Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, says Federal Government has proposed to allow the old N200 notes to remain legal tender till April 10 2023, claiming that the N500 and N1000 notes already deposited had been destroyed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A statement by Special Adviser on Media & Communication to Governor, Muyiwa Adekeye, quoted the Governor saying the proposal made by the federal government is an inadequate solution to the suffering faced by Nigerians.
He debunked rumours that the All Progressives Congress Governors met with the Federal Government on Wednesday.
The statement however said some governors, including El-Rufai were contacted on phone by Aso Rock officials to seek an end to the currency redesign crisis.
“Rather, senior officials of the FG reached some governors, including Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on the phone to initiate discussions on a possible out-of-court settlement. The proposed terms allowed only the old N200 note to remain legal tender and circulated by the CBN until April 10 2023. They claimed that the CBN had already destroyed the old N500 and N1000 notes that had been deposited but that those who still held the old notes could redeem them up to April 10 2023.
“These were not considered as serious proposals, for obvious reasons. Circulating the old N200 notes alone would not be sufficient to relieve widespread human suffering in Kaduna State and, indeed, in Nigeria today. They knew that which is why they falsely claimed that the CBN had already destroyed the old N500 and N1000 notes. It is contrary to the fact available to the governors that the old notes were in the custody of commercial bank branches throughout Nigeria until the evening of Monday, February 13, and not a single N500 or N1000 had been destroyed”, the statement contained.
