Just a day after the Governor of Kogi State, Governor Yayaha Bello ordered that all persons and business owners in the state are to collect the old notes according to the Supreme Court order and that any person or business owner that refuses this order will be arrested and the same applies to the bank within the state that refuses to accept the old notes, such banks will be sealed.
Governor Oyebanji Abiodun of Ekiti State has followed suit, he said that he has heard the cry of the people due to the cash scarcity in the state, and he ordered that the old N500 and N1000 remain legal tender, according to the Supreme Court rulings.
According to him, he appeals to all Ekiti State citizens to obey the rulings from the Supreme Court, and so he urges all business owners to accept the old and new naira notes, as rejecting the old notes will inflict suffering on the citizens.
He further threatened to arrest and prosecute any person that flaunts such orders in the state.
“This is an appeal to all residents of Ekiti to abide by the ruling of the Supreme Court, which has provided a reprieve for the people by extending the validity date of the old naira notes till Dec., 31.
“As honorable people, what is expected of us is to abide by the ruling of the apex court and continue to accept the old naira notes as means of transactions and not to inflict further hardship on one another by rejecting it.
“Government will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute business owners found rejecting the old naira notes,” the statement quoted Oyebanji as saying.
Since the Supreme Court gave its ruling as regards the cash issue, the Governor of the Central Bank is yet to state it, due to his Silence as regards the issue, commercial banks have refused to accept the old notes despite giving them out to customers.
