One of the greatest surprises that confronted me this morning was the refusal by Lagos BRT tickets to accept old naira notes from commuters.
Until otherwise stated by the CBN, the old naira notes remain legal tender and anyone who rejects it is infringing on the laws of the land. Are we therefore right in saying that the Lagos State Govt is committing an economic crime by refusing to accept Nigeria’s legal tender? That’s undisputable in the foregoing circumstance.
It is surprising that while the Kano State Government is shutting down big shopping malls and other businesses rejecting the old naira notes, the Lagos State Govt is doing otherwise by joining those rejecting it. Already, the biggest shopping malls and supermarkets in Lagos have stopped accepting the old notes. This is notwithstanding the difficulty associated with obtaining cash (either old or new) during this period.
Unless it comes out with an official statement denouncing this act, we should safely assume that the Government of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has joined the fray of those punishing Nigerians at this critical time.
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However, I believe that given the fact that he has been one of the most responsive and responsible governors in Nigeria in the last three years, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would surely stand on the part of the masses in these trying days by calling the operators of the BRT to order.
CREDIT: Facebook.com / Uzogara Tobechukwu
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