*The Kaduna State Government of Nigeria says its directive on accepting all banknotes is in line with the subsisting Supreme Court’s interim order on the legality of both old and redesigned Naira notes pending the determination of the apex appellate court in the country

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Employing the instrumentality of the law in line with the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s interim order on holding off on phasing out old banknotes, the Kaduna State Government has directed its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that their revenue collection agents continue to accept payments in all denominations of the old and redesigned Naira notes.

Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Media and Communication, noted this development in a statement said that the directive was in line with the subsisting order of the apex appellate court in the West African country.

Existing Naira denominations聽

It is recalled El-Rufai, in a state-wide broadcast eto the residents of the state Thursday, February 16, 2023, had disclosed that he felt the need to address the citizens “due to the unprecedentedly cruel situation our people and their livelihoods have been thrown into, particularly in the last two to three weeks by the decisions,聽 actions and inactions of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

The Kaduna Governor also stated: “I wish to express my deepest regret at the needless suffering you are enduring as a result of the prolonged fuel shortage and the difficulties occasioned by the so-called ‘currency redesign’ policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

He as well assured the Kaduna residents the he understands their pain.

New banknotes聽

“I assure you that as your State Governor, I have been working with my other colleagues to do everything in our power to end these pains,” he said.

Express instruction to government revenue collection agents

Adekeye also noted the laws of Kaduna State do not allow personnel of government agencies to be involved in cash collection of revenues.

The state, however, said that collection agents authorised by state government agencies do offer citizens “a route for cash payments”, and are expected to comply with the subsisting court order.

Caution against threats of violence over cash crunch

In a related development, the Kaduna State Government has disclosed it received credible intelligence reports of plans by various groups to deliberately disrupt public peace by organising street protests in connection with the current Naira scarcity and cash swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

绿帽献妻 reports Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna State Honourable Commissioner for internal Security and Home Affairs, revealed this in a statement issued Sunday, February 19, 2023.

The Commissioner, however, warned the citizens that such protests remain strictly prohibited in the Northern state.

Aruwan strongly advised the residents of the state to avoid all actions capable of inciting a breakdown of law and order Kaduna.

According to him, the Kaduna State Government continues to empathise with citizens who have experienced untold distress resulting from the CBN cash swap policy in the country.

Aruwan, therefore, appealed to Kaduna residents to shun the baiting of mischievous groups exploiting these hardships to incite violence.

The Commissioner also announced that the Kaduna State Government and other concerned state governments in Nigeria are deploying the full instrumentality of the law to attain a proper resolution, and thus bring relief to citizens.

He further stated: 鈥淕overnment is also studying options for addressing challenges being faced by citizens with regard to transport to their places of work.

鈥淎ny resort to unruly or violent conduct is illegal and against the public interest which values law and order.”

He noted: 鈥淪ecurity agencies have been placed on high alert and have been directed by the Government to decisively uphold law and order.

鈥淐itizens are, therefore, urged to maintain calm, and to remain peaceful and law-abiding as they prepare to exercise their civic franchise in an atmosphere free of all forms of threat.”

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