Six days to the expiration of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) January 31st deadline to end the circulation of the old N1,000, N500 and N200 naira notes, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun sensitization of residents in rural communities across the 17 Chiefdoms of the nation’s capital.
The administration through the Department of Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement (RCSI), on Wednesday took the awareness campaign to the palaces of Sarkin Bwari and Esu Bwari, in Bwari area council.
Speaking during a visit to the palaces of Sarkin Bwari and Esu Bwari, Abuja, Mr. Fatai Bello, who led the FCTA team, said the administration was concerned that as the January 31 deadline is fast approaching, even as the new currencies might not have gotten to the rural communities of the FCT.
Bello explained that the FCTA decided to assist in engaging traditional rulers to ensure that they get to their subjects, so that they could take their money to banks before the expiration of the deadline.
He said: “The campaign is being carried out in the 17 Chiefdoms of the FCT across the six Area Councils. We already have the giggles being running on most of the radio stations, so the message is actually going down to the target group, who are receiving the message quite well.
“It is our responsibility as the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department, for which we run 24/7 call centre. And we received daily via calls some of the questions and concerns raised during the visit to the Chiefs. We have a mechanism of which we pass these concerns to the appropriate authorities, and get feedback.
“We are going to review some of the issues raised particularly those that are directly concerned the CBN for us to be able to get feedback from the CBN, and we promised that within 24 hours, we are going to get back to them, having taken the necessary steps”.
At the Sa Bwaya palace in Bwari, the the Esu Bwari, HRH Ibrahim Yaro, who commended the FCT Minister for the sensitisation effort, said they have been trying their best to see that people having old notes in their houses should take them to the banks on or before the deadline.
He said: “So, we need to still enlighten our people with this message, which we try to send across my chiefdom through the village and district heads, who will speak with people in their respective domains.
“Although the time is short, but we know that nothing good comes easy, because definitely some people will suffer, but after suffering, we will enjoy it. So we the traditional rulers with your support, we will do the necessary thing to ensure that our people comply with the directive”.
On his part, Sarkin Bwari, Alh. Awwal Musa Muhammad Ijakoro, who noted that although that the government doesn’t intend to hurt the common man, but they are the ones most suffering from the implementation of the policy within the stipulated time.
Ijakoro, who was represented by Sarkin Hausawa, Dantani Dantsho, also suggested that the government could consider provision cash collection centres in rural areas, so as to help ameliorate the hardships that the people go through to deposit their old currencies in the banks outside their settlements.
Not left out, a Bwari resident, Vincent Yusuf, community leaders can help coordinate the monies of the people to take to the banks in order to avoid the long queues, adding that POS operators should be given special treatment, because they are closer to the common people.
Highpoint of the event was an interactive session between the administration and the people of Bwari, during which concerns and challenges to be addressed, as well as open air street sensitisation, so as to avoid being trapped with the old notes after the deadline.