Residents of Yenagoa have taken to the streets to protest the refusal of traders and transporters to collect the N1000 and N500 notes after the Supreme Court ruling which declared the currency as legal tender.
The protest which was started at Akenfa disrupted vehicular movement as women and youths blocked the road calling for the intervention of Governor Douye Diri to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
Armed with placards with inscriptions such as ‘Bank Refuses The old Cash. But they are Dispensing It. Why??? We are Dying’, ‘ President Buhari, Governor Douye Diri come to our aid’, ‘ We are finding it difficult to feed, help us’, Governor Douye Diri Don’t keep Quiet’ they wondered why the state government has not intervene to ensure Bayelsans do not suffer.
Many commuters have been stranded as the stretch of Akenfa, Agudama, Edepie and Tombia have been blocked forcing many to trek long distances.
One of the protesters, Mr Ebi Inayago said Bayelsans have endured the pains but it has reached the peak.
“The pain of getting naira notes to spend has reached its peak. We have endured the sufferings but it is beyond us now. We had hope that the Supreme Court was a relief but we are wrong. Banks that were paying old naira notes have refused to collect it as deposit. Traders and transporters are not collecting it and we are back to square one. Government should do something before the situation gets out of hand.”
Another protester, Mrs Coronation Fente expressed surprised that Governor Diri has not spoken to Bayelsans on the naira crisis.
“It is sad that our governor has not addressed us on the naira crisis. Trading is badly affected in Yenagoa. People cannot get money to buy basic necessities. New note we cannot get, old one that the Court said we can use is not been accepted, we are tired, hungry and dying. The government should do something before things get out of hand."
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