronically than to receive the old naira notes from them.

A salon owner, Mrs Jacinta Nweke, told NAN that the staff of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) refused to collect the old naira notes from her when she wanted to pay her hospital bills.

“When I went to UNTH to pay for my hospital bill after seeing the doctor they refused to collect the old notes from me, telling me they have not received directive from the appropriate authority,” he said.


A resident of Achara layout, Miss Gloria Okoroafor, said that the tricycle rider, who brought her home, also refused to collect the old notes from her recently.

She added that the tricycle rider said that it was only the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that could collect it as he had not heard from the CBN telling people to start receiving it.

(NAN)