Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has directed that security personnel arrest anyone who refuses to accept old naira notes in transactions. The Amalgamated Union of Northern Traders endorsed this directive, announcing their support at a press conference in Sokoto State.
The union’s youth leader, Alhaji Sanusi Nufawa, argued that the informal sector can only revive if leaders take decisive action to ensure both old and new notes are accepted, as Matawalle has advocated. He said such measures would alleviate the hardship Nigerians face due to the scarcity of both old and new naira notes. Nufawa expressed optimism that circulating the old notes while gradually withdrawing and replacing them with new ones would ease people’s suffering.
Matawalle, together with his counterparts in Kogi and Kaduna states, had taken the Federal Government to the Supreme Court to seek an order extending the validity of the old ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1,000 notes. The Court’s ruling on Wednesday halted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s plan to enforce the February 10 deadline that would have removed the old notes as legal tender.
Nufawa praised Matawalle for standing with his people rather than exploiting their suffering for political gain. He also commended the National Council of State for its resolution urging the government to produce more naira notes and consider the plight of ordinary citizens. He concluded that those opposing Matawalle’s actions and the Supreme Court victory are either misinformed or driven by political chauvinism.
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