Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has urged residents of the state to continue using old Naira notes, stating that the Supreme Court has the final say in the matter. Speaking during an engagement with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abeokuta, the governor reminded people that the Supreme Court had ruled that the status quo should be maintained regarding the use of the old Naira notes.

Governor Abiodun further expressed his sympathy for the level of hardship facing Nigerians due to the ongoing cash crunch and redesigning of the Naira. While he noted that the redesigning of the Naira is the responsibility of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he expressed concerns about the implementation of the policy.

The governor argued that the cashless policy and redesigning policy are two separate, exclusive policies that should not be implemented together. He expressed disappointment with the implementation of the Naira redesigning policy, which has resulted in a cash confiscation policy, leading to severe hardship for the people.

Despite his concerns, Governor Abiodun emphasized that merchants, supermarkets, and filling stations in Ogun State must accept the old Naira notes. The governor threatened to close down and revoke the certificates of occupancy of commercial outfits that reject the old notes.

The governor’s appeal to residents of the state comes amid widespread confusion about the use of old Naira notes following the introduction of the new Naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Governor Abiodun urged people to refrain from resorting to violence over the scarcity of the new Naira notes, noting that his administration, along with other governors in the country, is working hard to alleviate the suffering of the people.

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During his engagement with the Christian Association of Nigeria, Governor Abiodun also promised to give a 60% concession to all religious bodies applying for approval to build their worship centers. He called on the CAN leadership to encourage Christians to come out and vote for him in the forthcoming general elections, as well as vote for the presidential candidate and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress.

In his remarks, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Akin Akinsanya, noted that the association’s leaders across the five blocks in the state had earlier met with Governor Abiodun. He commended the governor’s commitment to ensuring equal development of the state without leaving any section unattended to.