The Melford Okilo road was today blocked for several hours as market women in the popular Akenfa in Yenagoa Local Government Area, protested over the failure of the federal government to obey the decision of the Supreme Court which ruled that the old naira notes should remain legal tender till 31st December 2023.
According to the market women who commenced the protest at noon today, banks are giving old naira notes but have refused to accept the old naira note from customers.
Mrs. Debora Ebi who was among the protesting market women, said that they can’t further cope with the manner in which the old currencies are being rejected in the state, adding that the charges from POS is on a very high side.
She expressed frustration over the continued rejection of the old N500 and N1000 notes, adding that she can’t do any transactions, and that has made her family stay in hunger.
A trader, Madam Tokoni said banks are giving old naira notes but refuse to accept them when they want to deposit them.
She said; “If I sell and collect old notes, how will I transact business when others won’t receive them, we have suffered, our family members are dying of hunger, no food, and the market is not moving, why is the government treating us like this?
“we heard other state are accepting the old naira note but the story is different in Bayelsa state, why?”
According to a former secretary of Bayelsa State Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Comrade Alagoa Morris, the issue is a clear case of “When the elephants fights, the grasses suffer”. The masses are the main victims, not those in power.
He stated that “As a matter of fact it is sad, unfortunate and very unacceptable this suffering that has reduced Nigerian to the level where their dignity as human beings have been denied them; including avoidable deaths. The continued denial of cash even after the Supreme Court’s ruling speaks volume; that this is a country where the rule of Law is not practiced.”
With the recent development on the issues surrounding the naira swap policy, one can draw a conclusion that the policy has done more harm than good especially to the women folk because most of them engage in different line of trading to empower themselves economically, and this has led them into abject suffering.
This is special call to the relevant authorities to do the needful to ensure that the issues that the issues that surrounds the naira swap are been addressed appropriately, they should also ensure that subsequent government policies are people friendly and not the other way round.