By Ambrose Ologide
Barely a week to the Central Bank deadline on change of currency, there were panic and confusion among some residents in Warri .
Banks in the area did not help matters as the ones monitored by our correspondent did their transactions with N200,N500 and N1000 old Naira Notes
The ATM of the said banks emitted the old currency as at the time of filing this report.
Some sellers were reluctant to accept the old currency as they threatened that they will stop accepting the old currency by weekend.
Some of them also complained that they do not have bank accounts and therefore they can’t deposit their old currency.
A gas seller along Cemetery Road , Warri Israel Djebah noted that the new currency was scarce and he did not have up to ten thousand cash of the new currency.
A POS operator in Warri Garage Kate Ebioke expressed worries that the CBN deadline will affect business.
A commercial tricycle ( Keke ) rider , Kesiena Enaihwo expressed worries that politicians may be behind the scarcity of the new currency.
A renowned public analyst Chief Akpojotor Adjarho spoke in the same vein as he expressed fear that the Central Bank deadline will cause hunger and hardship among the masses.
Adjarho noted that there was no guarantee that those that will rush to deposit their monies out of panic will get their money withdrawn from the bank on the 1st February.
He therefore called for an extension of date for the change of currency and also suggested that the change should be gradual .
