Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa
It was anger, frustration among traders and other residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, as market women protested against the refusal of old Naira notes of N500 and N1,000 denominations.
After the Supreme Court judgement on the reversal of the use of the old Naira notes most inhabitants in the state capital have refused recognising it as a legal tender.
The situation has been common among fuel stations, banks which in some cases issue the old notes but would refuse accepting them, Keke riders and other traders who complained that banks refusal to accept the old notes informed their actions too.
Frustrated by the development which has led to a stand still in buying and selling of their wares, market women in Akenfa area of the state capital embarked on wild protest that blocked the road leading to Yenagoa the state capital, on Thursday.
Vehicular movement leading to the state capital was blocked by the protesters, making commuters to trek long distances as the protest later spread to other markets in Yenagoa where the protests continued, on Friday .
The traders who had various unprintable inscriptions on placards frowned at the state governors inability to make a comment on the issue.
The inscriptions, amongst others read thus: ‘Governor Douye Diri, please tell Bayelsans to accept the old naira notes’, ‘Other state governors spoke against the rejection of old naira notes, why is our governor quiet?’
‘We are tied of suffering why reject the old notes when the Supreme Court has spoken’; ‘Emefule should speak on the issue’.
‘We cannot use old naira notes in Bayelsa state’, and many such placards displayed by the market women.
While the rejection of the old Naira notes has continued to paralise business activities, the new notes are nowhere to be found.
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It was learnt that a lady who was issued old N1,000 notes by one of the new generation banks had to return it hours after it was rejected for business transactions.
But to her surprise the bank in turn rejected it just hours after it was given to her.
Some bank officials interviewed said they were still waiting for official order from the Central Bank headquarters.
But when reminded that the Central bank had issued statement that the old notes are still legal tender.
The tension in Yenagoa the state has continued as even transfer transactions in the course of buying and selling has not helped matters because of poor internet network.