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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has disclosed that despite his position, he is yet to see the new naira notes.
Ortom stated this while recieving the Governing Council of Joseph Sarwaaun Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), who paid him a visit on Wednesday.
The governor backed the call for the extension of the deadline for changing the old naira notes to the redesigned ones.
He said he was concerned about the short duration handed to Nigerians to effect the change of their old notes to the new ones, considering the rural dwellers who are yet to be aware of the development and the fact that the new notes were scarce.
Central Bank of Nigeria had on Tuesday insisted that there was no going back on the stipulated deadline.
Though, National Assembly had on Tuesday called for extension till July 31.
But Ortom explained that insisting on January 31 deadline will further increase the pains of every Nigerian.
“As governor, I have not seen any new naira despite six days to the deadline. What will happen to the man in the village? I join the senate in calling for the extension of the change of the currency from the old to the new one.
“Our people are already going through the pains of insecurity in this country. Majority of the people are suffering. Things are not okay in the country, Mr President should know this.
“It is an understatement to say that our people are suffering in Nigeria. People are going through pain in this country things are not okay at all. I am calling on the president to look into it and extend the deadline
“The visible sign is that there are a lot of people, particularly in the rural areas who are yet to transfer the old notes. As governor, I am yet to see the new naira notes.
“This is the reason I will join other Nigerians to look at this critically so that we don’t worsen the condition of our our people,” he said.
