Ganduje asks Buhari to postpone Kano visit over ‘hardship’ caused by naira redesign

Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano governor, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to postpone his planned visit to the state due to security concerns and complaints from locals about difficulty in obtaining the new naira notes.  

Ganduje’s request was contained in a letter to the president, according to a statement signed by Abba Anwar, the governor’s media aide. 

Buhari was scheduled to visit the state on January 30 and 31 to commission some projects executed by the Ganduje administration.

The governor was quoted as saying lawmakers from the state, political stakeholders and the business community agree with the decision to postpone the planned visit.

Ganduje also called for an extension of the deadline for returning old naira notes.

“Deeply concerned with the hardship caused by the limited time given for halting the use of old Naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and for security reasons, Kano State governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje reveals that the state resolved and wrote to Presidency that, the visit of the President to commission some projects to be postponed,” the statement reads.

Anwar said the decision was made on Friday at the government house during an interactive session with academics, lawmakers, political leaders, and members of the business community.

“As we are waiting for this important visit, we found ourselves in this situation, which puts citizens into untold hardship. For security purposes, we wrote to Presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano is postponed,” the statement reads.

“We got an acknowledgement copy of the letter. People are suffering because of this policy.

“During the meeting with sections of citizens in the state, they accepted that the decision was a unanimous one. As they all spoke in support of the letter sent to the Presidency.

“Two serving senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya and Barau Jibrin, Twenty members of the House of Representatives and Thirty legislators from the State House of Assembly were amongst the groups that put their weight behind the governor.”

‘NO BANKS IN MOST OF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES’

Anwar said the governor expressed concerns about the number of banks in the state’s rural communities.

“There are no banks in most of our rural communities. How these people get new Naira notes is of great concern. Just look at what is happening in our urban areas, people go and spend hours upon hours in banks. And without any assurances of getting the new notes,” the statement reads. 

“Even at Point of Sales (POS) , according to the governor, one cannot transact with ease, hinting that, many of them closed shops due to uncertainty.

“Kano, being a commercial hub, must be heard loudly and clearly because this problem affects all of us. Therefore our voice must be heard in all nooks and crannies.”

Anwar said Ganduje and other governors sent delegates to Buhari, regardless of their party affiliation, to express their displeasure with the new development.

“Governors from all the political parties put heads together and sent delegates, but to no avail. So also traditional rulers followed the same path, but individually. But up to now, there is nothing in that respect,” he said.

Despite pressure for an extension, Godwin Emefiele, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, had said the deadline for the validity of the old 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes remains January 31.