Residents of Enugu, on Saturday, started rejecting the old naira notes for transactions, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Many residents who are still holding the old naira notes are finding it difficult to spend them.
A resident of Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area, George Nweze told NAN a bus driver whom he gave the old N500 note rejected it.
“I was surprised because I thought he could easily use it to buy fuel. He flatly rejected it,” Mr Nweze said.
A petty trader, Marta Chukwu, said she went to buy provisions with old naira notes, totaling N25,000, but it was rejected.
Mrs Chukwu said her customer declined to collect the notes from her, insisting that he stopped collecting old notes on Friday.
“What saved me was that the person who sells recharge cards mercifully collected the notes from me, if not, I would have lost N25,000 just like that,” she said.
NAN observed that even tricycle operators now ask intending passengers if they have new notes before boarding.
A civil servant, John Nwabueze, said he paid old notes to a taxi driver while going to work on Friday but the old notes were rejected by another taxi driver when he was coming back in the evening.
“The rejection actually started (yesterday) evening because I paid with old notes in the morning while going to work.
“In the evening when I boarded a bus, the driver said anyone with old notes should come down,” he said.
Speaking to NAN, a tricycle operator, Ejike Ogbodo, said the problem started when an NNPC mega station around town started refusing old notes, insisting on new notes or transfer.
“We queued to buy fuel yesterday at the NNPC mega station and they refused to collect old notes from us. So, we decided not to be collecting old notes again,” Mr Ogbodo said.
A resident, Maryline Ugwu, claimed that her bank refused to collect old notes from her.
An official of a commercial banks in the city, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained why banks may reject the old notes.
“It is possible because we have not received any official directive from the CBN on the next line of action,” he said.
At Mayor Market, Agbani Road, some market women were seen collecting the old notes.
A vegetable seller, Anthonia Ede, said she had no option than to collect anything that comes her way.
“I collect anyone I see,” she said.
(NAN)
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